Nothing's comfortable about Joomi Lim's angular jewellery, and that's how she likes it

Pearls and white spikes hang around the neck of jewellery designer Joomi Lim. The sharp golden pyramid rings lining her fingers could serve as a stylish knuckleduster, should you cross her. But she's all smiles and chit-chat, as she and her husband Xavier Ricolfi meet me at Harvey Nichols.

"I keep forgetting to take these off when we go through airports," she says. "I actually had my spikes confiscated before."

"That's the funny thing," says the brand's other creative director, Ricolfi. "These spikes really are like an armour. Perhaps it's because society is so aggressive now that people need these portable weapons to feel protected. I think that's why they're so popular now."

The couple was here for the launch of their limited edition, Joomi Lim x Sellot collaboration, featuring a series of seriously embellished iPhone cases. Some were inspired by their current collections, while others have a cartoonish pop-art theme. It's the first project of this kind for Joomi Lim, a New York-based brand known for glamorous jewellery with a punk undercurrent.

"I think people like to feel a bit tougher, edgier, and we offer that but with a feminine touch," says Lim. "It's a great time to be in the jewellery industry; not like before when everything was minimal. Now it's like the more the merrier. Sometimes I'll layer two or three necklaces."

Times weren't always this good. The brand launched in 2009, just after the stock market crashed. The timing was a blessing in disguise, says Ricolfi.