Jessica McCormack on why jewellery makes the most meaningful gift

Jessica McCormack has built an empire on her unique ability to inject diamonds and jewellery with attitude, creating pieces that pair as effortlessly with everyday denim as they do with couture.

There’s a reason her designs appear, often without fanfare, on the world’s most stylish women. A scroll of Instagram might see Sienna Miller in Gypset hoops and a white tee, or Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wearing a Ball n Chain necklace with a pear-shaped diamond pendant. Zoë Kravitz, the brand’s official ambassador, is equally an icon of nonchalant, cool-girl style. Each wears McCormack’s jewels the way they wear everything: with an insouciance that feels utterly authentic. This always-present but never overbearing nature makes McCormack’s pieces part of the woman, not just her outfit — fine jewellery that celebrates life as it unfolds, from career wins and bold beginnings to the once-in-a-lifetime milestones worth marking forever.

It’s a philosophy McCormack lives by, “Love and romantic milestones have always been celebrated with jewellery,” she says, “but today, people are much more open to the idea of commemorating success and transformation in the same way.” 

From top left: Jessica McCormack 0.50ct Heart-Shaped Gypset hoop earrings, 2ct Diamond Gypset hoop earrings from Simon James

With three London boutiques, (Carlos Place, Sloane Street, and a new location in Harrods), and a New York store that opened on Madison Ave earlier this year, McCormack and her team see clients worldwide seeking something to symbolise the moments that matter. “Most of our clients are self-purchasing women celebrating promotions, graduations, and important friendship milestones,” she explains. “When a client associates a piece of JM jewellery with their personal achievement, it’s incredibly rewarding for us.”

“The Gypset hoops are our most iconic piece; they’re often right at the top of people’s wish lists.”

That combination of deeply personal meaning and enduring style is what makes her work resonate so powerfully. “We’re naturally associative,” McCormack says. “Having a piece of jewellery that brings back fond memories is a lovely thing.” This explains why her collections often become part of a lifelong story, evolving alongside the wearer. “I have clients who have built collections over the years that celebrate their achievements,” she notes. “Some have beautiful ring stacks with gold Bamboo and Rope rings alongside eternity bands. Others have collected Ball n Chain pendants; I love seeing them layered together, mixing a Diamond pendant with a Hello Sailor Starfish.”

While each piece is designed to stand alone, McCormack has always been conscious of creating jewellery that can grow with its owner. When asked if the idea of lifelong layering was intentional, she says, “Yes, definitely. You can start with something simple, like a diamond button-back or pearl necklace, and build upon it over time.” That longevity is matched by a commitment to exceptional craftsmanship, ensuring each jewel will stand the test of time and endure for generations. “The quality of the craftsmanship is absolutely vital,” she says. “It’s what makes the piece last and allows it to be worn every day. Finding an exceptional stone to lead the design can transform it into something unforgettable.”

From left: Jessica McCormack Ball n Chain 21” necklace and Pear-Shaped Diamond pendant, Ball n Chain 4.40ct Oval Emerald pendant from Simon James

For milestone gifting, some pieces have become go-tos among her clients. The Gypset hoops are often chosen to celebrate work promotions or personal milestones, “They’re our most iconic piece, and so they’re often right at the top of people’s wish lists,” McCormack says. For big birthdays, necklaces take centre stage, “Ball n Chain necklaces are particularly popular because you can then begin to collect the pendants. They make the perfect present, and you become the easiest person to shop for at Christmas!”

Her Beaches collection, with playful yet elegant designs, also resonates with milestone buyers. “The Conch Shell ring or bangle would be the perfect gift to celebrate a birthday or personal achievement,” she suggests, noting that these designs strike a balance between whimsy and timelessness.

“Many of my clients are self-purchasing women who reward their own goals, which I think is really powerful.”

McCormack’s ethos also taps into a wider cultural shift; the rise of self-gifting as a form of self-recognition. “I see more and more people wanting to mark personal milestones that might not have been traditionally celebrated with jewellery before,” she says. “Many of my clients are self-purchasing women who reward their own goals, which I think is really powerful. It is a nod to the idea that one can celebrate their success without being viewed as proud or boastful, it’s now about recognising your own journey and achievements.”

Jessica McCormack Fruit Salad collection from Simon James

This unapologetic, personal, effortlessly chic attitude is precisely why McCormack’s jewellery has become shorthand for a certain kind of woman: stylish, independent, sentimental, and unafraid of tradition. It’s also why her Instagram is such an effective calling card, showing diamonds styled with everything from vintage denim to sharply tailored blazers. As McCormack puts it, “Our role is to create pieces of the highest quality that are beautiful, timeless, and effortlessly wearable every day.”

