Seun marks a bold return for Ellis Mhairi Cameron
The Scottish jewellery designer releases her first collection in two years, and it is unabashedly rich in talismanic symbolism – and heavy solid gold
By Rachael Taylor
A lot has changed in the two years since Ellis Mhairi Cameron released her last full collection. The gold price is one of them – it has risen roughly 65% in that time. The Scottish jewellery designer, who is known for her bold gold designs, could have offered up a slimmed-down diffusion of her style, as many designers have had to do as materials prices have spiked. Cameron, however, did the opposite.
Seun is a celebration of gold in its fullest forms, with long, chunky chains and heavy charms inspired by hag stones (pebbles with natural holes in the centre, also known as adder stones). The collection takes its name from the Gaelic word for a protective charm, seun (pronounced she-un), and is Cameron’s take on the talisman.
Over breakfast at The Ned in London, where Cameron launched Seun, the designer says that using so much gold in these times was intentional. It is partly, she says, reflective of how well her brand has been doing (her jewellery has a growing fan base at home, and in the US) and also how her collections have matured over time – this is her most lavish to date. Mostly, however, it is simply what people want: her clients aren’t turned off by the current price of gold. Quite the opposite.
An 18-carat gold Ellis Mhairi Cameron chain necklace; models wear a selection of jewels from Seun.
A gold rush for our times
This is something I’ve heard from a number of jewellery designers. While some have had to jump through creative and commercial hoops to keep costs down for price-conscious clients, others have collectors who see it as a reminder of gold’s intrinsic, long-term value and want to buy in. Wearing substantial gold jewellery is also quite the flex in these times, for those of us who are into a little peacocking. A solid gold chain in today’s climate is the jewellery lover’s equivalent of flashing a Patek Philippe. It’s not as quiet as it once was, but it’s indisputably luxury.
Cameron puts her choice of 18-carat yellow gold to good use in Seun. She has formed it into chunky rings livened by her signature textured surfaces, with off-beat diamonds set east-west. Heavy amulets, which take the form of misshapen circles inspired by adder stones, have been created to be slung on chains – worn solo or in clusters. Organically hewn spheres of gold studded with brown or grey diamonds are worn as ear studs. Bangles and hoop earrings offer up tactile forms that bubble gently under running fingertips. Lengths of purposely misshapen links join together to create weighty bracelets and necklaces.
One motif runs through it all: the circle. It has long been prized in jewellery design for its symbolism of eternity – it is a shape with no beginning, no end. It is also a symbol that is important in Scottish traditions, thought to act as an unbroken, eternal boundary that wards off malevolent forces, sickness, and evil spirits.
Diamond rings and a gold link bracelet from Seun by Ellis Mhairi Cameron.
Circles of truth and power
Cameron has always sought to bring her Scottish heritage into her work; also on display at The Ned were her sgian-dubh ceremonial Scottish knives, forged in steel and iron and set with diamonds, and also gold kilt pins. Her previous collections have been inspired by artefacts found on her family farm in Oban. This is also true of Seun, with the starting point an adder stone that Cameron unearthed while metal detecting during a trip home to Oban from her adopted hometown of London.
These naturally perforated rocks – also known as hag stones, witch stones or fairy stones – are created by natural forces: water flowing through the centre of the stones, or abrasive sands, or molluscs burrowing inside. They have long been considered magical objects, believed to hold the power to cure illness, deflect evil intentions and nightmares, or awaken supernatural sight, allowing those peeking through the hole to spot witches and fairies. This latter idea of concealment and revealment appealed to Cameron. Most of the pieces in Seun have diamonds set into the gold, but in hidden or unexpected ways.
Seun is exactly what you would expect from an Ellis Mhairi Cameron jewellery collection: texture, heft, heritage, alternative stones, a bold feeling of ‘new’ luxury. Just with the volume turned up a notch. Or three.
A model wears jewels from Ellis Mhairi Cameron’s Seun collection, including stacking rings; a Seun diamond ring with an east-west setting, worn with bangles.
Main image: A chain necklace strung with three charms inspired by adder stones, styled with a heavy gold chain - all from the Seun collection by Ellis Mhairi Cameron.
