SHARP NOTES

A collaboration between jeweller Ara Vartanian and rapper Swizz Beatz is a rhythmic fusion of spiky silhouettes, sculptural forms and seductive gems

- WRITER: HANNAH SILVER

Brazilian jeweller Ara Vartanian first connected with US rapper and music producer Swizz Beatz on Instagram. Swizz was taken with Vartanian's distinctive three-finger rings, later getting back in contact in search of emeralds for his wife, the singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. They struck up a friendship, which was cemented when the couple wore his jewellery to the Grammys.

In 2019, Swizz suggested working together on a line of brooches, but Covid halted their plans. The duo began revisiting the project in 2022, resulting in their first fine jewellery collection. 'I designed some brooches and a few other things, and he showed me what he liked from the pieces that I made,' says Vartanian. 'He sent me his ideas, his vision, and we combined our aesthetics. We talked a lot about design and stones and colours, and that's how our collaboration came about.'