Baltic Jewellery News (March 2022) No. 41

E X C L U S I V E M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E J E W E L L E R Y B U S I N E S S I N T H E B A LT I C S E A R E G I O N

March 2022 (41)

HELSINKI OSLO STOCKHOLM

VILNIUS

COPENHAGEN GDANSK HAMBURG

ST. PETERSBURG TALLINN RIGA

KALININGRAD

WARSAW

MINSK

KIEV

F A S T E S T W AY T O T H E B A LT I C S E A R E G I O N !

www.isaart.pl info@isaart.pl tel. +48694480021 isaartjewellery

isaartjewels

LO G I S T I C S PA R T N E R O F A M B E R T R I P

AMBER TRIP ART JEWELLERY CONTEST

ABOUT

R O P P O

TU

NI TIES

The topic of the competition AmberTrip is “About Opportunities”. Every situation, everything that

happens to us, every choice and decision is not unambiguous. Everything that happens to people have sides: white and black (good and bad, or call it whatever you want). The current situation, which has plunged humanity into the mire of a pandemic for the second year in a row, has taken everyone by surprise. Life has changed and along with the changes came fear, anxiety, apathy, despair, as well as survival strategies, psychological defence mechanisms, self-knowledge and understanding, slow times. This situation as a litmus paper showed our weaknesses and strengths, true faces, hobbies and needs. But we want to talk about the dark side the least. More about the fact that losses and limitations often paradoxically open up opportunities in us that we didn’t even suspect. Mental resilience and flexibility, survival skills, ingenuity and adaptability.

New decisions and changes that we would not have made if the situation had not changed. Finally, the ability to do nothing, slow down your life so that you can see and enjoy the hourly clock. One can talk about the (and other) possibilities, the secret depths we didn’t know about, the changes in society, and what they do to us in the language of jewellery. Flip the situation like a stone, look around all the way until you find the one that promises the most. Where the greatest opportunities lie.

More information at www.ambertrip.com

Photo Matias Uusikylä

Last time I wrote this editorial it was the second time it was about covid 19. I thought that it would be the last, but to my sorrow and surprise we are still here. I sincerely hope that this time the saying “third time lucky” applies.

41 –2022

After over two years of exceptional circumstances, we can already see that in many ways we have adapted to this new way of everyday life. The panic of the unknown has diminished, and we are already acting in a more rational way and businesses have found their ways to go about their work despite restrictions. Big events have been postponed time after another, but many alternative smaller events and gatherings has seen daylight and many of these newborn concepts might very well be usable and beneficial in the future.

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

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Dear readers,

We have seen a boom of new innovations to compensate for the losses caused by the pandemic. These ideas will for sure become capital in the post pandemic world once we get there. The reports I get from entrepreneurs in Finland seems to indicate that companies that have implemented new and candid solutions have been able to maintain their business and even increase it during this time. Businesses that have lagged and not been able to adapt to the new challenges seems to be the ones that have taken the blow in this crisis.

The process of integrating into the new technological society has most likely speeded up by many years due to the pandemic. Now when we hopefully are on the brink of returning to a new normal way of living, communicating, and conducting business it will be thrilling to see where this rapid development has taken us.

Henrik KIHLMAN

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March 2022 (41)

JEWELLERY AND BACTERIA

6

RETURNING HEALTH JEWELERY MARKERSʼ IMMUNE RESPONSE TO THE VIRUS

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

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6

18

100

AMBER TRIP SHOW IS COMING BACK

JACEK BARON PASSED AWAY

60

MASKS AND NEW TRENDS

PETRI JARVINEN, MR GOLD SILVER & WATCH

102

Baltic Jewellery News / March 2022 (41) Manufakturu st. 16-7, LT-11342, Vilnius, Lithuania; tel. +370 687 72 175; e-mail: magazine@balticjewellerynews.com Editor / Henrik Kihlman Designer / SAVITAI, Translators / VERTIMU GURU, CIRCULATION 2000 Distribution in the whole Baltic Sea Region.

Copyright: Contents of “Baltic Jewellery News” are copyright. ISSN 2335-2132 Reproduction of material in part or in whole is not permitted in any form without the written authorization of the publisher. The editorial office is not responsible for the content of advertisements and for the accuracy of the facts presented by the authors.

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CONTENT /

3

Editors word

BUSINESS INSIGHTS 6 8 10 14 18 22 26 28 30 34 38 42 44

Jewellery an bacteria Returning health jewelery markers‘ immune response to the virus Gold outlook 2022 Diamons view TM – Hidden opportunities Amber Trip show is coming back Swedish blue – something new and rare 3D printing and unlimited design possibilities Be global shop local 25 years of the IAA Batic design stories Get to know your jeweller New jewelry Russia Beauty will save the world!

ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS 56 60 64 66 70 74 76 80 84 88 90 92

Amber Trip contest – Surveillance jewellery – winners Masks and new trends Camila Dinesen story Juha Koskela the master of anticlastic raising Guldviva flower worthy of a princess Tammi Jewellery Lod a fixed star in the Swedish jewellery scene Legnica jewellery festival silver will take place in May Whay makes a piece of jewelry a masterpiece?

Jewelry art as a crystallization of human thoughts Simply briliant Today Latvian jewellery community is a stronger force

MARKET REVIEW 96 97 98

Worldwide gold cost Worldwide silver cost Worldwide amber cost

PERSONALITY 100 102

Jacek Baron passed away Petri Jarvinen, Mr gold silver & watchw

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Cartoons

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

48

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CARTOONS

BUSINESS INSIGHTS / WORLDWIDE JEWELLERY REPORT

JEWELLERY AND BACTERIA

By Mariam ATEF As small as jewelry is, it makes a huge difference in any outfit it’s worn with. But there’s a nasty price to pay if you want to show off these sparkly beauties: thousands of gross bacteria are growing on your favorite accessories right now!

