London-based jeweler, Jessica McCormack has released her latest collection, Tempest, and it channels the mystique of mythical sea creatures and the Scottish folklore of sirens, shapeshifters, and moonlit sea spirits.
The 20-piece collection includes necklaces, bracelets, and two earring styles, intricately set with diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies, with some pieces using up to 580 stones and taking over 50 hours to craft.
Each stone has been thoughtfully arranged to play with light from every angle, set against rhodium blackening to enhance the contrast between the glistening gems and matte black metal.
Central to the concept is movement and technical innovation, achieved through interlocking links that flow fluidly, inspired by waves and serpentine motion. We also see one-of-a-kind pendants with standout stones, cue the 18.35-carat pear-shaped Ceylon sapphire and a 7.13-carat cushion-cut Type IIa diamond which is completely memorising.
Jessica tells us more about the the making of Tempest and the world that inspired it.
Felicity Carter: Was there a story or image from folklore that you kept coming back to while creating Tempest?
Jessica McCormack: Because we were focusing on achieving a really beautiful movement articulated through the chain, I was often thinking about the movement of undulating waves and swirling sea creatures. In the early stages of design, I felt very inspired by the tales of mythical sea creatures, whether that was in poetry – like The Kelpie of Corrievreckan – or in films like Splash and The Secret of Roan Inish.
FC: How would you sum up the collection?
JM: Tempest is both feminine and strong, effortless yet elevated. It is grounded in incredibly intricate craftsmanship and meticulous stone sourcing – as every piece has been set with hundreds of stones of the exact same size and colour, which, especially for the coloured stones, was a significant challenge – but one that has made the final pieces all the more special.
FC: The Scale Stack chain took months to perfect, was there a particular breakthrough moment in the design process?
JM: A very satisfying part of the design process was getting the right relationship between the tension and flexibility of the chain. We played with many different stone and setting sizes and it was a complete labour of love to find the right give for the chain. We knew we had perfected it when we were testing the design of the Tempest Diamond Earrings – as they were able to hang straight from the earlobe and also bend into circular hoops when hooked at the back.
FC: Do you see Tempest as more of a day-to-night collection, or is it designed with a specific kind of moment in mind?
JM: The pieces have been designed to be worn day-to-night – they can be elevated or casualised by the neckline you style it with, which makes them endlessly versatile. When we were first creating the pieces, we tried them next to our classic Ball n Chain necklaces and bracelets to ensure they suited the layering we love so much.
FC: When working with stones like the 18ct Ceylon sapphire, do you design the piece around the stone, or find the stone to fit the vision?
JM: With this collection we started with the necklaces and then curated a selection of eight beautiful pendants to really elevate them. Our team spent months looking through hundreds of incredible stones and these few were the ones they measured special enough to hang from the Tempest necklaces. So, while the pedants had an independent design journey, their stones were sourced with a thorough consideration of the necklaces and their corresponding stones – so for example, the 18 carat Ceylon sapphire pendant is actually an exact colour match to the stones set into the Tempest sapphire necklace.
FC: Which piece in the collection feels the most personal to you, and why?
JM: I think my favourite piece is the 7.13 carat Cushion cut diamond pendant – it is particularly special to me as it came to us as a rough diamond from Canada, and we had it cut especially for this collection. It is colourless and graded as a IIa diamond, which makes it extremely rare. More than this though – it goes so well with each of the Tempest necklace variations – whether ruby for a striking contrast, sapphire for a softer yet colourful look, or diamond for a gleaming all-white statement ensemble.
FC: How did you want people to feel when they put on a Tempest piece?
JM: When wearing Tempest, I want my clients to feel comfortable, but also as distinctive and special as the pieces themselves.
Prices start at £30,000, with higher pieces price on application.