Solange Azagury-Partridge

Profile

British jewelry designer Solange Azagury-Partridge launched her first New York boutique in April 2009, creating a setlike backdrop for her unusual lacquered and gemstone-studded baubles. With darkened windows and the front door shut fast, the store can be easily mistaken for closed, save for a single illuminated button you push for access. The space is small, dark, and dazzling—the walls and ceiling are encrusted in 630,000 Swarovski crystals, arranged to mimic constellations, and the floor is covered by a vibrant rainbow-striped parquet rug (of Azagury-Partridge’s own design). Opulent jewels are mounted in backlit black-velvet alcoves, appearing to glow from within. The striking pieces draw on various sources of inspiration, including mathematical patterns (a necklace of candy-colored squares resembling a Tetris game), occult imagery (diamond pentagram pendants), and sheer whimsy (chunky cocktail rings shaped like birds, crocodile heads, and kissing lips). — Frankie Thomas