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THE JEWELRY BUSINESS’S EXPERIENCE WITH COVID-19 The spread of COVID-19 has made people rethink wearing jewelry, as jewelry and its edges can act as a surface for disease transmission. And Coronavirus is no exception. You can accidentally transmit the deadly virus through your jewelry by just shaking hands with friends.

Much like other industries, the jewelry business was affected both positively and negatively as a result of the pandemic.

In the early days of the pandemic, jewelry sales dropped by almost 82%.

But despite this massive drop, data published in Business Weekly showed that people had much more time in quarantine to rethink and reevaluate their lives, and buying jewelry was one of the ways people chose to take care of themselves.

Additionally, people have been buying their loved ones jewelry to make their days in quarantine better and more bearable. Not only did jewelry sales increase because of that, but also because people are relying on shopping as a way to escape the difficult reality of the pandemic.

PEOPLE STILL WEAR JEWELRY, EVEN AT HOME After our favorite places were closed and social distancing became necessary, most of our daily and weekly routines were disrupted. However, this is just the right time to find other ways to make our days brighter.

People may have ditched their fancy dresses and suits, but jewelry

has definitely survived. Although we might not have the opportunity to show off our jewelry to the whole world for a while, we can at least still get the feeling of empowerment and beauty that we always get from jewelry.

For example, people won’t just give up their engagement rings just because they are not going out anymore. And one won’t simply let go of their grandma’s old necklaces just because no one is going to see them anymore.

Jewelry is more than just a shiny stone or piece of metal. It has always had a story, a meaning, and a special place in our hearts. That is why we find a unique pleasure in wearing jewelry.

So, in these gloomy days, people might just need that extra bit of hope they get from the shine of their jewelry.

Whether inside our cozy homes or outside, jewelry was made to be worn.

In fact, jewelry and handbag designer Susan Korn, who has her own successful line, Susan Alexandra, said: “I wear jewelry every day. I sleep, shower, work out and apparently quarantine in jewelry.”

YOUR ACCESSORIES ARE A LOT DIRTIER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK Est1897 conducted a study to examine how much bacteria can grow after only one week of being worn, and the results were both shocking and disgusting...

After swabbing behind earrings and underneath rings and watches, almost 23,000 growths of bacteria were found on jewelry within just a week!

Luckily, these bacteria are found to be commensal, which means they mostly don’t cause harm. However, it’s dangerous to leave these bacteria around for a long time, as this can pose a serious threat when a person touches their face and mouth. This can lead to food poisoning, Diphtheria, MRSA, or even thrush.

RINGS Rings were the filthiest kind of jewelry, with five different types of bacteria growing on each ring and a total of 504 bacterial colonies. Not only were Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, and Corynebacterium found, but also some

gross traces of fungus and black mould on the ring!

And you wouldn’t want your fingers getting exposed to black mould, as it can cause undesirable dry scaly skin, as well as skin rashes.

This experiment was only run for one week, and it was done during the pandemic, which meant that people were washing their hands more often than usual. Just imagine what would be found if the rings were left for longer, or if people hadn’t been washing their hands as much. Yeah, gross!

WATCHES Second on the filthy list is everyone’s favorite timepiece, with four types of bacteria found on it! After only one week of usage, a staggering 20,000 colonies of bacteria were found on the wristwatch, also including Cor ynebacterium, Staphylococcus and Micrococcus.

In addition to bacteria, traces of fungus were also found, which can easily get caught in the links of the watch’s band.

The watch obviously grew more bacterial colonies than the ring, and the reason may be that we usually don’t remove watches before washing our hands.

EARRINGS Earrings were the third dirtiest offender, with 485 bacterial colonies found on both earrings. One of the worst kinds of bacteria found was Bacillus cereus, which can cause food poisoning if swallowed. And you’d be surprised as to how easy it is to ingest it—it’s as easy as playing with your earrings and then biting your nails or eating without washing your hands.

If you’re wondering why there’s a kind of bacteria that’s only present on earrings, think about how often you wash your ears vs. how often you wash your hands.

WHY IS IT CRUCIAL TO REGULARLY CLEAN JEWELRY? Leaving your jewelry dirty means that thousands of bacteria will grow on your earrings, rings, and wristwatches. The more you leave them the more they’ll grow, which will eventually have some unpleasant results: allergic

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reactions, skin irritation, or in some cases, infections.

And if you don’t mind all of that, at least worry about your expensive jewelry, as too much dirt can cause permanent

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degradation and discoloration of even the finest metals and gemstones.

Jewelry carries so much sentimental value in our lives. But if we want to keep our environment safe and keep our

jewelry in one piece, we have to take good care of our accessories and always keep them clean. ■

Source: Unsplash

RETURNING HEALTH: JEWELRY MARKETS’ IMMUNE RESPONSE TO THE VIRUS

By Lukas KIKŪNAS ● 8

KEY TAKEAWAYS

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B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

● ●

●

●

Percentage-wise, only

8.1% of global

jewelry sales were made through the e-commerce channel in 2018. In 2021 that number was

12.9%, having fallen a mere

0.4% from the previous year despite the

vaccine rollouts and consequent reductions in quarantine measures worldwide.

In 2021, the jewelry industry made headway, recovering some of the losses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although travel restrictions continue to take their toll, growth is the new normal once again.

Consumer sentiment is recovering worldwide with the greatest net changes observable in Europe.

