Born in Belfast, Tom Binns’s no-nonsense personality combined with an anarchic wit have been the foundation for his philosophy in jewelry design. (He once took photos of the crown jewels and used the actual laminated images in his own jewelry.) He plays with the concept of high-low, demystifies “diamonds” by painting them in neon colors, and elevates ordinary sea glass to gem status. His work is intelligent and humorous, and Michelle Obama has also discovered his ironic charm and now owns several of his pieces. Here, five reasons why we love his work.
1. His Dada sensibility.
2. The pieces are feminine but tough at the same time.
3. The First Lady wears him — who doesn’t love that?
4. His new-ish store is jam-packed with tons of jewelry.
5. Neon is everywhere this season and the color looks fresh on his chunky jewels.
