Antique jewels find a new lease of life in the hands of photographer Eliane Fattal working with S. J. Phillips in London to create the "Metamorphosis" collection. A diamond scarab is free to lie over the hand and a belt buckle becomes an unusual pair of glasses. Exasperated at not being able to find just the right jewel, Eliane Fattal started making her own. As a client of the fine jewellery house S.J. Phillips on Bond Street in London, Eliane began playing around with vintage pieces that caught her eye. The jewellery workshop on-site carried out the tweaks and changes suggested by Eliane and so the idea of giving a new lease of life to antique jewels took wing. The jewels are all multi-functional and can be taken apart or screwed together to create different combinations and looks. They each come in an embossed red leather book that is in fact a jewellery case. Ensconced in its black velvet interior is the jewel along with a miniature set of tools and a history of the piece. The idea of the book is to remind the new owner that this is but another chapter in the life of the heirloom. Eliane likes to add a dash of rockn'roll to jewels that may otherwise have been relegated to the family safe with other outmoded clutter or deemed unwearable and irrelevant to our lifestyle and scrapped for the stones. These jewels are fun and all the earrings are uneven and fusty old brooches become outsized, outrageous rings or extravagant hair ornaments. I tried on a diamond cat with a Cheshire cat smile the size of a brussel sprout perched atop a ring. His head wobbled making his sapphire eyes glimmer. Around his neck sparkled a ruby collar from which dangles a little golden bell. His head can be turned to face the wearer or look out at the world, depending on your mood. I could imagine an eccentric old dowager aunt wearing the cat as a brooch but today it looks downright cool and reminds us that yes, our ancestors did have a sense of humour when designing jewellery and were a lot more adventurous with their baubles than we are today. Eliane encourages us to wear these fabulous jewels day and night. "There is no reason fine jewellery shouldn't be worn all the time and sometimes unconventionally," says the willowy blonde Eliane, sporting a large diamond swallow on her hand. Why not wear a pin on a headband or a brooch as a ring? I have designed this collection for SJ Phillips for the modern woman with her desire for versatility in mind."
