About the Jackson Collection
Mimi infuses the restorative power of nature and the importance of balance into her Jackson collection of fine jewelry. Inspired by the peaceful sanctuary of the Teton Mountains in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the Jackson collection highlights the region’s majestic beauty. It was here that Mimi spent time reflecting on an important life decision. The powerful, angular motifs found throughout the gold and diamond jewels symbolize life’s complexities while a clever use of negative space offers the promise of clarity.
From Jackson, with love...
One very snowy winter in December, my family and I escaped to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. When we landed, my daughter Coco Mei, then 3, turned to me and whispered, “Momma, is this where Santa lives?” I replied, “Why, yes it is, Coco Mei.” And so began my family’s connection to this magical place. It was during these visits that I found the inspiration for my deeply personal collection of Jackson precious jewelry. Jackson Hole is my spiritual oasis. There, I fell in love with the outdoors and the beautiful landscape of Wyoming. I find the tranquility of its wilderness incredibly calming. Beyond its majestic beauty, Jackson Hole is the yin to New York City’s yang, and provides a vital balance to my everyday hustle in the world of fashion and business. In Jackson, my creativity unleashes.
During one trip in 2007 (the beginning of the financial meltdown) I found myself confronted with a major life decision, one where family and career were in the balance. Do I act on the opportunity to sell a majority stake in my company? Or, do I buy it back to focus on family, maintain ownership and grow the company at my own pace? It was a lot to navigate. At that time, the company was growing so quickly and successfully, marriage and family life were projects in themselves. I felt stretched. I didn’t want to be a vacant mother in my children’s lives. I felt it was unfair to them and I didn’t want to compromise on something I cherished. This was something you don’t quite discuss in an all-male boardroom. My personal life took a hit from my rise to stardom and something had to give. Perhaps it was feeling fearless skiing down those cold, steep mountains that gave me the strength to follow my heart. With the bright sun reflecting off them, the mammoth Tetons shone like a beacon. I was drawn to their strong angles and mesmerizing aerial views.
What came next was a burst of pure creativity. I channeled every emotion I felt into a group of clay models. I wanted to share this beauty that I treasured. Each shape took on a powerful definition of itself. I viewed each prism of life through different forms and facets, inner and outer reflections. When I finished, I made the decision to retain ownership of my company and to be present for my family. Back in New York City, I shared my new vision rendered in clay (and wrapped in a linen hand towel) to my team. For a moment, they thought I must have lost my mind from the high altitude, but when we started to engineer the designs, everyone was pumped to develop the collection and bring it to life in gold. And so, the Jackson collection was born. — xo Mimi
BEHIND THE SCENES
The Jackson collection is characterized by bold, graphic shapes inspired by the rocky clusters of the Teton Mountains. Mimi's unique conglomeration of abstracted forms on bracelets, cocktail rings, dangling earrings and necklaces posed technical challenges for the team. They spent a year thoughtfully carving and evolving the numerous beveled components towards the perfect design. It took great patience, perseverance and steady collaboration to reach the finish line.
The Jackson collection features a group of jewelry staples including statement rings, earrings, necklaces and cuffs. Each unique aspect of a piece required a precisely calibrated count of diamonds and millimeters to achieve a numerically based pattern of stones throughout. Because there are 7 particular motifs, this made it challenging to arrive at a pleasing juxtaposition of stones and gold while remaining feminine and versatile to wear from day to evening. Statement jewels, like the large gold Jackson bib and cluster necklaces, contain diverse diamond sizes within each individual segment. This presented new challenges for the team to consider as they set the stones.
The one-of-a-kind pieces feature sapphires, diamonds and misty blue moonstones. It took nearly two years for the lapidary to master the moonstones’ singular characteristics. Among them, three-dimensional facets and five angles, both in three different sizes, an effect designed to resemble the sharp slices of snow-capped mountains. Mimi chose several shades of blue sapphires to mimic the icy blue canvas of the winter landscape. The hand-faceted links and intricate suspension joints were complicated to render for beauty and movement while maintaining function and wearability. Diamonds in a range of weights and settings mirror the complex articulation of rock layers that weave through trees and hidden roads (as seen via aerial views.)
Jackson remains one of the most studied Mimi So collections due to its composition and balance of stones and metal. It takes a dedicated team of eight skilled artisans to realize this striking collection.