LVMH alumni launches quiet tech jewelry marque SPKTRL
Think of it as high jewelry's smartwatch moment: a diamond jewelry ring that communicates key digital messages silently, without screens, noise, or disruption.
Pronounced "Spectral," SPKTRL's light ring uses color to communicate, allowing wearers to personalize the insights they receive through a minimalist app. Hence, the perfectly colorless diamond can light up soft blue to indicate a message from a loved one, while a vibrant magenta could indicate a critical work update. Quiet tech represents the use of non-intrusive technology that blends seamlessly into the background, a key element of the new brand.
Featuring a screenless design, messages are transmitted through a CVD lab-grown diamond, selected for both its beauty and its symbolism.
'It's a material created with precision by human ingenuity, not chance,' explains Lasteyrie, the founder and CEO of SPKTRL.
Optically and structurally identical to mined diamonds, lab diamonds are increasingly used in deep-tech fields such as quantum computing, she notes.
Design-wise, the SPKTRL ring is essentially indistinguishable from a classic Place Vendôme jewelry piece—yet still manages to invisibly encapsulate hidden layers of technology. In a world of jewelry built on centuries of tradition, SPKTRL's vivid, color-changing diamond ring signals a tech-driven transformation akin to the one that revolutionized watchmaking.
While most wearables like the Apple Watch are function-first devices, SPKTRL offers something different: a design-led, jewelry-first approach.
'It redefines technology-augmented jewelry—much like smartwatches did for traditional watches—and opens the door to a whole new category,' insists de Lasteyrie, an elegant mum of two who lives a golf chip away from Place Vendôme.
Katia de Lasteyrie is a former innovation lead for LVMH's Watches & Jewelry division. With almost 20 years of experience in high and fine jewelry, and stints with Christie's and Chanel, Lasteyrie is as fluent in craftsmanship as she is in innovation.
Her work at LVMH included the development of interactive luxury objects for Louis Vuitton, as well as years of research into the intersection of material culture and emotional design. SPKTRL is the result of that trajectory: a convergence of aesthetic discipline and embedded function. The brand was developed around a single belief: time is the ultimate luxury, which is why SPKTRL offers owners the chance to edit away non-essential communications in an elegant manner.
'SPKTRL appeals to a new art de vivre: one where attention is curated, not consumed. Our technology isn't designed to replace phones or make you faster but to give you back control. The stone is the interface, and the color is the language. Personalized to each user, our ring communicates important messages in a novel way that is truly mindful of their time and attention,' underlines Katia de Lasteyrie.
Manufactured in France, this talismanic signet ring is designed to represent power and wisdom, crafted from a blend of titanium and high-precision metals.
SPKTRL's limited-edition debut piece will be available for exclusive order this fall, at a four-figure euro price tag, by visiting: https://spktrl-paris.com.
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