For New York designer Jade Trau, diamonds are never just embellishments. Each stone acts as the starting point, dictating the shape and spirit of a jewel. Her latest capsule for Harrods London, unveiled this August, brings that vision to life with creations built around “diamond shapes to silhouettes, reimagined in larger-format jewelry pieces.”
The partnership with Harrods began in 2023 and has only grown stronger. With global momentum for her brand at a peak, Trau felt this was the right time to design a bold new collection. The August launch coincided with Harrods’ international clientele, offering the perfect stage for a showcase of exceptional diamonds. Clean lines, minimal metal, and an emphasis on showcasing the stone define the capsule.
Unlike many designers who start with a sketch, Trau “listens” to her diamonds. “The diamond essentially tells me what it wants to become,” she shares. Unique cuts or visible inclusions are celebrated rather than concealed, guiding her towards pieces that feel personal, timeless, and deeply connected to the stones themselves.
Her signature elements — east–west orientations, sculptural five-prong settings, and the Alchemy border that frames and protects — appear throughout the capsule. Even with larger-scale jewelry, she preserves intimacy. “It’s important that a piece still feels personal and lived-in, not overly precious or untouchable,” she explains.
The collection spans multiple styles and metal tones. A standout is the Limited-Edition Alchemy Riviera, which features her four signature diamond cuts — pear, marquise, emerald, and round. Here, each diamond weighs approximately 0.70 carats, a significant increase from the 0.20-carat stones in her bestselling Riviera necklaces.
Trau’s design language is rooted in memory as much as aesthetics. Victorian jewelry, with its symbolism and sentimental motifs, remains a guiding influence. Inspiration also comes from unexpected places — a mechanism, a vintage charm, even a market discovery. “Sometimes it’s an interesting lock mechanism that I add diamonds and a modern chain to. Other times it’s just a tactile idea that I transform into something three-dimensional.” A small ladybug charm she found in Hatton Garden inspired her latest ladybug design.
As a fifth-generation diamond dealer, Trau’s reverence for stones runs deep. Heritage and instinct shape her creative approach. “The diamonds I have used in this collection are much bigger, which I loved finding and working with,” she notes.
The Harrods capsule captures her evolution as a jeweler. It reflects thoughtful craftsmanship, scaled-up designs, and an enduring ability to create jewels that feel stunning yet wearable.