Jessica McCormack offers more than just jewellery; her pieces are tangible symbols of life’s most meaningful moments. “An important piece of jewellery often feels appropriately significant enough to mark an important life achievement,” McCormack reflects. “And when that moment is remembered every time you put it on, it becomes priceless.”

simonjames.co.nz

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We talk to gallerist Elle Föenander on gifting art at different life stages

Whether you’re marking a personal milestone or choosing a meaningful gift, art is a worthy investment. Here, gallerist Elle Föenander shares her advice on artists that resonate through different life stages.

Föenander Galleries is a contemporary art space in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, dedicated to showcasing thoughtful, concept-driven work from both emerging and established artists across Aotearoa and beyond. Since founding the gallery seven years ago, Elle Föenander has been the driving force behind its curatorial vision and artist relationships, and has built a trusted reputation among collectors.

With a deep understanding of both artists and collectors, Elle is perfectly primed to guide those looking to collect — or gift — art at key milestones in life: the 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. Drawing on the gallery’s evolving collector base and her own experience, here, she shares insights into how to mark these moments with works that resonate across a lifetime.

Collecting in Your 30s
⎯⎯⎯

“Your 30s can be a time of self-definition: professionally, personally, and aesthetically. Collecting or gifting art at this stage reflects curiosity, emerging taste, and an appetite for discovery. Many collectors in this decade are drawn to bold works that offer immediate visual impact or speak to themes of identity, transformation, and belonging. There’s often a sense of alignment with artists of a similar generation, a shared energy, ambition, and cultural lens. Emerging talent is often accessibly priced, and collecting can become a journey taken in tandem with the artist’s career.”

Elle Recommends

Jess Sweny: Swney’s abstract textiles are nuanced, domestic-scaled works that balance soft power with conceptual depth.

Sir LLD by Jess Swney, 420 x 400mm from Föenander Galleries

Nick Herd: Densley textured surfaces which celebrate the materiality of paint, these considered works offer recognisable subject, but playful approach the finite and transient beauty of life.

Roses ii by Nick Herd, oil on canvas, 320 x 215mm from Föenander Galleries

Andrea Bolima: Dreamy, immersive painting that captures emotion in movement and texture.

I Want Mori by Andrea Bolima, 760 x 760mm from Föenander Galleries

Collecting in Your 40s
⎯⎯⎯

“Sensibilities can broaden by your 40s. What once felt unfamiliar may resonate. There can be a deeper sense of commitment to home, to values, to story. Art collecting in this decade often becomes more contemplative. Works that unfold over time, reward repeated engagement, and hold personal or philosophical weight tend to appeal. Material sophistication and conceptual depth come into focus. Collectors may feel more confident in taking risks, embracing large-scale painting, sculpture, or mixed media — while refining their own visual language.”

Elle Recommends

Monique Lacey: Rigorous, elegant works that fuse form, rhythm, and surface.

Coterie by Monique Lacey, cardboard, plaster, resin, automotive paint, 320 x 320 x 170mm from Föenander Galleries

Lottie Consalvo: Expansive paintings and installations that explore memory, longing, and metaphysical space.

Discerning (III) by Lottie Consalvo, 2025, acrylic on linen, 300 x 200mm from Föenander Galleries
Collecting in Your 50s
⎯⎯⎯


“In your 50s, collecting can become deeply personal. Choices are shaped by lived experience, and often by the desire to live surrounded by what resonates most. Art at this stage can become part of your legacy, something to reflect with, to live alongside, and perhaps to pass on. Works are often chosen for their endurance, emotional richness, or spiritual weight.”

Elle Recommends

Israel Birch: Luminous, contemplative works rooted in te ao Māori cosmology and material finesse.

 Ata Kura by Israel Tangaroa Birch, 800 x 800mm, Lacquer on Etched Stainless Steel Panel from Föenander Galleries

Roger Mortimer: Highly personalised mythology, which documents the local coastline while employing imagery that finds its roots in European literature.

Pikarere by Roger Mortimer, 1650 x 4300mm, watercolour, gold dust and acrylic lacquer on canvas from Föenander Galleries

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Xenia Adonts

The making of Gucci’s ever-iconic GG Marmont bag

There are bags that follow trends, and those that define them. The Gucci GG Marmont sits firmly in the latter category — a modern icon shaped by heritage and quality design. With its softly sculpted silhouette and archival Double G emblem, it’s a piece that has rightfully become a signature of the House, worn by those who understand that true style doesn’t ebb and flow, but endure. From its debut on the runway in 2016 to its current iteration today, the Marmont remains a masterclass in enduring elegance.

