FashionEngagement Rings & Jewelry

The ‘Amaranthine’ Collection by Maniamania

Introducing ‘Amaranthine’, the new mystical fine jewelry and ceremonial collection inspired by the otherworldly… ancient heirlooms, eclectic surrealism and Greek mythology.

Beauty that spills from every Maniamania piece; mystical elements fused with poetic antiquity, stones dug up from the earth revealing a kaleidoscope of decadently aged colour, while sculptural bands and celestial-inspired pairings allure the modern woman. 

True to Maniamania, new collection ‘Amaranthine’ explores realms of the otherworldly; ancient heirlooms of forgotten lands, Greek mythology and eclectic surrealism. We caught up with designer Melanie Kamsler to dive deeper into the collection, the intent behind every stone, every cut, and the brand’s new offerings.

“Antique jewelry has been a long time passion that intrinsically came from going through my grandmothers’ treasure troves…”

What was the inspiration behind this collection?

One of the main inspirations for this collection was a series of works by Parisian surrealist artist, Félix Labisse. His work is said to have explored the ‘limits of the fantastic’, of ritual, magic and eroticism, and it was namely his later works, the ‘Women in Blue’ series, that stood out to me and acted as a muse for this collection. The exotic iconography of serpents, hands, and ‘cabinet of curiosities’ objects in the paintings, as well as the striking female characters he depicted wearing layers of opulent jewelry, served as a big inspiration.

We see a lot of Greek mythology and oceanic references in this collection, where did this inspiration spur from?

Artist Félix Labisse had a fascination with classical Greek culture and mythology – you can see this in his striking images of goddess and mythological women and the names of his artworks, which we have carried on in names given to the jewelry pieces. This is also reflected in the use of baroque pearls, symbolic antique-inspired coin pendants and the bold coin signet rings.

“Occult iconography and symbolism, and the metaphysical qualities in gemstones have always intrigued me…”

Your pieces have always been rooted in a certain antiquity and mystic, what inspired this direction from the start?

Antique jewelry has been a long-time passion that I think intrinsically came from going through my grandmothers’ treasure troves, so that has always naturally had an influence in the collections. Occult iconography and symbolism, and the metaphysical qualities in gemstones have always intrigued me and been a part of my upbringing in alternative philosophies, and so innately were elements that were incorporated into the jewelry.

What qualities do you think make an heirloom, and what should women look out for when seeking a special piece to hand down to generations to come?

An heirloom to us is a precious symbolic piece of jewelry that tells a story, a history through adornment. It should be precious and personal to the wearer, a signature piece of jewelry that has a special value sentimentally for the future generations. A wonderful way to do this is to customize your ring, either with engraving or creating a bespoke piece to make it wholly unique and extra special for generations to come.

“An heirloom to us is a precious symbolic piece of jewelry that tells a story, a history through adornment.”

Maniamania has long worked with stones for their energetic power. What stones have you incorporated into this collection and how do they connect with their wearer?

We’ve introduced the incredible Bi-color Sapphire in this collection which is a stone of love, a symbol of integrity, and can have deep healing qualities for the wearer. I was also very naturally drawn to Aquamarine which is connected to the moon and feminine energy and has healing and nourishing qualities. The peach and grey Moonstone have very similar energetic qualities in healing emotional unbalances, and helping to protect your energy from negativity. Morganite, Baroque Pearl and Diamonds compliment these stones together in a soft, feminine and also exotic color palette.

“I was very naturally drawn to Aquamarine; it’s intrinsically connected to the moon and feminine energy, and has healing and nourishing qualities.”

What is your process for working with customers on a bespoke piece?

We offer the opportunity for clients to customize our engagement ring designs to suit their personal style or preference. We offer this by way of changing the carat size of the centre stone, selecting another type of centre stone or diamond, selecting a different cut of stone, adding pavé accents, changing the band thickness, or the type of metal for example. We hand make each piece for each client to order and we work with our clients closely to facilitate this process and make sure they know what to expect.

This process generally starts with an in-person consultation if possible, or else as many of our clients are remote it begins with email and preparing custom quotations and renderings. We share detailed imagery of the centre stones which we hand select to make sure they are happy and know exactly what to expect for the final piece. 

“Pay attention to purchasing conflict-free stones, and that your centre diamond is from a Kimberley Process compliant source.”

How do you recommend customers approach creating a bespoke piece, how should they start, and when?

If you would like to customize one of our designs as your very own bespoke ring, the first thing would be to first choose your favorite design/s in the collection and think about the elements you would like to customize. This could be that there is a particular stone that has a personal meaning that you would like to incorporate, or if you had a certain stone size in mind. It is helpful to let us know your comfortable budget range, and then list your favorite style/s and what your ideas are for your bespoke variation.

It’s best to give this project plenty of time before you would like to receive your piece, as each piece is made by hand and time must be allowed for the decision making and stone sourcing. Our standard lead time to complete and deliver each piece is 5-7 weeks, but we advise a little longer for a more detailed customization. We also offer complimentary engraving of wording or symbols inside the rings, which is a little added personal touch that our clients love, to add their own sentiment.

What advice can you give to men and women looking for their engagement ring?

The best advice would be to try to not get overwhelmed with all the tips and rules you can read online, and to lean towards something that speaks to them and their personal style and that is symbolic or unique to their love story. The one rule you should pay attention to is making sure that you are purchasing conflict-free stones, and that your centre diamond is from a Kimberley Process compliant source.

Shop the full collection online at Maniamania or at any of their stockists around the world.

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