I first met Erika Winters a few years ago at the Couture show. As a fellow editor, it was great fun to chat jewels with her. This year, I was immensely proud to see her standing behind a sparkling counter, showing off her first collection at the show! For those looking for a whole new look in bridal, then look no further than Erika Winters Fine Jewelry.
I couldn’t help but absorb Erika’s enthusiasm as she toured me around her line. This lady is clearly thrilled to be doing what she loves — designing beautiful, meaningful jewelry, which is then all hand-crafted in her Seattle-based studio. Erika is a stickler for design and quality control, and passionate about antique-cut diamonds. As I tried on these two hexagonal rose-cut diamond rings, she showed me how they are set upside down and backed with gold. They have the ideal height profile to allow stacking with bands.
Speaking of bands, she has many great options, all with just the right amount of interest and detail. I tried on the Imogen, Lily and Rose. Don’t you just adore the signature finish on them? It’s a blend of an old-world look with a modern touch, described as, “soft, yet finely textured to evoke vintage rings that have been worn for decades.”
Probably my favorite diamond ring I tried on was the Thea Halo. I didn’t tell Erika this, but in my mind I was picturing a compass rose, and thinking how this ring would symbolize all the places one would travel with their spouse, yet always returning home to regroup before the next adventure.
Erika also goes beyond rings in her line. Her Estella Collection has some gorge necklaces, earrings and bracelets. (And since my one and only niece is named Estella, I already had a soft spot for what I was about to see.) The large shield necklace was pretty darn awesome.
You’ll notice that the points are a blunt cut — no pointy termination. Erika is very into dimension, and works tirelessly to incorporate such sculptural details. These luminous earrings are also part of the Estella Collection.
And because I’m always looking for bracelets that fit my small wrist and don’t spin around, I was quite impressed with her curved bar bracelets. Not only does the bar fit comfortably on the wrist, but she has created a clasp with perfectly spaced links to make it fully adjustable. So clever!
I know Erika is just overflowing with ideas, and I can’t wait to see how her line develops. Thanks for all your time, Erika!
