Ryan Bernell is trying to build a new category of men’s high-end jewellery. The New York-born designer launched his London-based brand, Alexandria, in November 2025, assembling master craftspeople to create pieces inspired by history’s greatest emperors.
Historical inspiration
The brand’s three initial designs feature Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar. Each item is rich in historically accurate details and made in the UK to Bernell’s exacting standards. The inspiration came from a frustration that Bernell felt while searching for rings that were masculine and bold, but also beautiful and comfortable for daily wear.
“It was literally born from the frustration at not finding any jewellery that I loved,” Bernell said. “I was certain I wanted something unmistakably masculine—a statement piece that was well-crafted—which led me to found Alexandria.”
The founder comes from a musical background and studied at a school specialising in music and dance. He originally aimed for a career as a professional jazz drummer but shifted his focus to jewellery. He draws parallels between jazz and the rare jewellery-making techniques his team employs.
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“Like jazz, they are incredibly difficult to master, and there’s a similar artistry and creativity in jazz musicianship,” Bernell said. “It’s about the subtleness of the blends and how key it is that every component is precise and measured.”
Master craftsmen
Bernell describes his approach as a challenge to make the best possible men’s jewellery in the world. He sought out the best artisans in the field, which took a year and a half to assemble. He found experts scattered across the UK, many of whom are among the last to preserve these dying arts.
The team includes a grand feu enameller, a guilloche engine turner, goldsmiths, and lapidaries. The process is difficult; for the Face of Rome ring, the team had to guilloché an entire flat sheet of 18-carat gold and wrap it around three sides of the ring. Experts told Bernell this was impossible.
“We achieved something experts told me was impossible,” Bernell said. “The seemingly impossible was achieved, which gives our rings that special quality and richness of detail.”
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Techniques like grand feu enamel and hand-carved cameos are used throughout the collection. The Face of Rome ring uses a 16th-century bust of Julius Caesar by Andrea Ferucci and features a Roman scutum shield shape. The Alexander the Great ring incorporates white agate cameos of Zeus and Bucephalus, Alexander’s horse.
Future designs
Bernell plans to expand the range beyond rings to include necklaces and other objets. He has ideas for themes like Achilles, Babylon, and Cyrus. The brand also offers a bespoke service that tells a client’s story through jewellery.
His ultimate goal is to build a workshop where he can gather all these talented artisans. Until then, he continues to build Alexandria as “a new high jewellery house for the modern conqueror.”
