LONDON — British luxury jeweler and royal favorite Robinson Pelham is marking 30 years in business with a campaign shot in Mallorca, Spain, by Buzz White, and a host of new designs that reflect the brand’s gutsy, colorful designs.
The campaign and accompanying collection, which is full of bright color, and big and small rocks, is called Bold Since ’96. It launches Tuesday, and is meant to kick off a full year of celebrations for the brand that began here as a bespoke jeweler.
Today, Robinson Pelham has a shop on Elystan Street in London’s Chelsea and sells through retailers worldwide, including Goop, Marissa Collections, The Vault Nantucket, Ylang Ylang, Elizabeth Anthony, Susan Saffron, and Reinhold.
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The images are meant to capture “a moody, cinematic ’90s energy” and the spirit of summer during the decade. It unfolds across a series of moments, from slow mornings to late evenings, with models wearing jewelry in every frame.
Vanessa Chilton, creative director of Robinson Pelham and one of its three female cofounders, said the campaign “honors the ’90s but isn’t subservient to it. We’re highlighting the feeling of the decade, but showing new collections alongside some of our archive pieces which we’ve borrowed back from customers who trusted us at the very beginning of our journey.”
Chilton said the team chose White because of his “early experience assisting photographers such as Mario Testino and Alasdair McLellan. He has a strong editorial eye, but it was his own work over the past years that really stood out to us — images with a beautiful sense of place, narrative and ease. His connection to the outdoors, sun and sea felt completely right for Robinson Pelham and this summer campaign.”
She also talked about some of the latest designs, which she described as “still bold, with a confidence that comes of being 30 years old. They are easy and multigenerational. The ingredients are the same as jewels we made in the ’90s, but we wear them in a different, casual way. Life is less formal, and so are the jewels.”
Designs include Treble, a single earring that gives the look of a triple piercing; Nirvana, a diamond necklace that Chilton describes as the “fine jewelry version of a stick of rock candy, or a sugar shoelace,” and Paragon, fluid, flexible diamond necklaces inspired by Roman centurions’ skirts.
There are also the Gloria earrings, elongated chandeliers set with diamonds and rock crystal or blue topaz. They have Art Nouveau curves, and nod to the 1890s. Other earrings are named for the ancient warrior queen Boudicca, who fought the Romans in Britain. They are hinged cuffs, and Chilton described them as “ear armor,” made from diamonds or plain gold.
Asked how the Robinson Pelham style has evolved over the past 30 years, Chilton said the brand’s offer has always been rooted in the idea that fine jewelry “should feel joyful, personal and effortlessly wearable — and that philosophy hasn’t changed. What has evolved is the confidence and breadth of our design language.”
Chilton and her cofounders Kate Pelham Burn and Zoe Benyon still source the stones personally from all over the world. Chilton draws them and then hands her designs to a London-based team of jewelers, polishers and engravers. The three continue to run the business together.
Chilton said that in the brand’s early years “there was perhaps a more traditional perception of fine jewelry, whereas today we feel much freer to play with color, scale and unexpected combinations. We’ve embraced a more eclectic sensibility over time — mixing precious stones in unconventional ways, layering pieces and designing jewelry that transitions naturally from day to evening. The evolution has been less about changing who we are and more about expanding the ways we express it.”
Customers have evolved, too, she said.
“They are far more confident in their own sense of style, which has been wonderful to see. Thirty years ago, people often bought fine jewelry primarily for formal occasions or as investment pieces. Now, there’s a much stronger desire for jewelry that feels personal, versatile and reflective of individual identity. Women are increasingly buying jewelry for themselves rather than waiting for a milestone or gift occasion, and they want pieces they can wear every day in a way that feels effortless.”
She said there’s been a real shift toward self-expression. “Clients are much more adventurous with color, stacking and mixing styles than they once were. They’re less concerned with rigid rules and more interested in creating a look that feels authentic to them. I think social media and a broader cultural move towards individuality have really encouraged that freedom. Ultimately, people still want beautifully made jewelry, but they now want it to feel deeply personal as well.”
Celebrities who’ve worn the brand include Jodie Comer, Gwyneth Paltrow and Celine Dion. On her wedding day in 2011, Kate Middleton wore the brand’s custom oak-leaf diamond earrings. Since then she’s also worn the brand’s sparkly star-drop studs and the Daystar diamond and blue topaz earrings.