THE ROCK HOUND RETURNS TO SELFRIDGES WITH LA MAISON COUTURE’S ETHICAL & SUSTAINABLE JEWELLERY POP-UP
By La Maison Couture and Selfridges and Project Earth and Olivia Marshall
First Published 17/03/2023
Location: London
THE ROCK HOUND RETURNS TO SELFRIDGES WITH LA MAISON COUTURE’S ETHICAL & SUSTAINABLE JEWELLERY POP-UP UNTIL 26TH FEBRUARY 2023
Award-winning jewellery brand The Rock Hound - founded by gemmologist-jeweller Susi Smither - has once again been selected as one of just nine ethical and sustainable jewellery brands for their latest jewellery pop-up in collaboration with Selfridges Project Earth.
This year, La Maison Couture is showcasing a selection of pioneering ethical and sustainable brands in the prestigious Oxford Street flagship from late Jan to late Feb’23, championing positive-impact labels and helping to promote transparency, responsible production, and better-informed purchasing around the first quarter’s key gifting moments in the calendar for jewellery shopping.
Hot from being worn by Hayley Atwell at the British Independent Film Awards, The Rock Hound presents its latest collection ‘HotRocks’ at the pop-up, alongside a couple of other firm and colourful favourites, Feeling Druzy and RockStars.
HotRocks offers an expansion on existing ranges from The Rock Hound, being crafted from 100% recycled silver – and coated with a flash of the brand’s trademark nano-ceramic colour – providing an accessible entry price-point for those wanting to invest in the brand. Each wand pendant presents 42g of recycled silver in an exact replica of a quartz wand, cast through the lost wax casting process. The silver has unique presence when worn and even picks up the wearer’s body heat. Wand pendants come with a silver chain and cost £280. The studs and large cluster ring– as worn by Hayley – cost £120 and £280 respectively.
Susi commented, “Thrilled to be invited back by LMC for their upcoming pop-up in one of my favourite places to shop in London. Adding my HotRocks collection brings even more colour to the mix and won’t blow the budget this Valentine’s.”
Situated in the heart of Selfridges’ Luxury Accessories Hall, the pop-up sits alongside other international luxury brands, such as Dior, Prada and Hermes.
Selfridges has introduced four easy to understand labelling categories as part of the Project Earth edit, such as: ‘for communities’ and ‘for nature’, to help customers shop with greater ease and enable them to make more informed sustainability choices. Customers can feel confident in knowing where their jewellery comes from and how it was made.
La Maison Couture’s founder Tania McNab only gravitates towards contemporary and niche designer jewellery brands, that have responsible sourcing and sustainability at their core. This alignment between La Maison Couture and Selfridges, has sustainability commitments underpinning everything it does.
“Delighted to be showcasing The Rock Hound for the second time in our LMC X Selfridges pop up. Shining a light on contemporary jewellery design from recycled metals, the new HotRocks collection with its edgy wand quartz shapes and vibrant colours looks fantastic as part of our Selfridges 2D themed store concept.” Tania McNab, La Maison Couture founder.
La Maison Couture is a multi-channel retail platform showcasing sustainable fine jewellery, responsible jewellers and emerging brands committed to social and environmental change. A platform that has the power to reassure customers that they are purchasing meaningful pieces from brands that only have a positive impact on our planet’s people and resources.
La Maison Couture was recently awarded the Independent Fashion Jewellery Retailer of the Year at the prestigious Professional Jeweller Awards 2022. Recognised for its impact and passion within the jewellery industry and for showcasing the trailblazing work of its brand community, LMC is proud to be credited as the voice and platform for ethical and responsible jewellery brands.
Selfridges launched its Project Earth initiative in 2020 following over a decade of retail activism - from banning fur in 2005 to phasing our plastic-based cosmetic glitter in 2021. Project Earth is built on three themes – driving a transition to more sustainable materials, exploring new business models, and challenging the mindsets of partners and customers as well as staff – Project Earth is underpinned by science-based targets as the store looks to a net-zero future.
The Rock Hound Collections:
Chromanteq
Chromanteq is The Rock Hound’s award-winning jewellery collection. Using state of the art systems, hand drawn designs are transformed into 3D wax prints and unique cut gemstones are 3D scanned meaning each setting is made for only to fit that stone. These prints are then cast in recycled precious metals and coated in a kaleidoscopic array of nano ceramics. Responsibly sourced gemstones, in equally colourful hues, are then set and mounted, creating unconventional and exclusive pieces. No two compositions will ever be the same.
RockStars
The Rock Hound are self-confessed gem geeks and their RockStars Collection takes the structural form of natural crystals, playfully replicating them in Fairtrade Gold allowing the wearer to harness the beauty and making this collection perfect ethical everyday wear. The RockStars Trigonal Edits is a homage to the crystal system of their favourite gemstone, Tourmaline. The Rock Hound’s RockStars Collection is unisex and designed to be inclusive to all.
Molten Muzo
The Rock Hound are honoured to be one of 40 designers worldwide to be invited to work with Muzo Emerald Colombia.
These Muzo Emerald crystals have been tumbled and polished allowing their encapsulated beauty to be bathed in light which the inner jardin reflects back to the eye with a cool luminosity. As The Gemmologist Jeweller they always do their upmost to preserve, reinforce and complement each gemstone’s unique attributes letting the Rocks be the Star of the Show.
When thinking about the setting they were inspired to create an organic feel complementing the smooth polished surface of the Emerald with the rich golden hues of 18ct yellow gold.
This collection is designed consciously using Fairtrade Gold, a gold which aligns perfectly with Muzo’s core beliefs. Nothing is quite as luxurious as Emeralds literally dripping with molten gold.
Turquoise Mountain
When you’ve got such exquisite precious materials to work with sometimes less is more. With this collection The Rock Hound wanted to meld the ancient traditional techniques with their trademark facet pattern all whilst respecting the native gold and spinel crystals from Myanmar.
Working with the team at Turquoise Mountain Myanmar they’ve been able to create pieces which invoke ancient artefacts and wouldn’t look out of place in a museum’s display case.
Turquoise Mountain was established in 2006 by HRH The Prince of Wales to revive historic areas, traditional crafts and communities, in order to provide jobs, education and a renewed sense of pride.
Turquoise Mountain is working with talented goldsmiths in Yangon to create heritage-inspired and custom pieces using these semi-precious stones for today’s international designers and buyers. Their meticulous goldsmiths are all natives of Ramree Island in Southern Rakhine, which has a goldsmithing tradition going back to the sixth century. Using gold, gemstones, and pearls from the Bay of Bengal, they create small and timeless works of art.