E-commerce has flourished during the pandemic, which was especially felt by retailers of costume and demi-fine jewelry. The reopening of physical stores had done little to turn back the tide of digitization in the jewelry markets that was accelerated by lockdowns.

Driven largely by generational change, ethical considerations are already an increasingly important factor in shaping purchasing decisions.

The second-hand market, particularly for fine jewelry, has grown substantially over the last few years.

JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED Although the recovery of the jewelry markets is still somewhat subdued by the slow reopening of international travel (which is especially true in geographical markets, which are more tourist-oriented), it’s safe to say that it is well underway. Last year, the global jewelry market rose by 9.2 percentage points and is poised to continue its climb to prepandemic levels and beyond.

Much of the jewelry sales slump that began with the COVID19 pandemic has been due to the postponement of purchases.

This was especially true of fine jewelry, which fared worse than its cheaper alternatives. Such caution implies that consumers still prefer to pay for more expensive pieces in-store, where they can inspect and try them on in person.

Postponement is not the same as dissipation though. The foregone purchases constitute pent-up demand, which we are now seeing being released in many geographic markets. Not incidentally, the fine jewelry segment is forecast to outpace costume jewelry in growth over the coming years.

Consumer sentiment regarding economic recovery and reported intent to buy jewelry is also improving. The change

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS / WORLDWIDE JEWELLERY REPORT

100 %

+18

+1

+9

Net change from Eeb, 2021 figures, % +12

+12

100 %

75 %

75 %

50 %

50 %

25 %

25 %

0%

0%

+16

+1

+8

+13

NO DATE

Net change from last year's figures, %

ptimistic: the economy will rebound in 2-3 months and will grow just as O strong or stronger than before COVID-19

% of respondents that intend to increase spending

nsure: the economy will be impacted for 6-12 months or longer and will U stagnate or show slow growth thereafter

% of respondents that intend to spend about the same as before the crisis

essimistic: COVID-19 will have lasting impact on the economy and show P regression/fall into lengthy recession.

% of respondents that intend to decrease spending

How is your over all confidence level in economic conditions after the COVID- 19 situation?

Over the next two weeks do you expect that you will spend more, about the same, or less money on jewelry than usual?

IS THE FUTURE OF JEWELRY COMPRISED OF ONES AND ZEROS? During lockdowns, the online environment has been more accommodating to sellers of costume and demi-fine jewelry.

Nonetheless, high-street jewelry producers have actively sought to bridge the gap by investing in e-commerce. They brought their considerable resources to bear: from promoting products more actively through social media campaigns, to as far as utilizing 3D videos and augmented reality to recreate the conditions consumers have in brick-and-mortar stores.

Percentage-wise, only 8.1% of global jewelry sales were made through the e-commerce channel in 2018. In 2021 that number was 12.9%, having fallen a mere 0.4% from the previous year despite the vaccine rollouts and consequent reductions in quarantine measures worldwide. These figures already suggest that consumers have become more accustomed to the digital avenue and are more likely to use it for jewelry purchases moving forward. In some regions, this is exceptionally pronounced. Most notably, Eastern Europe and Latin America saw e-commerce jewelry sales more than triple during the pandemic, while in North America they now make up

Eastern Europe

Region

Western Europe

TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGING Some trends - such as the increased price sensitivity of less affluent customers - have been introduced into the jewelry markets solely by the entry of the pandemic onto the scene.

Other trends are slower moving, however, and can be attributed to generational change. Take the increasing importance of ethical jewelry, for example…

With the coming of age of Gen-Z’ers, and rising disposable incomes of millennials, concerns over sustainability acquire an ever more important role in the mind of the consumer.

McKinsey estimates that by 2025 up to 20-30 percent of jewelry purchasing decisions will be influenced by ethical considerations. Correspondingly, practices such as the use of recycled materials in jewelry-making and increased supply chain transparency are already in vogue.

A fascinating intersection of the two aforementioned trends can be seen in the used jewelry market. Not only are older pieces “recycled,” so to speak, upon resale but also present themselves as a value-for-money alternative to new jewelry pieces at a time when uncertainty has induced caution in consumers. In this way, ethical awareness and costconsciousness have become unlikely bedfellows, in tandem fueling the growth of the second-hand jewelry market. ■

Middle East & Africa

Asia Pacific

North America

Latin America

World

Jewelry market contraction in 2019 to 2020

-35.0%

-21.3%

-15.1%

-19.0%

-19.0%

-31.7%

-19.8%

Jewelry market year-on-year growth in 2020-2021

6.4%

8.3%

5.3%

11.2%

5.2%

-1.5%

9.2%

Projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) throughout 2022-2026

5.0%

5.6%

5.0%

5.9%

5.5%

6.7%

5.7%

Source: Passport database, Euromonitor International ©

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The data is presented in constant value terms, and are based on the euro currency

41 –2022

a staggering 27% of all jewelry sales. Yet in places like Africa and the Middle East - where e-commerce sales stand below the two-percentage mark - only minor increases were reported.

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

is most apparent in Europe, where initial concerns over the pandemic last year were at some of the highest levels worldwide. Meanwhile, in the Asia Pacific region, which accounts for over a 60 percent share of the total global jewelry market, the moods are particularly optimistic.

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Adapted from: Mckinsey & Co.© Global Surveys of Consumer Sentiment During the Coronavirus Crisis

BUSINESS INSIGHTS / WORLDWIDE JEWELLERY REPORT

GOLD OUTLOOK 2022 Gold may face similar dynamics in 2022 to those of last year, as competing forces support and curtail its performance. Near term, the gold price will likely react to real rates in response to the speed at which global central banks tighten monetary policy and their effectiveness in controlling inflation.

