By Cynthia Unninayar
For the past 27 years, Rodney Rayner has reigned supreme in the world of creative craftsmanship using gold and coloured gemstones. Not one to rest on his laurels, however, he continues to innovate, and today he is venturing into a new dimension in fine jewellery.
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“It is no secret,” Rayner says frankly. “The rising prices of gold have meant that retailers and consumers are looking for fabulous jewellery but at better price points. One way to meet this demand is to innovate with other materials.”
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| Istanbul Collection |
And innovate he has. With his new Istanbul and Barcelona collections, Rayner has added silver to his creative line-up. But not just any silver. These new pieces are made in ruthenium-plated silver. “Ruthenium is one of the platinum group metals,” Rayner explains. “It is also the hardest wearing black/grey plating, and is very resistant to scratching.” Very contemporary, the greyish, gunmetal colour of the ruthenium offers an edgy and exclusive look, especially when contrasted with diamonds and coloured stones.
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| Barcelona Collection |
Launched at BaselWorld 2010, the two collections were an immediate hit. “The reaction to our new ruthenium silver line in Basel was fantastic,” he smiles. “All our customers bought into the collections and were excited about the striking designs at more accessible price points.” Rayner is quick to point out, however, that his new silver line is not to be confused with inexpensive massproduced silver jewellery. “We are selling a finely crafted piece of jewellery set with gemstones. The pieces are made by the same skilled craftsmen, who use all the same components and set the fine stones by hand, just as in the 18K gold versions.” But, by using ruthenium silver, he can achieve a retail price 50 percent less than the same item in gold. What’s on the horizon for 2011? “
At the next BaselWorld, we will launch an extension of the Istanbul and Barcelona collections, in both gold and ruthenium silver versions.” The designer also indicated that he is looking at using ebony combined with 18K gold as well as mammoth bone in new lines. Clearly, Rodney Rayner will continue to innovate with original, edgy, and exclusive lines.
