Five minutes with… Baroque Rocks
Get ready for lucky spinners, karma-restoring turtles and sexy fishes as Emma de Sybel hangs up her lockdown DJ ‘phones for a return to #TJCLive
August 11, 2020 By Rachael Taylor
The Jewellery Cut Live in association with Fuli Gemstones is a shopping event dedicated to contemporary jewels, but in one bright corner of the room you’ll find something a little different in vintage gold jewellery curator Baroque Rocks. And that’s ok with founder Emma de Sybel, who very much likes to march to her own beat.
Each season (Baroque Rocks has been delighting our guests at three shows, now), de Sybel brings the gold jewels she has scoured antiques fairs and auctions for under a themed banner. This season, it’s all about talismans.
Expect lucky spinners, karma-restoring turtles and sexy fishes, because – hell – nothing restores the spirits like a sexy fish. Come with us now on a journey through time and space, as we step into the jubilant, kooky, electrifying world of Baroque Rocks and find out more from de Sybel about her starry clientele, DJing and why she thinks we should all Carp-e diem.
We’re so excited you are back with us for another show. What was your best moment from the last edition of The Jewellery Cut Live?
“Baroque Rocks is so thrilled to have been invited back to add to the sparkle and high-octane glamour that promises to be October’s The Jewellery Cut Live show. With the benefit of hindsight, February’s glittering event was the last hurrah, really, in the 2020 calendar before the global pandemic Covid-19 took hold. The highlights, as ever, were numerous, from meeting other jewellers and seeing their beautiful creativity to meeting the press and buyers. We were thoroughly delighted when Vogue jewellery editor Carol Woolton bought a pair of our earrings. Going into lockdown, having been part of a tremendously successful show and with the Jewellery Queen literally giving her stylish seal of approval gave us great strength of belief to carry on curating vintage sustainable jewels that are extraordinary in design, scarcity and pure zany funk.”
What have you been up to since we last saw you?
“Lockdown was effectively all about prestidigitation; a veritable juggling act between working and steering through the circadian civilian lunacy of home-schooling. We chose to take back control with our ‘own it’ mantra and decided to ply ourselves with sparkling spirit lifters by morphing into a rock DJ and putting our jewels to music. With blue-sky thinking, we created playlists designed to give everyone a much-needed endorphin high layered over a rock-solid gold beat.”
What is the hero jewel of your current Baroque Rocks haul?
“In terms of our hero jewel, we have recently sourced an artfully articulated amulet of pescatarian awe. Baroque Rocks has been literally fishing around for the right words to describe its 18ct golden sinuous scales that are so so-fish-ticated with its glistening gem-set cabochon eyes. This is one spirit-lifting sexy fish. No need to flounder; recalibrate, pack some panache, a fleck of flamboyance and Carp-e diem.”
Tell us more about your latest curation of vintage jewels.
“Our latest collection is called Les Talismans de Baroque Rocks – a curation to incite strength and courage during these unprecedented times. The collection is centred around a circa. 1960s 14ct rose gold Lucky Spinner Locket, with space for two photographs, adorned with a horseshoe to bring good fortune, whilst channelling excellent throat chakra. At Baroque Rocks, we revel in sourcing pieces that are completely unique and divinely different, and so we have a multitude of other good luck treasures in our trove, such as our turtle pendant – an enormous emerald-eyed beauty blessed with flippers that waggle and wiggle, propelling positive energies. Effectively, we cannot wait to showcase our brand of indulgent luxury that is good for the soul, imbued with significance and spirituality, but, most importantly, spunk. It is purely for that individual who marches to the current beat.”
Why should people come out and visit you at The Jewellery Cut Live in October?
“If you love jewellery, then you seriously need to come to October’s show. It is the only bejewelled event taking place globally, and it’s being held once again in the heart of London’s Mayfair at The Royal Institution. The indomitable duo behind The Jewellery Cut, Rachael Taylor and Andrew Martyniuk, are the dream team, who have yet again created a diamond of a multi-faceted event with fascinating talks together with 24-carat talent being showcased. This is your chance to mooch with rockstars and cutting-edge glitterati, so up your fashionista credentials and add a dash of indisputable glamour to one’s diary. Go on, pencil it in – we can’t wait to see you.”
Meet Emma de Sybel and discover Baroque Rocks vintage gold jewels at The Jewellery Cut Live in association with Fuli Gemstones on October 11th & 12th, 2020, at The Royal Institution in London’s Mayfair. Click here for tickets.