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

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Yet, in our view: ● while rate hikes can create headwinds for gold, history shows their effect may be limited ● at the same time, elevated inflation and market pullbacks will likely sustain demand for gold as a hedge ● jewellery and central bank gold demand may provide additional longer-term support.

HIGHER RATES IN 2021 OUTWEIGHED INFLATION RISKS Gold finished the year approximately 4% lower, closing at US$1,806/oz. The gold price rallied into year-end on the heels of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, likely prompting flight-to-quality flows, but it was not enough to offset H1 weakness.

Early in 2021, as newly developed vaccines were rolled out, investor optimism likely fuelled a reduction in portfolio hedges. This negatively impacted gold’s performance and resulted in gold ETF outflows. The rest of the year was a tug of war between competing forces. Uncertainty surrounding new variants, combined with increasing risks of persistently high inflation and a rebound in gold consumer demand, pushed gold forward. Conversely, rising interest rates and a stronger US dollar continued to create headwinds. However, dollar strength led to positive gold returns in some local currency terms, such as the euro and yen among others (Table 1).

Our gold return attribution model corroborates this. Rising opportunity costs were one of the most important contributors to gold’s negative performance in Q1, and intermittently in H2, while rising risks – especially those linked to elevated inflation – pushed gold higher towards the end of the year (Chart 1).

expects to hike approximately three times this year at a quicker pace than previously expected, while aiming to reduce the size of its balance sheet.

An analysis of previous tightening cycles, however, shows that the Fed has tended not to tighten monetary policy as aggressively as members of the committee had initially expected.

Dot-plot projections suggest that year-ahead Fed expectations have significantly exceeded actual target rates (Chart 2).

More importantly, though, financial market expectations of future monetary policy actions – expressed through bond yields – have historically been a key influence on gold price performance.

Consequently, gold has historically underperformed in the months leading up to a Fed tightening cycle, only to significantly outperform in the months following the first rate hike (Chart 3).

Gold may have partly been aided by the US dollar, which exhibited the opposite pattern. Finally, US equities had their strongest performance ahead of a tightening cycle but delivered softer returns thereafter.

Chart 1: RATES AND INFLATION WERE TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORS TO GOLD’S PERFORMANCE IN 2021 Contributions from key drivers to monthly gold returns Retun % m-o-m 10 8 6 4 2 0 -2 -4 -6 -8 -10

LOOKING AHEAD, RISING RATES POSE RISKS BUT THE DEVIL WILL BE IN THE DETAILS As we enter 2022, the US Federal Reserve is signalling a more hawkish stance. Its projections indicate that the Fed

01/21 02/21 03/21 04/21 05/21 06/21 07/21 08/21 09/21 10/21

■ Economic expansion ■ Opportunity cost (FX) ■ Momentum and trendsReturn

11/21

12/21

■ Risk and uncertainty ■ Opportunity cost (Rates) ■ Unexplained

Table 1: GOLD’S PRICE PERFORMANCE WAS MIXED ACROSS CURRENCIES Gold price and annual return in key currencies Tonnes

USD (oz)

EUR (oz)

JPY (g)

GBP (oz)

CAD (oz)

CHF (oz)

INR (10g)

RMB (g)

TRY (oz)

RUB (g)

ZAR (g)

AUD (oz)

2021 return

-4.3%

3.3%

6.7%

-3.1%

-4.0%

-1.1%

-2.6%

-6.7%

67.7%

-3.4%

4.1%

1.8%

Year-end price

1,806

1,594

6,686

1,338

2,309

1,650

43,210

370.2

23,522

4,335

928

2,490

Annual average

1,799

1,521

6,350

1,308

2,256

1,644

42,757

373.1

15,999

4,263

855

2,396

Annual high

1,943

1,649

6,868

1,431

2,476

1,734

45,651

403.8

32,423

4,627

950

2,566

Annual low

1,684

1,417

5,885

1,221

2,125

1,570

39,730

353.2

12,396

3,996

801

2,194

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● ●

lingering supply-chain disruptions from the initial COVID wave and subsequent dislocations as new variants continue to emerge tight labour markets, which, combined with COVID fatigue, have increased the number of people voluntarily looking for new, better-paid opportunities higher average savings from 2020, which have contributed to lofty valuations in various financial markets high commodity prices.

Gold has historically performed well amid high inflation.

In years when inflation was higher than 3%, gold’s price increased 14% on average (Chart 4). Further, in the long run, gold has outpaced US inflation and moved closer in pace to money supply, which has significantly increased in recent years (Chart 5).

AMID OPPOSING FORCES, REAL RATES WILL LIKELY REMAIN LOW Despite potential rate hikes by some central banks, nominal rates will remain low from a historical perspective. Even more so, elevated inflation will likely keep real rates depressed (Chart 6).

This is important for gold since gold’s short- and medium-term performance tends to often respond to real rates, which combine two important drivers of gold performance: “opportunity cost” and “risk and uncertainty”.

Further, low interest rates – both nominal and real – are shifting investment portfolios more towards risk-on assets.

And this, in turn, as we discuss in one of our recent reports, increases the need for a high-quality liquid asset such as gold.

