Carly Cushnie Collaborates on a Sweet Aquamarine Jewelry Collection
BY MELODY LEIBNER AUG 15 2022
Starling, known for its sustainable mission and ethically sourced jewelry, is collaborating with creative director and fashion designer Carly Cushnie. The designer partnered with Starling's founder, Chelsey Bartrum, to design a handmade, 14-karat gold capsule collection featuring aquamarines and diamonds. The name of the collection, Where the Ocean Meets the Sky, was inspired, as Cushnie tells BAZAAR.com, by "a hopeful horizon, which is the mixing of Eastern and Western coasts and cultures."
The soothing blend of aquamarines and diamonds was the basis of the collection's inception. As Bartrum explains, there is a strong "juxtaposition of the watery, soft aquamarine and the fiery strong diamond. The designer continues, "Aquamarine means, 'water of the sea,' in Latin, and the word for diamond … stems from 'unbreakable' in Greek. By combining these stones and making a myriad of blues, silvers, and golds, the collection embodies strength and softness as one."
The results are both beautiful and meaningful. The Horizon Eye Pendant, according to Starling's website, "represents dreams, opportunities, and adventures. The evil eye is an ancient symbol meant to protect the wearer from evil spirits." The inspiration behind each piece was delicately thought through; as Cushnie says, "All of these pieces were purposely created to be beautifully worn, while also sending a message." Both Cushnie and Bartrum sought out to create a collection that goes deeper than jewelry. As Bartrum explains, "We wanted to thoughtfully design each piece in the collection in order to represent modern interpretations of shapes like the evil eye and the fan that symbolize the things we want to manifest in our own lives, including protection, wisdom, femininity, authority, and happiness."