Jen Proudman’s carved wood collar shows alternative materials are here to stay

The collar that makes wood look inevitable

Jen Proudman’s carved wood collar lands in that rare space where a material you once filed under craft suddenly looks fully at home in fine jewelry. The necklace is built from carved Sono wood, set with three 18x14mm oval citrines in thick 14k gold, and priced at $3,200 through Milestones by Ashleigh Bergman. It reads like a statement, but it wears like a considered signature piece.

That balance matters. Alternative materials only move from curiosity to category when the design gives them the same discipline you expect from gold and gemstones: clear proportions, visible craftsmanship, and a form you can actually live with. Proudman’s collar does all three, which is why it feels less like a one-off art object and more like a new kind of luxury classic.

Why alternative materials are moving into the mainstream

Proudman’s path to wood began in Bali, where she spent a summer and saw the work of Balinese carvers up close. She has said that the carvers there were masterful and that their work inspired one of the first pieces she ever designed: a wood collar necklace. That origin story matters because it places the piece in a tradition of carving and material intelligence, not in a fleeting trend cycle.

The broader market has been shifting in the same direction. Proudman has pointed to high gold prices as one reason alternative materials have grown more common, but she also makes a stronger case than cost savings alone. Wood, she argues, allows the metal to play an accent role, which keeps prices in check while letting the silhouette do the heavy lifting.

That is exactly why the piece feels so current. It is not trying to imitate a high-karat collar or apologize for not being all gold. Instead, it treats wood as the main event and uses citrine and 14k gold to sharpen the outline.

What makes this collar wearable, not just dramatic

The strongest detail may be the one you do not see in a single product photo: the flat back. Proudman’s site describes the collar as a carved Sono wood necklace with a flat back designed to sit comfortably, easy to wear all day and into night. That construction turns the necklace from a display object into something you can actually imagine wearing to dinner, a gallery opening, or a long day that ends somewhere dressy.

The gemstone choice helps, too. Citrine brings a warm, golden flash that bridges the gap between the wood’s texture and the polished look of fine jewelry. Bezel settings in thick 14k gold give the stones the proper weight, so the necklace looks intentional rather than experimental.

Ashleigh Bergman has said that demand for nontraditional-material jewelry is getting stronger and that these pieces have become a staple for her clients. She also describes Proudman’s wood collars as “head-turning statements” that “will anchor the stack and create endless buzz.” In styling terms, that means the collar can carry a look on its own, but it also works with longer chains or paracord necklaces with a charm cluster layered underneath.

For your wardrobe, that translates into a very specific lane:

• It belongs with a clean neckline, like a strapless dress, a silk top, or a sharp button-down left open at the throat.
• It suits occasions where you want one piece to do the work of several, especially evening events and elevated daytime wear.
• It looks strongest when the rest of the jewelry is edited, so the collar remains the focal point.

How to tell a one-off art piece from a wearable investment statement

Not every wood necklace deserves the same attention, and the difference is usually in the details. A true wear-it-often collar should show the hand of the maker in the carving, but it should also have the construction discipline of fine jewelry. Here, the thick gold settings, the flat back, and the repeated use of the format all point to a design built for repeat wear.

The line also helps prove the point. Milestones carries additional Proudman wood-collar variants, including versions with emeralds and mandarin garnets, which suggests that this is not a single clever experiment but a broader design language. Jen Proudman Jewelry itself describes the brand as one centered on one-of-a-kind jewelry, carved gems, and collar necklaces in wood, malachite, and lapis, so alternative materials are not a side note for the label. They are the vocabulary.

That is also where shoppers should be careful. A wood piece with vague sourcing, thin metal, or a gemstone used only as a token detail can slip into costume territory fast. Proudman’s collar avoids that trap because the materials are specific, the settings are sturdy, and the silhouette has been refined enough to return in multiple stones. The result feels collected rather than novelty-driven.

Why this trend has staying power

Wood is not new to fine jewelry. JCK has pointed out that it was already back in the category years ago after a long hiatus, prized for its grain, color, and carving potential. Proudman’s collar shows how that earlier return has matured: the material is no longer interesting simply because it is unexpected. It is interesting because designers now know how to make it look inevitable beside citrines, gold, emeralds, and garnets.

That is the real shift. Alternative materials are no longer standing in for preciousness, or trying to prove they belong by being loud. In Proudman’s hands, carved wood becomes a serious luxury surface, one that earns its place by the quality of the carving, the comfort of the build, and the clarity of the design.