Drop into Atelerie today for a trunk show that might just have what you need to complete your Christmas list.

A curated collection of jewellery by Bermudian designer Emily Collins will be on display.

Her company, Emily Weld Collins, offers custom pieces and fine jewellery crafted from 18-carat yellow gold: necklaces, charms, chains, bracelets, earrings and rings.

“Most of my designs consist of protective charms from antiquity and historical jewellery styles that I redesign through modern lenses,” she said.

“I also specialise in custom jewellery – engagement rings, wedding bands, heirloom redesigns.”

Emily Weld Collins launched in 2021. Bermudians have been supportive from the start, making the designer’s Taras shell necklaces a bestseller this year.

“They're custom carved gemstones in the shape of scallop shells, inspired by the scallop shell icons found on coins from ancient Greece. Those have done really well with Bermudians and we'll have a bunch of those in the show,” Emily said.

Along with familiar favourites, the two-day event at the high-end Reid Street store will feature exclusive pieces that have yet to be released.

Showcasing her jewellery at home is always a highlight for the US-based designer, whose pieces are featured in upscale stores in New York, Florida and Ohio.

In addition to her design work, she has focused on expanding her retail presence over the past year.

A significant milestone this summer was her partnership with Moda Operandi, the renowned online luxury fashion retailer.

“I basically did a trunk show through their store,” she said. “But I feel a sense of accomplishment every time someone reaches out to me and wants to work with me on a custom project – especially people I know, people from Bermuda.

“When people trust me to design an engagement ring or a really special wedding band, something that’s unique, that always feels like the biggest deal to me. It’s great.”

A new jewellery collection, released last week, is the result of two years’ work.

“They're an extension of our Modern Artifacts collection. We hoped to launch these pieces a couple of months ago, but we never release jewellery until we're 100 per cent happy with the quality – the heft of the gold and the intricacy of the details.

“So we revised the designs countless times to ensure the finals were jewels that would stand the test of time and become treasured heirlooms,” Emily said.

Many of the pieces will be featured in the trunk show alongside some unreleased designs. Several of them will remain at the store on consignment.

The designer emphasised that when it comes to fine jewellery, proper care is the most important thing.

“Gold, platinum, diamonds – those are all really sturdy. You can wear them in the shower, even toss them around a little. But if you’re buying, say, any sort of coloured gemstones, they tend to be a bit softer. Emeralds have a lot of inclusions; they’re pretty, but you can break them easily if you slam them around. You still should be careful with a diamond, but it’s much harder.”

While jewellery makes a great swimwear accessory she advises against wearing it in the pool because chlorine can damage gold and is also harmful to precious stones.

“It can cause fading over time,” she explained.

Engagement rings, or any rings with stones that you wear frequently, should be checked every six months to a year to ensure everything is secure.

The Emily Weld Collins range includes necklaces that are “shorter and smaller and simple”, which make great bases for layering or wearing on their own.

“I always recommend that people invest in one or two thicker chains to help avoid jewellery getting really tangled with your other jewellery. You can continue to buy charms to put on them and they’ll last for ever.”

She is excited to be back in Bermuda and give potential customers the opportunity to see her designs in person.

“It’s great being able to explain everything in person. The biggest thing is having a bunch of jewellery that's not going to be at Atelerie consistently on consignment, that I'm bringing specifically for the show,” she said.

“Especially when it comes to fine jewellery, I find seeing it in person is such a different experience. You see a photo online, you maybe see how it looks on a model, you can sort of tell what the size is, but seeing it in person, you really understand the scale and the details. Online, you may not be able to understand how beautiful and detailed it is, how delicate it is.”

Despite that, she has no plans to open her own store front in the foreseeable future. Her focus remains on online sales and growing her presence in stores that specialise in fine jewellery.

“I love selling through retail stores that are already pretty established and being beside designers that have been around longer or are bigger than my brand definitely brings credibility to my designs, my jewellery,” she said.

• The Emily Weld Collins Holiday Trunk Show takes place today and tomorrow at Atelerie, from 10am to 6pm. For more information,emilyweldcollins.com/; atelerietheshop.com/