British royal Zara Phillips, the second eldest grandchild of the Queen of England and a keen horse competitor, has collaborated with Australian jewellery designer John Calleija on a new collection. The pieces, which have been inspired by Phillips’ love of horses and all things equestrian, dropped on Friday in London and Sydney.
“I felt an instant connection to Calleija designs,” says Phillips. “They felt fantastic to wear and we soon talked about creating something together. We both played an active role, from choosing the stones to the overall finish, reflecting our theme of Unbridled Elegance. I had a great time working on this and I’m delighted with the pieces.” The line currently consists of two capsule collections based around the witty interpretation of various equestrian themes. Pieces from “The Saddle Suite” are distinguished by their smooth, concave design and ergonomic look, while “The Coronet Suite” features pieces such as pendants and earrings inspired by the coronet on a horse’s hoof, said to bring strength and good luck. All designs are 18ct gold or platinum with diamonds and some feature mixed gold colours. Calleija has been known to use rare pink diamonds from Australia’s Argyle Mine in his designs, which is reflected in these collections, although Phillips has ensured most of the pieces are in white gold in order to remain accessible and wearable.
The collection has certainly been a long time in the making. Phillips and Calleija first met two years ago at Surfers Paradise beach in Queensland, where she was visiting in her role as ambassador for Racing Women Australia and he was the official jeweller for the Magic Millions Horse Racing Carnival. Now the collection, designed by Calleija but with major input from Phillips, is finally a reality and sure to bring joy to equestrian lovers everywhere. Pieces start at £3,300 with a complex pink diamond filigree ring retailing at £26,800.
