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Meet some of our favorite designers who represent thoughtful and timeless design with jaw-dropping looks. If you’re in search of something extraordinary for your special someone, you’ll love these top picks for best in jewelry design.

Adam Foster

St. Louis-based designer Adam Foster specializes in creating classic pieces with a modern twist. You’ll find jewelry that ranges from contemporary to traditional, to bold and delicate. Each is a nod to the past, and handcrafted using Old World techniques.

Foster was called to the world of jewelry design as a young boy, when a trip to Italy left him feeling inspired. The creative spirit extends to all facets of his life as he partakes in a variety of pursuits from automotive restoration to the culinary arts.

Today, the successful jewelry designer is receiving national acclaim for his collection as well as his couture creations for individual clients. You’ll find his pieces at retailers like Neiman Marcus.

Foster is gaining great recognition for his latest creations from Canary Island lava rock, and his quest for new ideas and new materials is unending.

Buddha Mama

Buddha Mama founder, Nancy Badia, began stringing beads and making bracelets for sale to raise funds for her local Buddhist center; it was also an outlet for her creativity and a way to honor her spirituality.

The core to the brand’s mission is contribution and philanthropy through the creation of handmade jewelry inspired by Buddhism and Eastern traditions. Badia traveled the world to source stones, carvings and artisans who could become creative partners and support her to bring her renderings to life.

Today, Badia is joined by her daughter Dakota, also a jewelry designer, and Buddha Mama has evolved into a fine jewelry line found in boutiques and luxury retailers across the globe. In true Buddha Mama fashion, Dakota’s childhood friend, Leyla, joined the team to help run the company, creating the leadership with the power of three. The team was elated this year when Madonna and Katy Perry honored the brand by wearing Buddha Mama to the 2018 Met Gala, Heavenly Bodies.

Maria Canale

I distinctly recall the first time I met Maria Canale. We met for an espresso at the Southgate restaurant in The Essex House. If a woman could resemble my version of America’s most metropolitan city, it was her.

Canale’s grandfather emigrated from Italy in 1921, setting the course for the family that would make its way in New York. As a teen, Canale started as a goldsmith apprentice on the bench, and then her parents set up a workshop in their home. During her time at FIT, she discovered that design was really where her niche was.

For two and a half decades Canale’s been in the jewelry design limelight, designing important jewelry for the world’s biggest luxury brands like Tiffany & Co., Mikimoto and Harry Winston. Today, you’ll find Maria Canale’s sophisticated designs available through independent jewelers and luxury retailers like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Working with patterns, mostly circles, dots and balls, is a big thing for Canale, who attributes those shapes to the success of the Art Deco period. Her classic designs are current and timeless at the same time.

Neha Dani

Is it jewelry design or is it sculpture that can be worn on the hand, wrist or around the neck? Neha Dani creates gorgeous architectural pieces with details inspired by blossoms, leaves and tidal waves. The designs are profoundly feminine, all while being bold.

She first works in wax to imagine multi-dimensional pieces and then moves to casting intricate jewelry into which exceptional gemstones are embedded. Her traditional Indian upbringing was an inspiration to her, but didn’t limit her desire to transcend traditional roles.

In 2014, encouraged by the response from her collectors and international media acclaim, she presented a series of unique pieces in the United States at the biggest jewelry show, where she earned the distinct “Rising Star” Award, and the global attention of prestigious media titles such as Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily and The New York Times. Appealing to a sense of wonder and a quest for the truly exquisite, her work belongs in private collections of those whose idea of collecting art and beauty is a way of life. Hers is as much jewelry as it is art and can be found at Macklowe Gallery.

Victor Velyan

From diamond-setting, to award-winning manufacturing, to creating his own captivating designs today, Victor Velyan has both influenced and inspired those in the jewelry industry for more than 20 years. Velyan’s well-respected eye for gemstones and materials and his creativity for in-demand designs leaves an impression on everyone he meets.

Velyan is inspired by architecture, music, nature, travel, unique cultures, history and fine art, as well as his love for his second home, Africa.

Velyan’s talent and vision, combined with his well-rounded knowledge of the jewelry industry, have placed him as a true innovator in today’s fashion-inspired jewelry world.