Style spotlight: Sophie Kyron Jewellery

2010 Summer of Angel and Asp collection. Photo: sophiekyron.com

When it comes to jewelry, I generally only have two requirements: big and bold. When you have those two elements in a single piece of jewelry, one piece is pretty much all you need.

While I can appreciate the layered look, in my experience, it has always been the single, large piece—be it a ring or necklace—that gets all the attention. Loads of skinny little ropes and bangles and necklaces tend to have the same effect as a sleeve of tattoos: there is so much going on, all the pieces just blend in with each other. It's just too much visual clutter.

Thanks to designers like Marni, Stephen Dweck, Mars and Valentine, and H. Stern, everything bold is new again. These designers have taken statement jewelry to a whole new level, and it has been quite a while since I've seen a worthy rival. But one has surfaced on the other side of the world that is giving me pause—and palpitations—with her amazing pieces.

America, meet Australian  jewelry designer Sophie Kyron. Sophie, please come meet us in the U.S. with a trunk of all your delicious chainmail-like necklaces and exquisite headpieces.

Kyron, who is based in Perth, Western Australia, has been in business for 20 years, but her flair for the dramatic seems to just be hitting its stride. Kyron uses brass or sterling silver metals in her made-to-order pieces, plus acrylic, leather, wood, semi-precious stones, and more. The effect has been described by others as "theatrical," and indeed it is. However, Kyron creates jewelry that is both earthy and dynamic, and many average-size pieces still pack quite a visual wallop because of the unique nature of the design and materials used. Another wonderful aspect of Kyron's designs is that pieces are often multi-functional; removable brooches on the Andalusia necklace allow for customization, one particular headpiece can also be worn as a belt or necklace.

But one of the best things about Sophie Kyron Jewellery is that she is one of the few Australian designers with an online store—plus, she ships internationally and shipping to the U.S. is free. Absolutely brilliant. With the U.S.-to-Australian dollar exchange rate and free shipping, there is practically no excuse for not adding one of Kyron's phenomenal pieces to your collection. Shop now at www.sophiekyron.com.