Alex Monroe Bumblebee Necklace

Jewelry has always felt like one of the most personal forms of expression to me. Some pieces ride the waves of trend while others stand the test of time, resting around your neck or on a finger across the years. The perfect piece of jewelry is a totem, endowed with a feeling, a place, a person, or a promise. What makes a piece of jewelry become a part of your every day, deepening its value with every wear? 

Alex Monroe jewellery is synonymous with a very British sense of style. It is feminine, delicate and quirky, but above all consistently wearable. Now a much loved brand world-wide, each and every piece is individually designed and handmade in England by Alex and his team of expert jewellers. Inspired by nature and nostalgia, every piece has a tale to tell…and the story continues with you.

Alex and his design team create all original Alex Monroe components by hand in sterling silver, allowing them to achieve their truly signature detail. When the jewellery goes into production, it is still hand-finished by skilled craftspeople in their London workshops and Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

“I went to an exhibition of Lucas Cranach paintings. He painted Adam and Eve (made famous by the tv show Desperate Housewives). My favourite painting of his was Cupid complaining to Venus, where Cupid is being stung by bees after stealing some honey. The bee represents the inevitable pain of love. I became interested in the symbolism of bees in our culture and designed a collection called Original Sin which was all based around the bee.

I had several attempts at making the bee, I wanted it to represent female strength, and a vulnerability. And of course, the bittersweet nature of love. My classic bee achieved what I wanted, and to my great relief, it was an immediate hit with UK buyers at London Fashion Week, where I first showed the collection.”

Sustainable impact encourages a celebration of classics when it comes to these wearable designs. For me, The Bumblebee carries the spirit of a rich friendship; refreshingly familiar and steadfastly new.