As devotees prepare to converge on the polo fields in Indio for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, many will adorn themselves with talismans for the weekend-long gathering. Now Eugenie Niarchos has created additional options for those seeking new designs to bring along as they travel toward the desert. Drawing on the topography of landscapes and the outer epidermises of animals, Niarchos designs textured rings for her Venyx label that function as an extra layer of armor. Immediately, the jewelry caught the attention of Just One Eye’s Paola Russo, who stockpiles the pieces inspired by crocodiles, alligators, chameleons, and snakes at her Los Angeles boutique, Just One Eye. Though her label is just over a year old, Niarchos has been devising second skins for some time now. She collaborated with Gaia Repossi, worked with Vanessa Seward on two capsule costume jewelry collections for Azzaro, and spent time studying gems at the Gemological Institute of America and Christie’s fine jewelry department before founding Venyx. Such a diverse mix of experience led to Niarchos’ rugged pieces, including her Lady Gator ring in rose gold with 149 diamonds. Not to be outdone, her Blue Chamaeleo gold ring includes 307 hand-set stones including blue and yellow diamonds, rubies, blue and orange sapphires and other stones. Clearly, the haute bohemian pieces are the perfect accessory for a chef-prepared dinner at Outstanding in the Field, the four-course culinary addition to the venerable festival. And it’s quite possible that the rings might ward off a wind storm or a heat wave. At the very least, they’ll make your finger sparkle in the dark as Arcade Fire takes the stage.

By Elizabeth Varnell

Pictured: Eugenie Niarchos
Photo by Kate Bellm

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