The Real L Word Star Lauren Russell’s Beautiful Baubles

Lesbian-owned Lyon Fine Jewelry supports equal rights and does it in sparkly style.

So, you’ve found that special someone, and you’ve decided to pop the question—now comes the tricky part: the ring! You can certainly go the traditional route with a diamond solitaire set in gold but if non-traditional, high fashion with plenty of edge is more your speed then Lyon Fine Jewelry is just what you’ve been waiting for. We deserve wedding and engagement rings that match our style, flair and commitment to love and fortunately, Lauren Russell, the lesbian owner behind Lyon (and new star of The Real L Word) has created just that.

Russell isn’t only breaking the mold with her designs—she’s also using her jewelry to help break the traditional view of marriage by launching her Equality Bracelet collection. Proceeds from the Equality Bracelets will go to Friendfactor, an organization that helps rally straight allies and that helped pass the New York marriage law. “Any gay person can rally for gay rights and it’s like, Yeah, great, gay rights for yourself, but if you get straight people involved, it means something more. [It’s] coming from someone else. [There are] other people supporting it. That was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Although Russell receives many custom orders for wedding and engagement rings, she also designs rings for every occasion, as well as earrings, necklaces, bracelets and cufflinks. A client favorite is the La Nouvelle-Orleans ring, which has a chain draped over hand carved black jade with a rock ’n’ roll chain band.

Russell’s first collection was inspired by the street culture of New York City. “I’d be walking around looking at graffiti and art and what people were wearing,” says Russell. “I try to make everything really edgy and wearable, but at the same time really high-end and classy and kind of a mix of both worlds.”

Russell’s talent for creating wearable art that complements both formal and casual attire has made her designs popular with fashion forward lesbians and celebrities including Sarah Michelle Gellar and Nicole Ari Parker.

Her upcoming collection has a more unisex focus. “It’s going to stay industrial, even more modern industrial. I really want to create pieces that you don’t see anywhere and that you look at and say, Wow, that’s a piece of art.”

Whether you are looking for the perfect ring for your fiancée or just want to bling up your own collection, you can’t do better than Russell’s sophisticated and subversive take on fine jewelry. (lyonfinejewelry.com

 

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