Julia Garner
Left: Yara Shahidi. Right: Nicole Mehta

First introduced in 2016, the Marmont was never meant to be a fleeting moment. From the start, it carried the essence of Gucci’s DNA — the Double G logo, drawn from archival designs dating back to the 1970s, and a certain irreverent elegance that channels the glamour of the Château Marmont, for which the bag is partly named. But its real staying power lies in its considered construction.

“The bag’s softly structured silhouette is shaped through gentle quilting, with every line, seam, and stitch mapped and measured by hand.”

In Gucci’s Florence atelier, the making of a Marmont is a lesson in refinement and precision. Each bag is handcrafted by a small team of five artisans, who — across a seven-hour-long process — guide its form into shape with meticulous care. The process blends tradition with innovation, with each of the 152 precise steps an exercise in intentionality. The leather, now an even softer lambskin for 2025, has been chosen not just for its tactility, but for how it will wear over time. The bag’s softly structured silhouette is shaped through gentle quilting, with every line, seam, and stitch mapped and measured by hand.  

Over the years, subtle evolutions have refined the Marmont’s language, balancing timelessness with the tempo of contemporary life. This year’s update introduces a more refined palette of seasonal tones, alongside fresh finishes in gold and light gold hardware. A discreet back pocket adds functionality to the medium and large versions, without disrupting the purity of the design. The faceted sliding chain strap remains one of its most compelling features — playful and versatile, able to swing from shoulder to crossbody with ease.

Marmont bag in light blue from Gucci
Marmont bag in pale pink from Gucci
Marmont bag in lilac from Gucci
Marmont bag in rosso ancora red from Gucci

As is evident in this latest considered update, where quiet recalibrations, from a shift in proportion to the elevation of material to the soft layering of function, speak to the Marmont’s ongoing relevance. This is a bag built to endure. As it continues to evolve in line with the way we live
and dress, it also remains unmistakably Marmont: distinctive, adaptable, and anchored in a design language that resists the need for reinvention.

gucci.com

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David Nash

David Nash of The Wine Room guides us on how to gift wine wisely, and shares which bottles are sure to impress

Few gifts are as enduring as a stunning wine when it comes to honouring life’s defining moments. Whether it’s a milestone birthday, a wedding, or the arrival of a new baby, wine offers something rare: a gift that grows in sentiment and significance over time.

According to David Nash, founder of The Wine Room, wine is not just something to be consumed; it’s something to be remembered. “Wine is a fantastic time capsule,” Nash explains. “If chosen well, it can mirror a moment in time, and years later, bring that memory flooding back with a single sip.”

For Nash, gifting wine is far more than the label or the vintage. It’s about the story it tells and the moment it preserves. “There’s something deeply human about opening a bottle that’s been waiting patiently for the right occasion. It becomes part of your narrative,” he says. When selecting a wine to mark a significant moment, Nash recommends choosing something age-worthy. “Great Bordeaux, vintage Champagne, Sauternes, these styles can comfortably age for 20 or 30 years or more,” he says. “And larger formats like magnums are ideal if you’re buying for the long term. They not only look impressive but also age more slowly and gracefully.”

One of Nash’s most sentimental gift ideas is wedding wine. “Assuming the couple married in a strong vintage year, you could gift a collection of wines from that year to be opened on milestone anniversaries; the fifth, the tenth, the twentieth. It’s the kind of gift that becomes more meaningful over time.”

Nash points to Dom Pérignon’s Plénitude Collection for those seeking something extra special, available exclusively through The Wine Room. These rare vintages — known as P1, P2 and P3 — are released after being perfectly aged at the Maison in Épernay for up to two decades. “They’re an extraordinary option for marking a birth year, a wedding, or a major achievement,” says Nash. “By the time they’re opened, the wine has already evolved into something truly profound.”

While the emotional value is undeniable, proper storage is crucial in protecting the wine’s integrity and future potential. At The Wine Room, clients can store their bottles in climate-controlled conditions for approximately $1 per bottle per month. “Storage is everything,” says Nash. “Even the best wine in the world will suffer if not kept properly. With certified cellaring, you can ensure the wine matures exactly as it should.”

Gifting a full case is also wise, allowing the recipient to enjoy one bottle now and revisit the wine over time. “It becomes a thread through their life. Tasting how the wine evolves as they do is a really beautiful experience,” Nash says.

