4 Statement-Making Looks

UPDATE: Time for a mid-afternoon study break. Peep this gorgeous pics of one of our favorite jewelry designers modeling her to-die-for wardrobe. This story was originally published on August 1.

Woolly mammoths aren't exactly on par with diamonds, but trust Monique Péan to make the ancient beast as precious as several karats of the icy stuff. The fine jeweler's penchant for the extraordinary is more than evident in her namesake collection, which transforms hard-to-find materials into conversation pieces that you won't find adorning every other girl at Super Linda. While her jewels don't have the massive sparkle and color of her contemporaries' offerings, her subtlety actually makes more of a statement. The CFDA winner — inspired by National Geographic-worthy globe-trotting — sells everything from geometric, fossilized-mammoth bangles and sliced-diamonds necklaces to walrus and ivory rings and, even, Mwanza warthog tusk drop earrings.

Yes, the sparklers might be pricey, but everything in Péan's treasure chest is socially and environmentally conscious, sourcing recycled materials and employing indigenous artisans for a gift that keeps on giving (back). Appropriately awed, we tapped the inspiring designer to model her favorite right-now looks around her office's Meatpacking District 'hood. The result is an accessory-heavy (and heady) mix that will have you adding layers, textures, and, of course, jewels into your wardrobe rotation, immediately. And, maybe some prehistoric creatures, too.