The Cult Jewellery Brands You Need To Know From Around The World

Just like fashion, jewellery is multicultural, with designers and artisans across the globe who imbue their creations with motifs, gems and technical craftsmanship hailing from their heritage and nation. From South Korea’s Portrait Report to Elhanati from Copenhagen, here are 10 jewellery brands from all around the world that you may not have heard about till today that are worth checking out.

SOUTH KOREA: PORTRAIT REPORT

This brand is not under the radar – after all, V of BTS wore the brand’s ear cuff in his Love Me Again music video – but it is definitely an IYKYK situation. With creative director and well-known model Ahn Jae Hyung at its helm, the brand’s staple offerings include genderless accessories with chunky, bold designs in a silver or gold finish, and some pieces set with Swarovski crystals. 

The brand has also shown itself to have its finger on the pulse, leading trends through collections featuring pearls and beads that have captured the hearts of Gen Zs around the world. Our favourite piece is the Broken Statue necklace, which is tightly assembled with a slew of irregularly-shaped pieces to form an openwork choker that provides a ton of texture and shine to any ensemble. The brand has several stockists in Seoul and is also available on SSENSE.

Shop pieces from Portrait Report here 

PARIS AND JAIPUR: CELINE DAOUST FINE JEWELLERY

While delicate jewellery brands are aplenty, rarely do they bear the striking simplicity and eye-catching designs of Celine Daoust Fine Jewellery. Founded by Daoust, a trained goldsmith, the line represents her twin loves of stones and spirituality. Based in Jaipur, India, Daoust considers tourmalines and grey diamonds among her favourite stones. The brand’s designs showcase not only their unique imperfections (playing off their colour, shape and inclusions) but also highlight the healing properties of stones. Each piece is handcrafted in India in 14K gold and using ethically sourced gemstones. 

Some of the brand’s design signatures include intricate and fine gold work bearing celestial emblems and other symbols like eyes, sun rays, scarabs and crescents set with raw stones that are full of character and life. One of our favourite pieces from the brand is the Labradorite Sun & Diamonds Locket necklace, which features a cage-like locket set with diamonds and fine gold work, with a loose labradorite stone slotted inside so the stone can rest against bare skin. This is a jewellery piece that becomes a precious memento and one that has a strikingly dimensional design. The brand has boutiques in Brussels and Paris, and also retails online and in Tiger & Arcadia in Singapore.

Shop pieces from Celine Daoust Fine Jewellery here

TAIWAN: CINDY CHAO THE ART JEWEL

With pieces worn by Michelle Yeoh at this year’s Oscars and Met Gala, founder Cindy Chao has certainly lived up to her eponymous brand’s title of The Art Jewel with magnificent creations that often draw inspiration from nature. Chao is dedicated to using the classic crafting technique of wax models before completing the actual pieces in precious metals, allowing her to perfect the sculptural, three-dimensional designs – a keen trait she picked up from her grandfather who was an architect by trade. 

She also doesn’t stray away from using a cacophony of gemstones from diamonds and rubies to the elusive conch pearls to decorate her high jewellery creations, which have been sold at auctions and exhibited in museums such as the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Beijing Today Art Museum, Tokyo Mori Art Museum and Masterpiece London. Chao has a gallery in Taiwan and two showrooms in Shanghai and Hong Kong, all of which require appointments to be made in advance.

Get more information on Cindy Chao The Art Jewel here

LONDON: CASTRO SMITH

Castro Smith is probably one of the most well-known jewellers specialising in hand-engraving, and his dedication to the craft and fine attention to detail are his hallmarks. Trained in a traditional apprenticeship with The Goldsmiths’ Company, Smith uses seal engraving but also has incorporated European and Japanese engraving techniques in his work. Smith’s artwork is inspired by history, myths and biology. 

Some signature pieces include his skull, carp, octopus and anatomical heart signet rings, which comprise a chunky, substantial piece carved in white or yellow gold or silver, that is hand-engraved and plated with a bright contrasting colour like cobalt or fuchsia – bringing a modern twist to traditional engraved rings. You can also splurge on a completely bespoke design based on symbols or motifs that are meaningful to you, with made-to-order pieces typically taking at least 10 weeks to be made. The brand retails in Dover Street Market stores and online.

Shop pieces from Castro Smith here 

ATHENS: LITO

Founded by Greek jeweller Lito Karakostanoglou, the eponymous brand based in the heart of Athens specialises in transforming precious stones, corals and shells into pieces that merge historical motifs such as scarab beetles and surrealist motifs with a bohemian design aesthetic. The La Bouche collection is a stand-out with luscious, almost juicy lips sculpted out of rose quartz, black agate, ruby, chrysocolla and aventurine, all of which are set in gold and punctuated with a coloured diamond resembling a beauty mark. 

Every collection by the designer is an ode to femininity and a representation of the different aspects of the female spirit but Lito also carries a men’s line for discerning gents who appreciate a little bling. If you aren’t heading to Greece anytime soon, you can find select pieces online directly from the brand’s website or through retailers such as Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter.