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Fed Funds Rate % 3.5 3.0 Year-end projections

2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0 12/12

12/14

12/18

12/22

Year-end projection from previous year

Chart 4: GOLD HISTORICALLY PERFORMS WELL IN PERIODS OF HIGH INFLATION Gold and commodity nominal returns in US dollars as a function of annual inflation

Chart 3: GOLD HAS TYPICALLY OUTPERFORMED FOLLOWING THE FIRST RATE HIKE OF A FED TIGHTENING CYCLE Median return of gold, US stocks and the US dollar over the past four Fed tightening cycles

Average annual return % 16 14 12

Median return %

10

20

8

15

6

10

4

5

2

0

0

-5

-2 -4

-10 -1y ■ Gold

12/20

-6m

+6m

■ US stocks

+1y

Low inflation (3%) ■ Gold

■ US dollar

High inflation (>3%)

■ Commodities

Chart 5: GOLD HAS KEPT UP WITH MONEY SUPPLY GROWTH Gold (US$/oz), US M2, US CPI indexed: Q1 1971 = 100 Index level 6,000 5,000 8% CAGR

4,000 3,000

6% CAGR

2,000

4% CAGR

1,000 0 1971 ■ Gold (US$/oz)



1978

1986

■ US CPI

1993

■ US M2

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— Actual

12/16

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OPINION IS DIVIDED, BUT INFLATION MAY LINGER Many central banks initially played down inflation concerns, and while some, such as the Fed, have acknowledged upside risks, there’s an underlying expectation that inflation will dissipate. Investors seem to be less sure, but opinions vary.

Anecdotally, these views were echoed in a LinkedIn poll we conducted last December. While the vast majority expected inflation to remain high, more than one in four respondents thought it would cool down.

We believe there are multiple reasons why inflation will remain high, partly stemming from the unprecedented monetary and fiscal policies put in place to alleviate the effects of the COVID19 pandemic. In particular:

Chart 2: THE FED SIGNALLED A MORE HAWKISH STANCE IN THE PREVIOUS TIGHTENING CYCLE THAN WHAT WAS DELIVERED Projected midpoint Fed funds target rate versus actual

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

Finally, while there’s a lot of emphasis on the relationship with US interest rates, gold is a global market. And not all central banks may move as quickly as the Fed. For example, the European Central Bank has stated that it is “very unlikely” that interest rates will rise in 2022 despite recent record inflation prints. And while the Bank of England increased interest rates in December, its Policy Committee seemed to indicate only modest future rises.

The Reserve Bank of India has also signalled that it will maintain its accommodative monetary policy stance to revive and sustain economic recovery and mitigate the impact of COVID. And the People’s Bank of China cut one of its policy rates by 5bps in December shortly after lowering the required commercial banks reserve ratio to cushion the country’s economic slowdown.

While diverging monetary policies could result in a stronger dollar, steady or decreasing rates should support regional gold investment demand.

2001

2008

2016

BUSINESS INSIGHTS / WORLDWIDE JEWELLERY REPORT



tensions and overall buoyant equity valuations fuelled by a longlasting ultra-low-rate environment. In this context, gold can be a valuable risk management tool in an investor’s arsenal.

Gold has a proven historical record of mitigating the negative impact of equity market pullbacks in periods of systemic risk (Chart 8).

Chart 6: BOTH NOMINAL AND REAL INTEREST RATES ARE AT OR NEAR HISTORICALLY LOW LEVELS US 10-year Treasury nominal and real yield Yield % 6 4 2 0 -2 -4 -6 2000

2002

2004

■ 10-year

2006

2008

2010

2011

2013

■ 10-year yield minus inflation

yield

2015

2017

2019

2021

Chart 7: PULLBACKS HAVE BECOME MORE FREQUENT Kurtosis of S&P 500 returns Kurtosis

● 12

6

8 4 2 0 -2 2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Chart 8: GOLD TENDS TO PERFORM WELL IN PERIODS OF SIGNIFICANT MARKET PULLBACKS Performance of gold, US Treasuries and S&P 500 during VIX spikes Retun % 60

60

45

45

20

20

0

0

GOLD’S BEHAVIOUR WILL DEPEND ON WHICH FACTORS TIP THE SCALE Gold will likely face two key headwinds during 2022:

■ S&P 500 ■ US Long Treasury Indx

2020 pullback

2018 pullback

Brexit

Sovereign debt crises II

Sovereign debt crises I

-60 Great Recession

-60 2002 Recession

●

9/11

●

-40 Dot-com bubble

-20

LTCM

-20 -40 Black Monday

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12 10

GOLD’S PERFORMANCE IS NOT ONLY LINKED TO INVESTMENT It is often assumed that gold’s price behaviour is linked to investment demand, especially from financial instruments such as gold ETFs, over-the-counter contracts, or exchange-traded derivatives. This is only partly true. Shorter-term and more significant price movements do tend to respond to variables associated with these types of gold investments; for example, interest rates, inflation, exchange rates, and, more generally, flight-to-quality flows.

However, our analysis shows that gold’s performance is also linked to other components of demand, such as jewellery, technology and central banks. While these do not typically result in the large price movements associated with investment, they help underpin gold price performance by either providing support, or creating headwinds.

We believe that gold can still receive positive – if modest – support in 2022 from key jewellery markets, such as India.

However, there’s a chance that further Chinese economic slowdown may limit the contribution from local gold jewellery demand.

Finally, central bank gold demand, which rebounded in 2021, may remain an important source of demand. There are good reasons why central banks favour gold as part of their foreign reserves which, combined with the low interest rate environment, continue to make gold attractive. This was also evidenced by the fact that two developed market central banks last year joined the list of buyers which has been dominated by emerging market banks since 2010.

■ LBMA Gold PM USD ■ VIX Index (rhs)

INVESTORS ARE READY TO TURN THE PAGE ON COVID, BUT MARKET PULLBACKS MAY PERSIST It’s been two years since the start of the pandemic and the world seems ready to move on: global stock markets have strongly rebounded from their 2020 lows, albeit at different rates. But “tail events” have also been on the rise (Chart 7).

