Ryan Bernell, a New York native now based in London, has launched a high-end men’s jewellery brand called Alexandria. Bernell aims to create a new category of pieces worthy of history’s greatest conquerors, assembling master craftspeople to realise his vision since founding the company in November 2025.
Ancient History in Gold and Jade
The brand’s first collection features three distinct designs. One ring pays tribute to Genghis Khan, another to Alexander the Great, and a third to Julius Caesar. Each piece incorporates historically accurate details and is crafted in the United Kingdom to Bernell’s exacting standards.
The Khan’s Dominion ring showcases translucent Siberian nephrite jade. This material is the same source treasured by the Mongols for its lively green color. The gold sculpture of Genghis Khan on horseback is set into white gold, with the circular face shaped like a Mongolian shield and the cascading sides based on Mongolian armor.
Related: Jewellery editor shares style secrets
For the Alexander the Great ring, the design draws from ancient Greek drachm coins. White agate hand-carved cameos of Zeus and Bucephalus, Alexander’s horse, sculpt the story of the figure. The ring itself is formed in a shield shape, framed by emeralds and gold.
The Face of Rome ring centers on a 16th-century bust of Julius Caesar by Andrea Ferucci. It features rubies and rich red grand feu enamel, kiln-fired at 800°C. The shoulders are shaped like a scutum, or Roman shield. Even the openwork inside the ring references motifs from the corresponding culture.
Mastering Dying Arts
Bernell believes no other company currently produces men’s jewellery comparable to his work. He challenges himself to make the best possible pieces in the world, often refining concepts similar to Super Bowl rings but with a more elegant finish.
The founder insists on specific techniques that are increasingly difficult to find. The team includes a grand feu enameller, a guilloche engine turner, goldsmiths, and lapidaries who carve cameos. It took Bernell a year and a half to bring these experts together, many of whom are the last few in the UK to preserve their craft.
Related: Luxury Jewellery Trends for the Season
By focusing on these dying arts, Bernell ensures the physical weight and complexity of the work match the historical figures they represent. The effort required to create a single piece, such as guillochéd 18-carat gold wrapped around a ring, involves overcoming technical challenges that many experts previously deemed impossible.
Bernell’s background in music, specifically jazz, informs his approach to design. He sees the difficulty in mastering jazz as similar to the difficulty in mastering the jewellery-making techniques he employs. Both art forms require precision, subtlety, and a blend where every component contributes to a perfect, complex whole that appears effortless.
The business offers a bespoke service where clients can tell their own stories through jewellery. Future plans include themes like Achilles, Babylon, and Cyrus. Bernell dreams of building a workshop to gather all these talented artisans, continuing his path of building a high jewellery house for the modern conqueror.
