Dr Barbara Sturm on how to make your skin fine jewellery ready

Which end of the lockdown dressing spectrum you fall - from ‘fancy clothes lift my mood’ to ‘I’m happiest in my trackie’ - likely dictates your approach to accessories and jewellery, too.

There are those who rely on earrings and artfully curated layers of necklaces to give their Zoom look a lift: see the Duchess of Sussex’s most recent video appearances. Then there are others whose jewels remain mournfully on the dressing table - even this Jewellery Editor is guilty as charged.

Before Covid, I’d have rings stacked on every finger and took pleasure in switching up my multiple earrings and necklaces on a daily basis. Now, there are the huggie earrings, a mish-mash of bracelets and a single delicate necklace that I never take off, so I’m far from bare, but my bling quotient has taken a significant hit. In a large part it’s due to the state of my skin - my hands in particular.

So much handwashing and antibacterial gel has made them dry and flaky, with rough white patches between the fingers no matter how much cream I slather on. They seem to have aged 20 years in the last two months, and I feel like my rings deserve more. So even my engagement ring is currently relegated to ‘special occasion only’ (i.e. a weekend long walk) status.

One woman who has no such problem is German aesthetics doctor to the stars, Dr Barbara Sturm. As well as pioneering innovative anti-ageing treatments such as the 'vampire facial' and her own Molecular Cosmetics skincare line, the German doctor is something of a magpie, with an enviable jewellery collection.

“I’ve always had very generous boyfriends who bought me gorgeous jewellery - I dated George Hamilton for a while and he bought me some beautiful pieces,” she tells me on the phone from her home in LA. “I’ve also always saved up to buy my own pieces. I’m a big fan of Jessica McCormack, she’s a dear friend of mine, as is Anita Ko. My husband always buys me diamonds from them.”

Sturm’s everyday jewellery wardrobe comprises an Anita Ko diamond choker - “I never take it off” - diamond studs and Gypset hoop earrings by Jessica McCormack, and a stack of Cartier Love bangles.

“Even in lockdown I still wear it all every day,” she says. “It has become a part of me. I’m doing a lot of Instagram lives, Zoom masterclasses, skin school presentations and interviews so having my diamond earrings on helps me look polished.”

She takes a casual, very ‘LA’ approach to wearing fine jewellery. “Major jewellery looks best with a white t-shirt, jeans and natural make-up,” she says. “I will always dress it down.

“When I have an evening event and a big extravagant dress and strong eye make-up, sometimes major jewellery is kind of overload. So I’ll keep the jewellery low-profile. But a Jessica McCormack Ball’n’Chain diamond necklace over a t-shirt: it doesn’t get any cooler.”

One thing she always ensures is that her skin is the perfect backdrop for her jewels. “If my skin looks glowy, dewy and hydrated then it’s an amazing background for jewellery. You get this incredible reflection from the diamonds on the skin.”

Sturm’s daily skincare routine includes her hyaluronic serum, anti-pollution drops, face cream and eye cream in the morning; and her super anti-ageing serum, night serum, eye cream and face cream at night.

Throughout the day she tops up with a face mist, mask, more anti-pollution drops or her bestselling ‘glow drops’. “It’s really important to keep your skin hydrated all the time and then you won’t get any problems. I throw products on all day long.”

Stress and dryness caused by wearing a facemask can lead to breakouts. “You need to soothe the irritated skin - try a calming serum which has really valuable oils for rehydration,” says Sturm. “You could even wear a hydrating face mask underneath your medical face mask.”

Dr Barbara Sturm Calming serum, £175, Space NK

When it comes to problem areas such as hands and decolletage - the background for so many sumptuous jewels - Sturm recommends “whatever you do for the skin on your face, do for your decolletage and hands.

“Antibacterial gel is super harmful for your skin - it contains a lot of harsh ingredients that damage the skin barrier,” she continues. “It’s better to just wash your hands with a gentle hand wash.” She is working on formulating a hand cream, but in the meantime uses her moisturising face cream for her hands.

For the decolletage, she recommends using an enzyme cleanser to exfoliate, before applying an anti-ageing serum or night serum, and face cream. “It’s an area that is prone to sun damage so it needs just as much attention as the face,” she says.

Dr Barbara Sturm Glow Essentials kit, £130, Space NK

“For a summer’s evening event, I like to use a facial scrub or enzyme cleanser, then put a face mask on my face, neck and decolletage. I take the time to rub it off slowly then apply the serum and face cream on top. It creates the most amazing glow.”

Vintage jewellery is also a passion, and Sturm has busied herself in lockdown by selecting her highlights in Sotheby's latest online fine jewellery auction.

“My husband bought me a vintage diamond necklace at auction one birthday and since then I’ve really enjoyed looking at vintage jewellery - pieces you won’t find anywhere else,” she says. “I love the things that are hard to find and that nobody else has.”

Her picks in the Sotheby’s sale range from 19th-century naturalistic floral diamond brooches to an Art Deco ruby and diamond clip, to a carved coral ring and a pair of moonstone Georg Jensen earrings from the 1960s. Sturm’s personal favourite is a pair of Cartier gold and ruby ear clips, also from the 1960s.

“Vintage Cartier to me is always so spectacular. Those ear clips are just so chic; its like good skin, they will never go out of style.”

The Sotheby's Fine Jewellery sale curated by Dr Barbara Sturm, runs online from May 28 - June 4; sothebys.com

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