Jewellery house Jerboa is based in London, United Kingdom and founded by designer Victoria Barker. Victoria comes from an artistic family and has produced a small collection of artwork in the past. She soon discovered jewellery design as her true passion and decided to focus on a career in jewellery instead. This soon lead to the launch of her own jewellery house Jerboa. Jerboa combines Eastern influences with contemporary high-fashion. Statement pieces for a luxurious evening out. Their slogan ‘art to be worn’ has a nice ring to it. The pieces are very artistic and perfect for the style-conscious, strong and confident woman.
‘’What I love about Eastern style are the colors, the vibrancy and the beadwork. My niche is bead artistry and I aim to create jewellery which is art, to adorn every woman who loves glamour, gemstones and luxury’’
The pieces by Jerboa Jewellery are hand crafted and made from high quality materials like silver, different types of gemstones, pearls, gold plated beads and Swarovski crystals. The collections consist of statement pieces in both eye popping colors and neutral/darker tones. For me it was love at first sight when I first set eyes on a Jerboa design, mainly because Victoria puts a lot of thought into her pieces. A lot of attention went into the fine detailing. The designs are flawless and rare. They are pieces that catch your attention immediately; large statement necklaces, chunky arm cuffs and dramatic, long earrings. I personally like wearing eye catching jewellery items, extravagant styles and show stopping items like these. At the moment big collar necklaces are in fashion, but I am quite disappointed with the mainstream designs that are on offer at the moment, which is why Jerboa is like a breath of fresh air to me.
How to wear: The long waterfall style necklaces and earrings would look great with a pair of dark skinny trousers and a white blouse teamed up with a pair of strappy high heels. The snake style necklaces (like the Cyprus collar) would go well with a posh, straight dress, like a pencil or tulip dress. The large statement necklaces would look best on plain and simple outfits, like a dark jumpsuit or a tight fitting maxi dress. This way the necklace would look as if it is part of your outfit, functioning as a decorated collar. The cuffs can be combined with any style, I feel they are a wardrobe must have. They have a wow factor!
Oriental style: The necklaces would go well with Indian gowns. The snake style necklaces would look perfect with a plain sari. The collar necklaces would look good on a simple anarkali style dress. The Arabian Nights earrings would look lovely with a simple Salwaar Kameez.
The statement earrings (like Arabian Nights) and cuffs go well with Middle Eastern style gowns, like the Abaya.
The Fashion Orientalist asked Jerboa designer Victoria Barker about the inspiration for her designs and the origin of the name Jerboa:
‘’When I was a little girl I fell in love with historical costume dramas like ‘Sword-and-Sandal’. Epic features such as Queen of the Nile, Jason, the Argonauts and Cleopatra’s Daughter fuelled my imagination. The lavish costumes, opulent set designs and intricate patterns in the clothing, architecture and artifacts from eastern lands amazed and inspired me.
Later, BBC documentaries which explored Egypt, Arabia, Persia and the Orient continued to captivate me. I particularly love the geometric patterns on Turkish mosques, the mystery of Egyptian hieroglyphics and the jade, pearls and fine fabrics which travelled across the Silk Road from Asia to Europe.
Sometime in 2008 I was watching the news and saw the very first footage of a rare creature known as the Long Eared Jerboa. I instantly fell in love with these astounding animals, only found in the deserts of Mongolia. It is my goal to one day travel eastwards to Mongolia and see the Jerboa in its natural habitat. I hope to one day visit all the places and meet the people and see the cultures which inspire my jewellery.’’
Audacity of Fashion
Jerboa has recently launched a project on Audacity of Fashion, an online platform for fashion and jewellery designers to raise funds for their upcoming collections. Jerboa hopes to raise funds for their new collection, to create more exposure online and offline for their brand for London and Paris Fashion Week 2014. You can support Jerboa via:
audacityoffashion.com/index.php/projects/project_home/104
Those who get involved will receive glamorous rewards for their contribution!
Tip: Make sure you watch the interesting video on the project website about Jerboa.
In order of appearance: 1. Tahrir Collar, 2. Vestal Collar, 3. Hebe Collar, 4. Cyprus Collar, 5. Caged Quartz Cuff, 6 Hebe Cuff, 7. Nymph Cuff, 8. Arabian Nights Earrings
For more information about Jerboa Jewellery visit their brand new website: jerboajewellery.com/
