Suzanne Kalan Knows How To Perfect The Art Of Diamond Stacking

This is a repost from my Forbes Lifestyle article which you can find here.

Ever since Marilyn Monroe made it known to the world that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, generations of females have followed in agreement. With its exquisite cut, clarity, sparkle and the value represented, it is not hard to understand why all girls long for a piece of their own. Suzanne Kalan, a LA based jewellery designer brand, knows perfectly well how to create the most mesmerising pieces and made diamond stacking a hugely popular trend through the launch of their original Fireworks and Luxe Stack designs.

With a family background closely connected to the jewellery business (her father owned a jewellery store and her husband is a diamond setter), it would have seemed inevitable that Suzanne Kalan would go on to become one of the most well known contemporary jewellery designers. Although already making pieces for herself and her sister, Suzanne did not establish her own brand until her self-made accessories caught the attention of a store owner who gave Suzanne her first order right there and then.

One of Suzanne Kalan’s most popular designs is the Fireworks range (as pictured above). Baguette-cut diamonds are scattered in a seemingly random fashion yet restrained to create an asymmetrical beauty that is oh-so-pleasing to the eye.

The unevenness (in both direction and size) of the baguette-cut diamonds, and consequent illusion of looseness, are also perfectly demonstrated in the “Luxe Stack” bangle collection. Described as “controlled chaos” by the designer herself, the original design illustrates Kalan’s unique take on how a modern tennis bracelet should be. While classic bracelets can be very “little princess”, Suzanne’s modern version comes with urban grit. All these elements come together to make “Luxe Stack” effortlessly cool to wear, despite its inherent preciousness.

Diamond and bangle stacking has quickly become one of the top trends of the fashion world and bloggers couldn’t wait to showcase their favourite “arm candies” on various social media platforms. Although a number of jewellery brands followed suit in providing their own version of the “Fireworks” and “Luxe Stack”, it is unquestionable that Suzanne Kalan remained the top choice for many as the originality and fiery bang transpires in her design.

Over the past few years, Suzanne’s daughter, Patile Kalandjian has joined the family company and designs the KALAN by Suzanne Kalan collection (as pictured above and below). In comparison to her mother, Patile’s designs are mainly set in 14k gold and are more popping in colour featuring a wide range of hand-selected semi-precious and precious gems with accents of diamonds and sapphires.

My favourite pieces from the current collection include the 18k Rose Gold X Post Earrings, the 18k Rose Gold Vitrine Ring, the 18k Yellow Gold Diamond Necklace, the 18k Yellow Gold Diamond Bangle, and of course the original Fireworks 18k White Gold Baguette Band. Suzanne Kalan is widely available in the U.S., including at Net-A-Porter, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue as well as international outlets such as Harrods, Barneys Japan, Dover Street Market (London and New York) and Luisa Via Roma in Italy.

Follow me at @DemureAndStylish