Pullbacks are likely to continue in the face of the seemingly endless stream of new variants, as well as simmering geopolitical

higher nominal interest rates a potentially stronger dollar.

However, the negative effect from these two drivers may be offset by other supporting factors, including: ● ● ●

high, persistent inflation market volatility linked to COVID, geopolitics, etc. robust demand from other sectors such as central banks and jewellery.

Against this backdrop, gold’s performance during 2022 will ultimately be determined by which factors tip the scale. Yet, gold’s relevance as a risk hedge will be particularly relevant for investors this year.

Investors can use QaurumSM, our valuation tool, to analyse how the impact of some of these key drivers may influence gold’s performance across a range of customisable hypothetical macroeconomic scenarios. ■

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WHOLESALE

NATURAL BALTIC

AMBER PRODUCT

MANUFACTURING:

ADULT / BABY / PETS – JEWELRY, PICTURES, SOUVENIRS...

Palydovų 2, Kretinga LT-97135, LITHUANIA Mobile / WhatsApp / Viber +37062221303 or +37068360166 info@amberage.com / amberdog.cat@gmail.com / www.amberage.com

BUSINESS INSIGHTS / UKRAINIAN JEWELLERY REPORT

DIAMOND VIEW TM – HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES Іgor Iemelianov, Katerina KORMAKOVA. State Gemological Center of Ukraine

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The authors have highlighted some issues related to natural and synthetic diamonds in previous publications. Brief historical information on the first attempts to obtain diamonds in laboratories have been given as well as the overview of the main methods of synthesis, the crystal morphology of natural and synthetic diamonds were considered, the principle of operation of the Diamond View TM device was described. In this article, we will continue to open up the opportunities of Diamond View TM use for other precious stones diagnostics such as rubies, blue sapphires, emeralds and alexandrites and proof for some kinds of treatment.

The

experts of the Gemological Laboratory in SGCU as well as the other gemologists throughout the world tried to expand the boundaries of the Diamond View TM device use on the matter of diagnostics of other mineralogical groups of stones, as well as methods of their treatment.

Nowadays, the production of synthetic stones has increased significantly due to their lower cost, easy accessibility and high grading characteristics, but their determination may become a difficult task even for experienced gemologists. The results of our research illustrated with photo are represented below.

COMMON TREATMENT METHOD USED FOR DIAMOND IS FRACTURES FILLING WITH A COLORLESS HIGHLY REFRACTIVE SUBSTANCE TO ENHANCE CLARITY AND APPEARANCE OF THE STONE. In order to make diamond defects less noticeable, a method of fractures and cavities filling with highly refractive substances (presumably molten glass, silicone oil, silicone-based mass) has been developed.

The technologies for filling fractures in diamonds appeared in the 80s of the 20th century. A treated stone looks more attractive than the untreated one, so it became very popular soon. The main criteria to reveal this treatment method is the presence of “flash effect”, which is caused by the difference in reflection index of filler substance and the diamond. The Diamond View TM device easily helps to diagnose filler in the fractures. The filler becomes noticeable during the stone exposure under the ultraviolet light (Fig. 1).

DIAGNOSTICS OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC MINERALS OF THE CORUNDUM GROUP Gem-quality corundum stones growing became possible at the end of the 19th century and they are still popular in Ukrainian jewelry market. Experts of SGCU often deal with synthetic rubies and sapphires. To determine the origin of the corundum group stones, usually use gemological microscope and other laboratory equipment.

DIAGNOSTICS OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC RUBIES Diagnostics of the origin of raw rubies is an easy task due to the distinct crystal shapes of natural and synthetic stones (Fig. 2) After the lapidary, the task becomes more complicated because the main diagnostic criterion, the crystal shape, is no longer a characteristic feature of origin. Despite the Diamond View TM is an auxiliary tool for synthetic rubies determination, it gives very good results in determining synthetic rubies grown

by Verneuil and hydrothermal methods.

The typical growth structures appear during the short-wave UV-light exposure on natural rubies. The most common are structures along a hexagonal prism or their fragments. (Fig. 3B) During the Verneuil synthetic rubies study, besides the intense fluorescence, curved growth lines appear, which is reliable criterion of this synthesis method (Fig.4B).

Presence of angular, narrow chevron-like structures are typical for rubies grown by the hydrothermal method (Fig.5B) and is an important diagnostic criterion for synthetic rubies grown by this method.

Fractures filling treatment in natural rubies with a glasslike substance with a high Pb content is very common. Gas bubbles are observed (Fig.6A) during the glass-filled natural rubies study. The bubbles become more contrasting and the filler glows (Fig.6B) during the UV light exposure.

Diagnostics of natural and synthetic sapphires Natural blue sapphires have the same characteristics as rubies, but the different color and intensity of fluorescence due to the presence of Fe, which replaces Cr in the crystal lattice. The growth structures appears in the form of fragments of hexahedral pyramids, which are typical crystallization form for sapphires (Fig. 8B).

Very contrasting curved growth structures are typical for synthetic blue sapphires grown by the Verneuil method (Fig.9B), their appearance is a very reliable criterion for this synthesis method.

Synthetic blue sapphires grown by the hydrothermal method also show typical signs for this synthesis method. Angular chevron-like growth structures become clearly visible under the UV light exposure and their appearance differs depending of the view: crown (Fig.10A) or pavilion (Fig.10B) There are similar criteria to those described earlier in rubies, namely, gas bubbles and thickening of color along the filled fractures in natural blue sapphires, treated by the fractures filling method with high Pb content glass-like substance (Fig.11A). The gas bubbles appear more contrasting and the filler becomes clearly visible under the UV light exposure (Fig.11B).

