Decadent Jewels in the Midst of Destruction

Surrounded by bruised peaches and shattered glass, fine jewelry looks even more otherworldly. For the latest collaboration in the Cut’s Out of the Box series, 24-year-old London-based photographer Maisie Cousins took diamonds and rubies from Piaget, Chanel, and Chopard — amongst others — and offset them with images of destruction and decay.

“The shoot was inspired by the erotic novel Crash by J. G. Ballard,” Cousins explains. “If you don’t know the story, it’s about people who get turned on by car crashes. It’s pretty gross. I wanted to have a feel of these luxury jewelry pieces being found in scrap-metal debris, like little treasures and/or pieces of evidence left by someone.”

Her work blends themes of nature, indulgence, and femininity, blurring the lines between pleasure and something darker. Click ahead to see her images of some of our favorite jewels.