Last month I shared my interview with award-winning jewellery designer Shaun Leane. The Londoner’s collaborations with fashion designer Alexander McQueen set the tone for his evocative work that blurs the boundaries between jewellery, fashion and art.
The opportunity for that interview came about through a mutual friend, André Marais (pictured, below). Their relationship started out as a professional one and over the last 20 years has evolved into a deep friendship.
André probably has one of the biggest private men’s collections of Shaun Leane jewellery. Below, in his own words, he shares some of his favourite pieces and why they have such special meaning for him.
MORE THAN A COLLECTION
I met Shaun Leane in 2001 when I was a member of the De Beers rough diamond sales team in South Africa and the De Beers Shining Light Awards and its empowerment initiative fell under my wing.
Alexander McQueen and Shaun’s fashion / jewellery collaboration was well under way when I asked a London colleague to introduce me to an edgy designer who could inspire aspirant jewellery designers in Southern Africa. To me, it seemed we had to look further afield to break the logjam of thinking local and to rather have the world as one’s horizon. With Shaun’s contribution to our design competition secured, the seeds were sown for an extraordinary 20-year friendship.
YOUR TREAT: Shaun and André at The Beaumont hotel in Mayfair, London.
It must be the greatest gift when one meets a kindred spirit with whom one shares a rhythm in one’s heart, soul and life aesthetic. In my case, to take it further, to a love of Shaun’s fine jewellery and everything it stands for: fierce, tribal, sometimes dangerous, yet pure, uncompromising, with an underlying thread of love, protection and beauty.
“It must be the greatest gift when one meets a kindred spirit with whom one shares a rhythm in one’s heart, soul and life aesthetic.”
It has been inspirational to see Shaun grow as a creator of exceptionally beautiful adornments and to see his growing success on the world stage.
Just think of the Sotheby’s auction of the McQueen collaboration pieces in New York in December 2017. And closer to home, in London, where Shaun has had designs displayed simultaneously in three different divisions of the V&A Museum: jewellery, design and architecture – the rarest feat.
A big connect is our shared space of Shaun always distilling the emotion and meaning of every piece that he designs. It’s amazing that he continues to achieve this within a broad commercial range which, on many levels, has been a diffusion of the McQueen catwalk pieces famously launched in London and Paris.
The appeal for me is that we can go to the dark and vulnerable places in our heart and draw out the symbols of adornment which resonate so strongly within ourselves. In this regard Shaun has created a bespoke 1.5 carat heart-shaped diamond piece for me called “Embrace My Shadow”, but that’s a discussion for another day.
With exquisite black diamond pavé work in white gold, this skull diffused from one of the McQueen catwalk pieces just draws me in. Featured here on the griffin statue, named Rose, at my front door. The toenails were painted by my sister Renée on one of her visits from London. My love of rituals – another story there.
There are days when you just must stack – love the lustre of silver.
Going through a heart stage – connects with my favourite word in the English language: LOVE. A ring in yellow gold with red enamel on the surface done the Shaun Leane way, with thorns around the heart for protection.
Iconic Shaun Leane jewellery: interlocking white and black diamond and gold rings, shown here on a page from the magazine for the fifth De Beers Shining Light Awards 2002 / 2003, which I had asked him to judge. Even in those early days Shaun’s visionary and passionate design aesthetic blew the students away as we travelled around South Africa inspiring aspirant designers.
My De Beers 25-year service award, a gold and diamonds earring, was converted by Shaun into a lapel pin. Diamonds, created before dinosaurs roamed this earth, have dominated my grown-up life.
Shaun understands me so well and captures the essence of who I am with this bespoke Forevermark (De Beers Trust Mark) stud in platinum. The Forevermark (FM) was originally designed to represent the romance and brilliance of a star in the South African night sky, while also mirroring the outline of a diamond. It is one of two diamonds that were cut and polished in the FM shape and only two where the shape is called “Forevermark”. Here, the stud rests on one of my favourite sculptures with the inscription: “Holding one’s other self”.
This trio in gold and diamonds symbolises who I aspire to be: the most beautifully executed cross for spirituality, the horn for edginess and amo ut invenio (Latin for “I love you for who you are” – how can it be otherwise) pendant. “Amo ut invenio” carved on a bench in my kitchen on one of Shaun’s first visits to South Africa – a powerful statement and core to my vision for my home, a haven for me and those close to me.
My all-time favourite concept of Shaun’s done for Valentine’s Day many years ago – Hook My Heart pendant, here in silver and red topaz . Whose heart wouldn’t melt with such a gift?! “HMH” and “SL” carved by Shaun on one of my kitchen benches.
For those edgy Joburg parties, a leather cuff with a sabre in gold and diamonds to fiercely grip the leather in place.
For more information on Shaun Leane jewellery, visit his company website.