Laura Gallon To Unveil Zodiac-Inspired Collection In Las Vegas

There will certainly be many jewelry designers and manufacturers at the trade shows worth seeing in Las Vegas this week, but one of the newer designers who deserves a look is Laura Gallon, a French born Los Angeles resident who will be exhibiting for the first time in Las Vegas.

Gallon will unveil the “Astral Collection” of celestial-themed jewels inspired by the ruling planets of the astrological signs June 1 and 2 at JCK Las Vegas. She will be at booth D124 in the “Luxury by Design” section.

The collection of nine limited-edition 18k gold pendants, each encrusted with colorful gemstones defines the look and feel of each planet and how it relates to its corresponding Zodiac sign. Gallon says she has a strong connection with this collection and producing it has been an emotional journey for her.

“The planets have a strong influence over our zodiac signs, and I wanted to highlight this important but little-known aspect of astrology in this new collection. I just love the new perspective that it presents in jewelry.”

The collection was two years in the making, the 33-year-old designer said. She imagined and designed the collection in 2021. It was another year before she began working with several artisans to craft the pieces. It was about the same time she released her first jewelry collection, “Alice,” a collection of Art Deco-inspired jewels named after her great-grandmother who owned a jewelry store in France in the 1920’s.

All the pieces for the Astral Collection are handcrafted in Los Angeles using various traditional techniques. Guilloché, an 18th century machine-turning technique was used to create intricate patterns in the gold of each pendant. Anywhere from 53 to 97 colored gems were carefully handset into an open worked background, crated through the 18th century French technique known as À jour. This required an artisan to craft pentagon-shaped openings for each tiny gem by piercing the precious metal. Keeping the back of the gem open allows light to pass through each gem, enhancing its scintillation and color, but also adds some textured detail to the back of each pendant.

To create depth and dimension for the pendants, Gallon chose to present each planet in a “domed” staging. The reverse of each pendant has an engraved symbol of the corresponding zodiac sign for each planet.

Always keeping the link with her French heritage, Gallon chose the sunshine of the South of France to photograph the collection for a new marketing campaign.

“I’m so excited to finally see these jewels come together. I had tears in my eyes when I saw the finished pieces. I have a very special connection with this collection, combining my love of astrology with my love of colored gemstones. I think people will enjoy discovering how their own ruling planet looks.”

Each pendant in the shape of a disk is made of 18k yellow, white or rose gold and comes with a matching 24-inch chain of the same material. The interior of each disk is paved with colored gemstones that relates to each planet. For example, the Moon, an important and intuitive astrological satellite, is the ruling planet for those born under the Cancer sign, which serves as a feminine force with potential to awaken tempestuous emotional waters. To reveal this trait, Gallon used white diamonds and gray spinels representing the craters for the “Moon-Cancer” necklace.

Meanwhile, the bright light of the Sun is revealed through 18k yellow gold and vivid yellow and orange sapphires as rays of sunlight coming across the etched gold surface on the outer edge for the “Sun-Leo” pendant.

The “Uranus-Aquarius” pendant comes in a choice of yellow, white or rose gold and is paved in blue zircons with a floating white diamond ring.

Each pendant reflects the planet not only in color but in design.

The high level of thought and detail in the design and craftsmanship of the collection extends to the overall presentation. Each necklace comes in a branded suede box accompanied by a card featuring a gouaché of the planet on one side, hand-painted by a British artist. The other side has a text explaining the symbolism and meaning of the planet and how it influences the zodiac sign.

Gallon sees these pendants not only as beautiful objects but as talismans bringing good luck to whoever wears it. It also grounds the wearer with a sense of purpose, reminding him or her of the force constantly protecting them and guiding them up in the galaxy.

“Symbolism is prominent in jewelry right now,” Gallon says. “I view each pendant as a talisman that influences and drives its wearer. I feel very strongly about this. These jewels are meant to project your soul’s mission. I see them as a reminder of the person’s individuality, strength and uniqueness.”