Why we love whimsical jewellery, from Lego to Gameboys: Carolina Bucci’s Lucky bracelets kickstarted the nostalgia trend, now Nadine Ghosn, Lauren Khoo and Aisha Baker are looking back to playtime

Aug 2, 2023

Boochier’s Nostlagia collection is riffing and riding on the whimsical jewellery trend. Photo: Boochier

French-Lebanese jeweller Nadine Ghosn is famous for her tongue-in-cheek Big Mac and Lego rings, while Singapore’s Lauren Khoo finds gummy bears irresistible

Boochier founder Melinda Zeman riffs on the Slinky and Nintendo Gameboy, while Dubai-based Aisha Baker revisits fairy tales to produce rainbows, shooting stars and four-leaf clovers

There are some jewellery trends from our youth that we (fortunately) grow out of – BFF necklaces and mood rings come to mind – but there are other symbols and trends from those times well worth revisiting.

Italian jeweller Carolina Bucci was one of the first designers to channel this sentiment when she launched her hand-braided 24k gold Lucky bracelet all the way back in 2003 (think of it as a grown-up version of the cotton friendship bracelets you wore in your teens).

Now, a new group of designers are reliving their best days by creating imaginative jewels reminiscent of their childhood, but with a luxe, modern sensibility.