DIAGNOSTICS OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC EMERALDS When studying the minerals of beryl group, namely emerald, since it is the most common and expensive variety on the jewelry market, well-shown growth structures along the hexagonal prism, which are typical for emerald (Fig. 13B) 

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A

B

Fig. 1 Fracture filling with a colorless substance in natural diamond. Crown view. Brilliant cut. 0,50 ct. Visible light (A); UV light (B)

A

B

Fig. 2 Raw rubies of natural (A) and synthetic (B) origin

B

B

Fig. 7 Raw natural sapphire crystals (A) and raw synthetic sapphire (B)

A

B

Fig. 8 Natural blue sapphire. Pavilion view. Oval. 3.20 ct. Visible light (A), UV light (B)

A

B

Fig. 3 Natural ruby. Crown view. Oval cut. 2.03 ct. Visible light (A), UV light (B)

A

B

Fig. 4 Synthetic ruby. Crown view. Diamond cut. 1.73 ct. Visible light (A), UV light (B)

A

B

Fig. 5 Synthetic ruby. Pavilion view. Octagon, 4.66 ct. Visible light (A), UV light (B)

A

B

Fig. 6 Fractures filling in natural ruby. Pavilion view. Octagon. 4.95 ct.

Visible light (A), UV light (B)

Fig. 9 Synthetic blue sapphire. Сrown view. Oval. 7.80 ct. Visible light (A), UV light (B)

A

B

Fig. 10 Synthetic blue sapphire. Crown view (A). Pavilion view (B). Octagon.

3.81ct.

A

B

Fig. 11 Fractures filling in natural blue sapphire. Pavilion view. Oval. 2.84 ct.

Visible light (A), UV light (B)

A

B

Fig. 12 Raw natural emerald (A) and raw synthetic emeralds (B)

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A

A

BUSINESS INSIGHTS / UKRAINIAN JEWELLERY REPORT

A

B

Fig. 13 Natural emerald. Pavilion view. Oval. 0.33 ct. Visible light (A), UV light (B)

A

B

Fig. 14 Synthetic emerald. Pavilion view. Octagon. 0.33 ct. Visible light (A), UV light (B)

B

B

Fig. 17 Natural alexandrite. Crown view in visible light (A) and pavilion view in UV light (B). Oval. 0.96 ct.

A

B

Fig. 18 Synthetic alexandrite. Pavilion view. Square. 1.24 ct. Visible light (A), UV light (B)

A

B

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A

A

Fig. 15 Fracture filling in natural emerald. Pavilion view. Octagon. 1.45 ct.

Visible light (A), UV light (B)

A

Fig. 19 Synthetic flux alexandrite. Crown view. Oval. 1.58 ct. Visible light (A), UV light (B)

B

Unconventional approach is highly recommended in the gemological practice in the issues of origin diagnostics as well as precious stones treatment Fig. 16 Raw natural alexandrites (A) and raw synthetic alexandrites (B)



are not common. The stones without clear structures or with insignificant fragments of structures, with red fluorescence due to the presence of Cr in the crystal lattice are more common.

Synthetic emeralds grown by the hydrothermal method show angular chevron-like structures. The structures are clearly seen even in visible light (Fig. 14A), and become more contrasting under the UV exposure (Fig. 14B).

In the case when emerald is treated by the fracture filling method, the presence of the filler is clearly visible in UV light (Fig. 15).

DIAGNOSTICS OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC ALEXANDRITES The authors observed weak or insignificant fluorescence and the absence or insignificant fragments of typical structures for the rhombic crystallization system during the alexandrites study. In some cases, there were specimens with full and obvious structures (Fig. 17B).

marks revealing.

Red fluorescence due to the presence of Cr and elongated gas bubbles are observed in synthetic alexandrites grown by the Czochralski method and they are reliable criteria for stones diagnostics grown by this method (Fig. 18) Synthetic alexandrites obtained by growing from a solution in a melt (flux method) have red fluorescence and elongated flux remnants as well as veils, which are observed in both visible and UV light and are diagnostics criteria for this method (Fig.19).

CONCLUSION Unconventional approach is highly recommended in the gemological practice in the issues of origin diagnostics as well as precious stones treatment marks revealing. Even though Diamond View TM has been designed for a very specific task of diamond origin determination, it shew itself as a reliable assistant for a wider range of gemological tasks and this article is demonstrative evidence. ■

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“AMBER TRIP” SHOW IS COMING BACK

By Virginija ZYGIENE

The XVIII International Jewellery Show “Amber Trip” – the largest event in the jewellery and amber industry in the Baltic States – will be held on 16-19 March in Vilnius.

Giedrius Guntorius, the organizer of the “Amber Trip” show, talks about the exhibition and how the sector is recovering after the pandemic.

“AMBER TRIP” IS RETURNING AFTER A YEARLONG BREAK. WHAT WILL THIS EXHIBITION BE LIKE? During the first year of the pandemic, “Amber Trip” was probably the only jewellery exhibition in the world which had to be closed down only a couple of days after the opening of the exhibition due to the restrictions imposed by the Lithuanian government. The organizer of the exhibition found himself in a non-standard situation that no one could have foreseen. “Therefore, I would like to once again thank the entire community of this sector for their support and understanding that we were forced to unexpectedly close down the show.

Last year we did not organize another “Amber Trip” show due to quarantine restrictions. There were attempts to

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organize a virtual “Amber Trip” jewellery show.

