Nature and the galaxy inspire jewelry designer Eugenie Niarchos

The event: Eugenie Niarchos unveiled her new Venyx fine jewelry collection over cocktails at the Gagosian Gallery in Paris as Paris Haute Couture Week got underway on July 7.

The scene: After giving Niarchos a kiss hello, fashion photographer Mario Testino perused the jewels, priced from $1,000 to $16,000, displayed under glass domes in the gallery. Also checking out the collection: fashion journalist Suzy Menkes, formerly of the International Herald Tribune and now writing daily as Vogue international editor for Vogue websites.

The inspiration: Niarchos took her cue from nature and the galaxy to create zigzagging bracelets reminiscent of lightning, ear cuffs evoking the aurora borealis and aurora australis, pendants incorporating meteorite fragments and more.

The quote: “I like thinking of untraditional ways of doing jewelry, of using different stones,” said Niarchos. “The meteorite gives more of a story. I think it’s quite fun to know you’re buying a stone from space. When you buy a piece of jewelry, you want it to have meaning -- it adds to the magic side of it.”

Of note: The Venyx fine jewelry collection can be found at Just One Eye in Los Angeles and online at Net-A-Porter.