Ultimately, he believes the best gifts are the ones that reflect thoughtfulness and imagination, and wine ticks both boxes. “There’s a sweet spot between passion and practicality,” he says. “You’re giving something that can be appreciated immediately, or held onto for a special moment. It might sit untouched for years, but when it’s finally opened, it brings with it not just flavour, but memory, emotion and meaning.” And that, Nash says, is the true value of wine as a gift. “It’s not just what’s in the bottle, it’s what it represents. A great bottle is more than just a drink. It’s a story waiting to be told.”

Shop here for The Wine Room’s curated wine selection or to gift an incredible tasting experience.

thewineroom.nz

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40th around the corner? Whether it’s your milestone or someone else’s, here’s what to wear to mark the occasion

In case you missed the memo, 40 is the new 30, and as such, deserves a celebration that is equal parts revelrous and refined, with a wardrobe to match.

From dazzling diamonds to statement pieces with presence, glamorous gowns, and sophisticated suiting, here, we share an edit of what to wear to mark 40 with conviction.

What To Wear

Own the milestone — or celebrate someone else’s —  in effortlessly polished looks that tread the line between bold, modern, and timeless.

Elsa Hosk wearing Murlong Cres dress
Rotate Ruched maxi dress from Moda Operandi
Elsa Peretti Claw necklace from Tiffany & Co.
Serpenti Forever mini top handle bag from Bvlgari
Mesh fabric slingback pumps from Prada
Suki dress and cape from Paris Georgia
High jewellery earrings from Graff
Austin Butler
HardWear Graduated Link necklace from Tiffany & Co.
Single-breasted wool and mohair tuxedo from Prada
Stretch cotton poplin shirt from Gucci
Messika Move Titanium black PM ring from Partridge
À Cheval transformable earrings from Van Cleef & Arpels
ALAÏA Ruched stretch-jersey midi dress from Net-a-porter
Play of Light Diamond Tennis bracelet from Sutcliffe

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Embark on a unique culinary adventure with The Hotel Britomart’s curated forest farm experience

For those on the hunt for a unique experience, The Hotel Britomart’s Nourishing Nature offering is curated adventure at its most delicious. This guided half-day excursion in the Waitākere Ranges blends the wholesome joy of wild feasting with a hands-on dose of forest restoration.

With the hotel’s signature personalised touch, guests join local experts to forage for native herbs, hear the stories behind them, and sample their bounty with a forest glasshouse feast, complete with native-infused drinks. The day’s finale is planting a sapling grown at the hotel’s sister property, The Landing, as a lasting marker of your visit.

More than just a dining experience, this is part of a growing global movement known as Wild Feasting — an elevated return to practices steeped in simplicity. At its heart, wild feasting is about reconnecting with the source of what we eat, tracing each ingredient from land, river, or ocean to the plate, and uncovering the cultural and ecological story it carries. It’s harnessing food as a portal to place, walking forest trails to gather herbs, listening to the whakapapa of ingredients, or savouring dishes prepared with a reverence for seasonality, sustainability, and provenance.

This is the kind of culinary storytelling The Hotel Britomart and its restaurant, Kingi, do best — where menus read like a journey across Aotearoa, and each dish a celebration of local fishermen, foragers, and growers whose names and methods are honoured on the page. The Nourishing Nature experience takes this ethos beyond the plate, immersing guests in the land itself, and reminding us that food is not only sustenance, but also connection and care.

Book here.

thehotelbritomart.com

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Turning 30? Consider our edit of what to wear to mark the occasion your go-to resource

Turning 30 isn’t about blowing out 30 candles, it’s about blowing past the chaos of your twenties and stepping into something more defined. As such, your style should say you’ve found your stride.

From investment accessories and fabulous footwear to chic suits and sleek dresses, your wardrobe should celebrate entering a decade that’s less trial-and-error, and more intentional indulgence. Here, we share an edit of what to wear to mark 30 in fitting style.

What To Wear

Step up the style stakes with elevated yet playful ensembles that prove age is but a number.

Caro Daur wearing Cult Gaia dress and Tiffany & Co. earrings
Magda Butrym Sequin long dress from Net-a-porter
Serpenti Viper earrings from Bvlgari
Bottega Veneta Long Andiamo intrecciato leather clutch from Mytheresa
Jean Paul Gaultier draped turtleneck dress from Net-a-Porter
Rabanne Chainmail mini dress from Farfetch
Magda Butrym Embellished satin mules from Farfetch
Leonie Hanne wears Atelier Emé dress
Jacket from Saint Laurent
Silk crêpe bow tie from Gucci
Faceted Diamond cufflinks from Graff
High-rise tuxedo pants from Saint Laurent
Minister Derby dress shoes from Louis Vuitton
STAUD Le Sable mini dress from Moda Operandi
Bottega Veneta Floral-appliquéd pumps from Moda Operandi
Frivole
earrings from Van Cleef & Arpels
JW ANDERSON Shell metallic clutch from Net-a-porter
Amina Muaddi Lori lace-up sandal from net-a-porter

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For moments both intimate and grand, Treetops Lodge & Estate is a place to celebrate with heart

If a celebration is about bringing people together, Treetops makes sure they leave with a shared sense of awe. Tucked into 2,500 acres of pristine forest, this Rotorua retreat rewrites the rulebook on wilderness luxury.

