LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 05: A general view of the Shard skyscraper, Tower Bridge and boats moored on the River Thames at sunset on January 05, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)
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If you’ve ever stood in a gallery staring at a stunning piece of jewelry locked behind glass, thinking I want to wear that, Contemporary Applied Arts (CAA) is here for you.
London’s original multi-disciplinary applied arts gallery, CAA has been championing the very best of British applied arts for over 75 years. This year, they brought sixteen of their most electrifying makers to Collect, the Crafts Council’s prestigious international fair held at the breathtaking Somerset House, and they came with a point to prove.
Their theme? In Conversation. And their provocation? That jewelery doesn’t belong on a pedestal. CAA is pushing back hard against the tendency to treat jewelery as pure sculpture or something to admire from a distance with your hands politely clasped behind your back. Instead, they’re making the case that the most compelling contemporary jewelery is both intellectually serious and meant to be worn: on your body where it’s visible to the world. Here are the top three jewelery trends that we observed this year.
Gold Jewelery Is Having A Historic Moment
In case you hadn’t noticed, gold is on a tear. In 2025, the precious metal set more than 50 all-time highs and delivered returns of over 60%, making it one of the strongest performing assets of the year. For jewelery lovers, this means that investing in a truly extraordinary gold piece right now is a sound decision. In fact, J.P. Morgan forecasts prices could push toward $5,000 per ounce by the fourth quarter of 2026, with $6,000 a longer-term possibility.
Enter Louise O’Neill, working out of the jewelery heartland of Hatton Garden. O’Neill’s practice is built on purity of form: no fuss, no excess, just beautifully considered shapes in high-carat gold that feel as though they’ve always existed. Her Flame Earrings in Ombré 18ct Yellow and Red Gold (£4,000/$5,381) are exactly what they sound like: a slow burn of color that moves from warm yellow to deep red, inspired by the rhythms she finds in the natural and built environment through drawing, sketching, and photography. Almost all of her pieces are one-offs. If you see something you love, you move fast.
With gold hitting record highs in 2025, Louise O’Neill’s flame earrings just be the most “gilty” pleasure you’ll ever justify.
Contemporary Applied Arts
Also flying the gold flag is Josef Koppmann, whose 18ct Yellow Gold D Ring with Rectangle Rutilated quartz and diamonds (price on request, always a sign) is bold, sculptural, and utterly confident. Koppmann is the maker you go to when you want jewelery with genuine presence. He pairs traditional goldsmithing techniques with modern minimalism, choosing stones such as druzy agate, opals, and aquamarines that create dramatic plays of light against his signature matte textured surfaces. This is both wearable and absolutely unforgettable.
All that glitters really is gold and if you are not sure about that, just look at Joseph Koppmann’s quartz ring.
Contemporary Applied Arts Brooch Jewelery Is Back And Refusing To Apologize
Grandma was ahead of her time. The brooch is officially the accessory of 2026, and the numbers back it up. Searches for “brooch aesthetic” are up 110% on Pinterest, and ‘maximalist accessories’ are up 105%, with the brooch sitting in star position on the platform’s 2026 trend predictions. On the runways, the signal was equally unmistakable. At New York Fashion Week’s Fall 2026 shows, designers including Ralph Lauren, Khaite, Tory Burch, Altuzarra, Sergio Hudson, Coach, and Sandy Liang all showed their own takes on the pin-on accessory, putting its surprising versatility on full display, whether as a fastener for scarves, tops, and skirts, or as a statement adornment.
Kate Bajic has been making the case for the contemporary brooch for over two decades, exhibiting across the UK, Europe, and the US. Her Emerge Brooch in Sterling Silver with Dendritic Agate (£1,125/$1,513) is a gorgeous entry point. Based in Leicestershire, Bajic draws her inspiration from the countryside right outside her door, specifically the extraordinary micro-textures of lichen, which she studies through photography, sample collection, and drawing before translating their complexity into handcrafted silver. The result is jewelery that feels ancient and completely current at the same time.
Kate Bajic, Emerge Brooch, Sterling Silver, Dendritic Agate, £1,125. Pin it to a blazer, a chunky knit, or a leather jacket. Then pass it down. Some pieces just get better with time.
Contemporary Applied Arts
And then there’s the showstopper: Louise O’Neill again, this time with the Labyrinth Brooch in 18ct Yellow and White Gold (£13,500/$18,160). Yes, that price is correct. And yes, it’s worth every penny if you want a wearable work of art that will outlast every trend cycle for the next century.
The “Labyrinth Brooch” by Louise O’Neill is handcrafted, one of a kind, and built to become someone’s most treasured inheritance.
Contemporary Applied Arts Pearl Jewelery Is Fashion’s Most Exciting Comeback Story
Pearls are no longer your grandmother’s Sunday best. They’ve fully graduated to fashion’s most subversive accessory. Designers at Prada, Loewe, Simone Rocha, and Marni have been showcasing irregular baroque pearls and sculptural forms, with pieces that resemble melted metal or natural fragments, setting a direction that now extends from couture to commercial jewelery lines. Across the SS26 runways, pearls stepped firmly into the spotlight with modern takes that felt genuinely fresh, shedding their classic reputation in favor of something bolder and more experimental.
Laura Ngyou’s Tridacna-Shen Ring (£3,800/$5,112) is a masterclass in material layering: silver, 14ct, 18ct, and 9ct gold, pearl, diamond, and opal all coexisting in one extraordinary object. Ngyou’s process is as compelling as the result. She works through experimentation, melting, hammering, and manipulating metal until forms and textures emerge that evoke something deeper: a rock formation, a seed pod, a pattern of plant growth. Her longstanding preoccupation with the sea runs through everything she makes, rooted in childhood beach trips and a marine conservation project that took her scuba diving for three months among the coral and fish of Fiji. That sense of the ocean, alive and layered and endlessly complex, is exactly what you feel when you look at this ring.
As exemplified by Laura Ngouy’s ‘Shen’ ring, the ocean has never looked so good on your finger.
Contemporary Applied Arts
And for jewelery a little more refined but no less considered, Flora Bhattachary’s Aditi Pearl and Diamond Studs in 18ct yellow gold are the work of a maker with a truly singular vision. Bhattachary creates dramatic fine jewelery with a couture edge, drawing on her family’s deep connections with India since the 18th century. Islamic and Hindu art, geometry, historic artifacts, and family history all feed into her bold, pattern-driven designs. As she puts it herself, she is devoted to telling a story not in words or paint on canvas, but in gold and precious stone. The Aditi Studs pair brilliant-cut diamonds (2.25ct, VS quality) with white freshwater pearl in a quietly luxurious combination that feels both contemporary and timeless.