Introducing the Alaria Collection: with niin
Marking an exciting design direction for AENEA, we reveal Alaria - our first collaborative collection designed with Jeanine Hsu, creative director of ethical jewellery label niin.
This stunning East-meets-West collection is one of AENEA’s most sensual and alluring to-date. Its beautiful, organic forms are inspired by aquatic life, with flowing, coralline shapes captured in palladium.
A closer look at Alaria also reveals shimmering conflict-free gemstones, each chosen to evoke the hues of the sea: rainbow moonstones, white diamonds, aquamarines and pearls.
ALARIA Earrings 9,800 EUR
ALARIA Ring Moonstone 3,400 EUR
ALARIA Ring Moonstone Double 3,900 EUR
As the collection makes its debut, AENEA founder and creative director Costan Eghiazarian, together with niin creative director Jeanine Hsu, exclusively discuss their creative jewellery collaboration and the story behind Alaria’s nine daring pieces….
ALARIA Necklace Price Available Upon Request
Having followed her career since childhood, Costan describes Jeanine as one of his oldest friends. “Her way of sharpening her ideas and how her work has evolved over the years into such a distinct style simply made me want to work with her,” he reveals.
Based in Hong Kong, Jeanine Hsu has been designing jewellery for almost a decade. She was recently named as a finalist in the 2017 Woman of Hope - Eco-Warrior Award by the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital Foundation and Tatler magazine, for her work creating niin and its inherent green values. “AENEA is ultimately devoted to the celebration of life and love, which is not far from the ideals of niin, which predominantly respects nature,” Jeanine explains. “We believe in spreading a positive message to the world.”
Highlighting AENEA’s capabilities to craft each piece of jewellery by hand, Jeanine recognises the rarity and value that both brands offer. “For niin, I like to find new and innovative ways to work with materials but with upmost quality in each piece — and the quality of AENEA and its craftsmanship and innovation is second to none. The two brands compliment each other by combining these parallels,” she adds.
ALARIA Ring Moonstone Double 3,900 EUR
ALARIA Earrings 9,800 EUR
Having long shared their design ideas, Costan and Jeanine came to realise that a collaboration was the next logical step, and with this came a chance for Costan to explore new directions. “Our approach to all that we do is to be open to new ideas,” says Costan. “And collaboration lets you go beyond the limits that you might have.”
Thus, while AENEA has long used recycled precious metals and sustainable practices, partnering with Jeanine introduced an even greater element of sustainability to the brand, and ultimately shaped the Alaria collection. “It let us push the boundaries even more, and we have now certified our workshop to use Fairtrade precious metals,” Costan reveals.
ALARIA Bangle Price Available Upon Request
“Sustainable practices at are the core of niin, and we have built our name on a passion for unique design and raw creativity, while also being chic and wearable,” Jeanine explains. “By relying on natural materials, you’ll discover simple pieces of nature up-cycled into inspiring treasures.”
Incorporating elegant pearls, diamonds, aquamarines and rainbow moonstones, Alaria is a stunning collection, heightened further by its various transformable pieces — for example, earrings that can be worn three ways, and a necklace with a detachable pendant.
For Jeanine, her favourite piece is the Alaria cuff. “Using three pieces of rainbow moonstone next to each other, you can truly see the effect of the gemstone. When held in the light, myriad colours shimmer through — it feels playful and almost magical, and the way the cuff has been made means it is very comfortable when worn, despite its complexity in shape.”
The Alaria collection will makes it debut at VIP brunch and cocktail events in Hong Kong and Europe later this month, with 5% of the sale prices donated to The Nature Conservancy, a leading conservation organisation that works to protect the world’s ecologically important lands and waters.
Prices for the Alaria collection range from 3,400 to 27,800 Euros, or 29,700 to 242,700 Hong Kong dollars.
For more information about the Alaria collection or to arrange a viewing contact atelier@aenea.com.