By Reanne Chidiac
It must come as no surprise that increasingly valuable Argyle pink diamonds are rarely found in the collections of emerging Australian designers. But young Brisbane brand Ohliguer doesn’t shy away from the gemstones that intimidate. Show-stopping Ohliguer pieces have adorned the likes of Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Melissa McCarthy and Zoe Kravitz on the red carpet and beyond. Jessica Cooper, Ohliguer’s founder and designer, understands the importance of story-telling in selling impressive jewellery. Her brand is inspired by the epic heritage of her ancestors involved in Europe’s royal jewellery ateliers and gemstone mining in the Ural Mountains. On Brisbane’s Queen Street, she has continued this prestigious legacy since founding Ohliguer in 2021.
Supplied by Ohliguer
Supplied by Ohliguer
Cooper’s designs are deserving of the international attention they’ve garnered. Unique textures pointed talon claw settings, and the subtle decadence of coloured accent stones mark her bold jewellery. Ohliguer is edgy, confident, and luxurious all at once. As well as the reptilian jewellery items that showcase pink and yellow melee diamonds, Ohliguer’s collections boast impressive coloured gemstones that claim centre stage.
After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts and training as a jeweller in Australia, Cooper continued her studies at Rome’s Istituto Europeo di Design. Under the instruction of some of Italy’s greatest designers, she funnelled her creative energy into her first collection, The Croc, a celebration of Australian pink diamonds and our infamous crocodiles. In this collection, one of the tenets of successful design holds true—simplicity. The Croc makes one statement in a small range of jewellery items including rings, pendants, earrings, and cufflinks—all simple iterations of a crocodile’s tail. These designs constitute the accessible segment of Ohliguer’s repertoire by using high-quality materials moderately, keeping sought-after design features like Argyle pink diamonds small and affordable.
Supplied by Ohliguer
Supplied by Ohliguer
The common knowledge that Australia’s high-end jewellery market is relatively small doesn’t seem to worry Cooper. The upper end of the market is where many of her Love Me Knot collection pieces sit. It fearlessly flaunts 11-carat emeralds, old mine-cut diamonds and larger pink diamonds that call for an equally fearless wearer. Unsurprisingly, many of her designs are seen on some of America’s biggest stars. Perhaps one of the most valuable lessons to be learned from a leading European design institute is that a jeweller’s target market isn’t limited to the borders of one country. Useful business connections can be made anywhere, and networks can span oceans. Australian pink diamonds and tributes to our crocodiles can wind up on another continent telling part of our story.
Ohliguer may be a young business, but its local and international success is a testament to Cooper’s creative flair, not only in designing and making her daring jewellery but in the patient building and marketing of her brand identity. This is something a designer might strive to achieve—a brand that precedes their own name and exists in places and social realms they themselves don’t occupy.