This is where the adventurous come to celebrate with heart. Whether you’re toasting a significant birthday with all of your nearest and dearest, reconnecting the whole family, or just taking a one-on-one moment to recalibrate, Treetops offers something more profound than the standard five-star stay.

There are wild food cooking classes, horse treks through native forests, heli tours to remote rivers for fly fishing or hidden hikes, and guided foraging with a gamekeeper, not to mention a wilderness spa with dedicated treatment rooms both indoors and outside under the forest canopy, as well as luxe outdoor hot tubs.

Inside, timber-and-stone villas offer fireside luxury and privacy, while the spa and wellness treatments deliver deep restoration. The food? As local as it gets. Think game from the estate, trout from the stream, heritage vegetables, mānuka honey, and indigenous herbs.

With a kids’ club that genuinely delights and plenty of space to spread out, Treetops is a place for true connection and memory-making in its purest form.

treetops.co.nz

Milestones

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For gifts that go beyond the ordinary, Sutcliffe Jewellery’s bespoke creations give moments lasting meaning

Timeless and poetic, master craftsman and internationally awarded jeweller Brent Sutcliffe’s bespoke creations are crafted to mark life’s special moments with rare beauty and personal meaning.

For over two decades, Sutcliffe Jewellery has been creating showstopping bespoke pieces with such meticulous attention to detail that every glance reveals something new. Under the eye of master craftsman Brent Sutcliffe, a goldsmith whose career spans New Zealand’s finest workshops to London’s elite Hatton Garden, each commission is a marriage of artistry and engineering.

More than 70 percent of Sutcliffe’s work is private commissions, often beginning with a carefully sourced gemstone and a hand-sketched design. From there, hundreds of hours of exacting craftsmanship transform it into a jewel that feels as personal as the story it represents.

“Bespoke commissions can be delicate and understated, such as a pendant to honour a new chapter. ”

Every piece is a true collaboration between jeweller and client. An exchange of stories, inspiration, and ideas shapes every curve and setting, ensuring that the end result is entirely one-of-a-kind and filled with personal and lasting meaning.

Fiore drop earrings from Sutcliffe Jewellery
Secret Springs Tourmaline ring from Sutcliffe Jewellery
The Arbor Reverie bracelet from Sutcliffe Jewellery

Bespoke commissions can be delicate and understated, such as sweet diamond earrings to mark an 18th birthday, or a pendant subtly set with birthstones to honour a new chapter. Others can be rich with symbolism, like a ruby or sapphire chosen for its personal significance and turned into a statement ring marking a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. Whatever the piece, the journey to create it is as unique as the jewel itself, ensuring it becomes more than an adornment — it’s an heirloom in the making, destined to be loved now and treasured for generations.

sutcliffejewellery.com

Milestones

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Photo by Sapphire Studio

Why Ayrburn is fast-becoming one of the country’s most covetable places to throw a party

Once a working farm, now a multifaceted hospitality precinct with ambition and soul, Ayrburn is quietly becoming the South Island’s most charming place to throw a party.

Billy’s (top left) & The Barrel Room (bottom)

Choose your scene: The Barrel Room with its 56 ageing wine barrels and grand piano; The Woolshed for bistro-style feasting; The Manure Room (don’t judge it by the name) for wine flights and shared plates; The Dell for lawn games and large-scale gatherings. And then there’s Billy’s, where modern Chinese food is served in a space dripping with old-world elegance and a touch of irreverence.

Events here feel effortless, which is no accident. Ayrburn’s dedicated events team handles everything with polished calm, putting hosts at ease. Curated menus showcase local produce and bold, seasonal flavours. The wine list is stacked, the surroundings are stunning, and the energy is unfussy but fabulous.

Whether it’s an engagement dinner, a wedding with a twist, or a long-table birthday lunch on the lawn, Ayrburn nails the balance between rustic romance and design-savvy sophistication. It’s heritage reimagined for a new generation of celebration connoisseurs.

ayrburn.com

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