Fashion

New York Inspired, Adelaide Crafted

Up and coming jewellery design company Urban Boulder, fuses the beauty of the Australian outback and the aesthetic of New York with craftsmanship from Adelaide.

Designers Remo Carbone and Lisa Simpson are inspired by New York’s urban environment and use rare Australian boulder opal, only found in remote central Queensland, to create their jewellery.

Almost all of the world’s opal is mined in Australia, however only a small percentage of that is boulder opal.

Lisa explains that every piece of boulder opal is different, no two stones are ever the same.

“Boulder opal is the only precious gemstone that comes in every colour of the rainbow,” says Lisa.

“It’s almost limited edition in a way.”

Remo is a former Adelaide boy who’s family has been in the opal industry for 25 years giving him the perfect insight into the stone and its value.

“Spending time with (my father and brother) as well as being able to leverage their relationships has made all the difference, especially in being able to work directly with the miners,” says Remo.

To create their contemporary unisex jewelry, Urban Boulder draws upon inspiration from everyday, but often overlooked, details from the environment and reinterprets these shapes into jewellery.

“We have these images, these symbols that have gone through the test of time, that have been here forever, that we use everyday, that are so common and so well understood, that they’re almost forgotten,” says Remo.

Lisa says the jewellery is inspired by things that you look at everyday and don’t really see.

“Sometimes you don’t see the beauty in these shapes, “says Lisa.

“That’s what we try to do, take those simple inspirations and create them into beautiful pieces of jewellery.”

While the designers are based in New York, the boulder opal is cut and then set in sterling silver in Adelaide.

Remo says that despite living in one of the most amazing cities in the world, he still loves coming back to Adelaide to visit his family and friends.

“I love the proximity to wineries and beaches from the city, I love the central Market, CIBO espresso, weather (NYC has a tough winter!).”

While Remo and Lisa work mainly with sterling silver, on request, they will create you a unique piece of jewellery in gold or platinum, you can even pick out the piece of opal yourself.

Check out their website:  www.urbanboulder.com

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