What's On Briony Raymond's Holiday Wish List?

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, and Briony Raymond, well she just might be the most popular girl in town! 

The city's chicest jeweler specializes in creating magically timeless bespoke pieces and hunting down the most jaw dropping estate jewels. 

As one can imagine, the mother of two is especially busy come the holiday season, crafting the perfect gifts both for her clients and for her own family.

Curious what's on her holiday wish list this year? 

Us too!

How do you celebrate the holidays?
In pre-Covid times, we would do a mixture of Hannukah with my husband’s family and Christmas with my family - fun get-togethers, yummy food, lots of laughs… and lots of cocktails!! 

We usually leave for a big family trip the morning after Christmas with my husband’s entire family, often to the Caribbean or somewhere else warm and beautiful. Last year each branch of the family chartered a boat in the British Virgin Islands and we sailed from island to island, exploring our favorite spots and discovering new ones! Oh, how I miss traveling!!

Where will you be this season?
This year we will be staying local, spending time at our house in Brooklyn Heights and doing lots of fireside snuggles with our boys! I essentially work 24/7 between Thanksgiving and Christmas so it’s always such an utter delight to have long stretches of time with my children once the frenetic holiday season is behind us.

Are you a last minute or way in advance shopper?
Every year I am so focused on making sure my clients’ nearest and dearest have their gifts that I must admit I often delay my own gifting!! So, yes, I am an embarrassingly last minute shopper. I love to give pieces from our bespoke collection with personalized engraving or birthstones and am always frantically trying to finish pieces for my family in the last few days leading up to Christmas. I also do donations to charities that I know my friends and family are passionate about so in addition to a personalized BR jewel, I’ll often give an ornament or other small gift along with a donation in their honor.

What's the best gift you've ever given?
A few years ago I gave my husband the gift of a custom surfboard to be made by his favorite board maker. His father made a tiny little model of a wooden surfboard that I could wrap so my husband would have something to “open” and then he got to design his dream board with his dream board maker! 

Another memorable gift I gave was a set of our Aura Birthstone bangles for my mother with my children’s birthstones on one, my sister and her son on another and a third with both her sons-in-law… she wears them in a chic stack and they look so colorful and happy!

What's on your list to get?
I always love to receive handmade gifts from my boys and my husband knows better than to choose anything for me as I always love to receive jewelry for every special occasion (and no, one can NEVER have enough jewelry!!!) and make myself a piece “from him” every Christmas! 

After 15 years working in jewelry, I always have my eye on something and know exactly what I’m lusting after at any given time so I make his life easy and make it for myself!

What's on your list to give?
My sister and I are giving my mother a customized Miel medallion from our bespoke collection with the birthstones representing each of her grandchildren in the stars on its face. 10% of proceeds from the Miel collection go to Earthjustice, which is a charity near and dear to her heart. 

My mother-in-law is receiving a Roman Numeral Story bangle from our bespoke collection with the birthdates of all her grandchildren engraved around the bangle and her anniversary date engraved inside. 

My nieces will be receiving mini medallions from our Zodiac collection in their star sign with Confetti Letter charms to layer with them. 

For my sister, a vintage Cartier Love bracelet from our extensive inventory of signed Estate pieces. I’m actually trying to plan ahead this year for once!!

[Photo courtesy Briony Raymond]