Shop pieces from Lito here

BEIRUT: L’ ATELIER NAWBAR

Sisters Tania and Dima are behind L’ Atelier Nawbar, a brand steeped in the traditions of Beirut’s heritage of intricate handwork in jewellery. Everything is done in the brand’s Beirut atelier, from the in-house designs to the execution that is carried out by local Lebanese craftsmen. The sisters are inspired by everything from fashion trends to their father’s (who is also a jeweller) pieces. The result is jewellery that will quickly become modern heirlooms. 

Crafted from 18k gold and colourful healing stones, one of the brand’s most unique signatures is the use of hand-painted enamelling on glass, and stonework featuring precious materials like mother-of-pearl, lapis and turquoise, lending an artisanal and one-of-a-kind feel to the jewellery. Poetic in its inspirations, you will find everything from pendants inspired by the four seasons and four elements to chunky flip rings with zodiac symbols as well as the Biladi collection, which nods to the brand’s Arab roots. L’ Atelier Nawbar has flagship stores in Beirut and Riyadh, and ships worldwide via its online store.

Shop pieces from L’ Atelier Nawbar here

COPENHAGEN: ELHANATI

Founded in 2013 by Orit Elhanati, the brand aims to break boundaries through contemporary jewellery that combines Elhanati’s Danish upbringing and her Middle Eastern roots. With skilled goldsmiths and ethically sourced materials, Elhanati creates unique pieces in the Copenhagen atelier that are meant to stand the test of time and become heirlooms for the next generation. 

Horology fans will fall in love with the brand’s Star Sign Poetry rings and pendant necklaces that have an organic, raw finish and are set with brilliant diamonds. Our favourite piece is the Opal Signature ring featuring a mesmerisingly iridescent white water opal set in 18k yellow gold, a perfect cocktail ring that is sure to leave an impression. Elhanati has also collaborated with other designers such as Khaite, Rika Studios and artist Conie Vallese, who starred in a Bottega Veneta campaign this year. 

Shop pieces from Elhanati here

JAIPUR: ALEXANDER GEMS AND JEWELS

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, jeweller Alexander Wilson was inspired by the tales of his grandparents – his grandfather was based in Lahore during the Second World War, and his grandmother also travelled the Silk Road along with other parts of the region. Backpacking in India as a 20-year-old for the first time, he eventually found his calling in Jaipur where the country’s gem merchants, cutters, bead threaders and master jewellers, artisans and craftsmen assemble. Here, Alexander skilfully weaves two seemingly opposite ideas – ancient techniques and traditions and his own contemporary designs and ideas – to create gems that are bold and distinctive. 

Some of his most unique designs included a ring crafted from carved rock crystal that is set with a gemstone in 24K gold using the Kundun technique. These pieces can be customised to incorporate various stones such as lapis lazuli or green tourmaline, and can also be carved from other semi-precious stones like chalcedony. The brand can also source stones for you to create one-of-a-kind pendants, rings and earrings that tap on the expertise and exquisite skill of Jaipur’s finest to create lasting heirlooms that are personal and unique. 

Shop pieces from Alexander Gems and Jewels here

MUNICH: HEMMERLE

This fourth-generation and family-run jeweller almost needs no introduction, with graphic and technically bewildering creations that have gone viral on social media, at least for jewellery lovers. For the uninitiated, Hemmerle specialises in one-of-a-kind, sculptural creations that use offbeat material combinations – iron, wood, bronze, aluminium and more – with the most exquisite gemstones to attain individual works of art. 

The brand’s earrings captured our attention as they come in all shapes, sizes and colours, typically in a monochromatic fashion, sporting avant-garde designs such as cages, hammered finishes or even carvings. With over 130 years behind them and a wealth of craftsmanship knowledge, the brand continues to support the next generation of artisans through apprenticeships to ensure the legacy of their work lives on for years to come.

Get more information on Hemmerle here

BANGKOK AND ZURICH: PACHAREE

Perfectly round and lustrous pearls are highly coveted due to their rarity but the raw natural beauty of the non-concentric ones are not lost on discerning jewellers, especially Pacharee-Sophie Rogers. Inspired by her father, Gerald Vincent Rogers, and his reputable legacy in the gem trading industry, she developed a passion and love for stones in their most natural states and her mission is to highlight their beauty through contemporary jewellery that shows a deep respect for the materials’ origins. 

The Prado Charm necklace exemplifies Pacharee’s design philosophy with oblong-shaped pearls strung on 18k yellow gold separated with charms featuring hard stones such as malachite, carnelian and more. Pacharee has also dipped its toes into the realms of fashion, with a recent collaboration with 3.1 Phillip Lim during the spring/summer 2025 New York Fashion Week.

Shop pieces from Pacharee here 

This story first appeared in Harper's Bazaar Singapore