Monika Ruggerino's Secret Garden - Together Journal

Childhood memories, imperial romance and the quiet intrigue of hidden places.

Some pieces of jewellery are designed to be admired. Others hold something a little more private: a memory, a message, a sentiment known only to the person wearing them. For jewellery designer Monika Ruggerino, these intimate connections are the starting point for Secret Garden, a collection that brings together childhood nostalgia, historical romance and the pleasure of keeping a little something to ourselves.

The inspiration begins with a much-loved childhood story. Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden was the first chapter book Monika‘s mother read aloud to her. In a rather lovely coincidence, they finished the book on the very day the 1993 film adaptation arrived in cinemas. Its atmospheric imagery, mysterious gardens and sense of melancholy stayed with her, along with the idea that somewhere, hidden from the rest of the world, there might be a place entirely our own.

Years later, another story captured her imagination, this time during her travels in Vienna.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, affectionately known as Sisi, was celebrated for her beauty and famously uncomfortable with the restrictions of imperial life. Accounts of a rumoured romance with a Hungarian viscount, and their supposed secret meetings in secluded gardens and forests, offered Monika a different perspective on the empress. Beyond the romantic intrigue was the possibility that these private places allowed Sisi to escape the expectations of court life and simply be herself.

These two stories, one rooted in childhood imagination and the other in imperial history, form the creative foundation of Secret Garden.

The collection takes shape through a series of precious, wearable talismans. Keys, garden references and discreet inscriptions introduce a sense of mystery, while messages including ‘Shhhh…’ and ‘Meet me in the Garden’ feel like little secrets exchanged between friends or lovers.

We particularly love the idea of jewellery carrying a message that isn’t immediately apparent to anyone else. It gives a piece an intimacy that goes beyond its material value, something that feels especially relevant when choosing jewellery to mark an engagement, a wedding or another meaningful moment in life.

There is also a wonderful richness to the collection’s historical references. Monika‘s time in Vienna informs its architectural influences, with details drawn from the Habsburg Empire and Victorian decorative traditions. Sculptural silhouettes, intricate enamel work and carefully considered finishes bring these influences into a contemporary setting, balancing romance with a more individual, expressive approach to fine jewellery.

That appreciation for history is deeply connected to Monika‘s own family. Founded in 2020, her jewellery house draws on four generations of craftsmanship, with traditional goldsmithing and hand-rendered illustration central to its practice. Monika‘s background as a gouacheuse, an artist specialising in detailed jewellery renderings, brings a distinctly artistic approach to the design process.

The house also specialises in bespoke pieces and heirloom remodelling, giving existing jewellery and precious materials a new chapter while preserving their personal significance.

It’s a sentiment that continues through the accompanying Secret Garden campaign, where treasured objects belonging to Monika‘s grandmothers and great-grandmothers appear alongside the jewellery. These family keepsakes add another dimension to the story, connecting the woman Monika is today with the generations who came before her.

And perhaps that is what makes Secret Garden particularly appealing. Beneath the romance, intricate craftsmanship and historical references is an idea that feels wonderfully universal: that the things we treasure most often carry stories only we fully understand.

Whether chosen as a personal keepsake, a modern heirloom or a meaningful gift, these are pieces intended to hold something close, and perhaps keep a little mystery alive.