We are happy no announce that the exhibition is once again returning after a yearlong break. I admit that it is not easy to come back, since what we have cultivated before has cracked, and certain relations were lost. There were opinions that it is not worth holding the event this year, and we should wait until 2023. However, our regular and largest exhibitors encouraged us to organize this most important jewellery event in the Baltic States, even during such a

difficult time. Therefore, I decided to manifest these thoughts into reality and fulfil their wishes.”

The “Amber Trip” show that will take place on 16-19 March in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, will be 85 percent the size of what we had in 2020 in terms of area and number of participants. We expected this number to be less than 50 percent. The fact that the exhibition will be larger than expected reflects the optimistic views of the future of all jewellery and amber industry participants.

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS / LITHUANIAN JEWELLERY REPORT

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In terms of challenges, there are smaller or bigger ones in every exhibition. There was no shortage of challenges both in the first year of the pandemic, as well as now, or in 2008.

These challenges change every year.

Even though the pandemic has not yet ended, “Amber Trip” is sending an important message to its participants and guests that the show has been reborn.

It is important to note that strict requirements for events have been lifted in Lithuania amid the subsiding pandemic. Entrance to the exhibition will be free of restrictions.

PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR’S SHOW. “Amber Trip” participants are returning with new collections of jewellery and amber items, which were displayed

online and in photos during the pandemic. Jewellery, as I say, will “land on the ground”. People naturally want to be able to touch works of art, which gives the exhibition an even greater significance.

The exhibition which will take place at Litexpo, the largest exhibition and conference centre in the Baltic States, will unite over 150 participants, jewellery and amber manufacturers and craftsmen from foreign countries around the world. As usual, we will have participants from Poland, Turkey, Italy, Ukraine, Russia, the USA, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland, Kuwait, the Baltic States, and other countries.

As expected, there will be an international jewellery art contest, even though there were discussions on whether to hold such a contest this year.

The theme of this year's international jeweller y ar t contest is “About Opportunities”. We want to speak more in the language of jewellery about the fact that losses and restrictions often paradoxically open up opportunities within us which we didn’t even suspect.

We hope to receive wonderful works of art for the contest, as usual. Artists from around the world should provide their works for the contest. We are especially pleased that Laima Kėrienė, an artistjeweller and professor at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, agreed to once again head the commission.

We will also have the Author Jewellery Zone. For the fourth time, the Author Jewellery Zone, which is specifically designed for jewellers, will bring together more than a fifth of participants from various countries, not only from Lithuania. It is like a se­parate

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exhibition presenting unique works of art and providing guests with a wonderful opportunity to talk to jewellers about their creative directions or to buy articles of jewellery that they like.

There will definitely be pleasant surprises in the exhibition, and we hope that visitors will appreciate them.

LET US BRIEFLY RETURN TO THE SITUATION IN THE MARKET. HOW DID THE PANDEMIC AFFECT THE AMBER BUSINESS? It is no secret that the jewellery and amber industry was affected by the pandemic and the severe restrictions.

Some market participants were severely affected by the pandemic, while others less so, and some of them have adapted to it.

Representatives of the sector working with visitors coming to

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Lithuania were hit particularly hard. And this was no exception, since imposed restrictions have also severely affected representatives of other countries who receive their income from the flow of tourists. Jewellers were far less affected by the hardships caused by the pandemic. Of course, there was a slight drop in revenue, but there were also those who flourished, since, for example, they attracted more customers through social networks and other means. But there is something to be happy about – during the pandemic, everyone cleared out (sold off) their inventories of unsold works, even though they did not bother to do so before.

Raw materials are becoming more expensive all over the world, and amber is no exception?

As the prices of natural resources rise, so does the price of amber stone.

In 2022, compared to the first year of the pandemic, the price of raw amber imported from the Kaliningrad Amber Factory has increased by 20 percent.

The price of raw amber is shooting up, even though there is still not much activity among buyers. This is strange, since we have not seen this before.

We still hope that Ukraine will finally issue licenses to trade in amber.

Although Ukrainian amber is different from that which is mined in Russia, it is also in demand in the market.

We thank you for the interview

and wish you a great show.

■

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SWEDISH BLUE – SOMETHING NEW AND RARE Interview with Ann-MARIE Berslaggsten or Swedish blue?

Bergslaggsten is a difficult word and utterance for anyone who does not speak Swedish. This has led to the stone being given the name swedishblue after the blue colors the stone has. We can say that gemstone has the name swedishblue and Bergslaggsten is the name of the raw stone.

Bergslagen is also an area in Sweden? Is it famous for gemstones?

Bergslagen is a mining district in Central Sweden, from Värmland to Uppland. Bergslagen has had mining, metal smelting and metalworking since the 13th century. Most important are

various kinds of iron ore, including manganese-containing types. In 1873, there were operations in 646 deposits, with a total production of 823,000 tonnes of iron ore. Some of the largest fields are Grängesberg, Dannemora, Blötberg, Idkerberget, Håksberg, Pershyttan, Stripa, Stråssa, Riddarhyttan, Norberg and Långban.

Several minerals are first found here.

In addition, there are also many sulfide ores with copper, lead and zinc, as well as silver and gold in varying amounts.

The largest and most well-known occurrences are Falun, Saxberget, Garpenberg and Åmmeberg.

The area has many memories of the quarries in earlier times, not least by

the local names. Several large Swedish industrial companies have their roots in Bergslagen.

The name comes from Swedish law, ‘law’, and refers to the old mayoral judgments that had their own, local jurisdiction.

Why Swedish blue is special?

The stone is a residual product from Swedish iron production over three hundred years ago. Production took place in small coal-fired ovens, where the ore was melted to a liquid mass.

The stone is formed when the furnace has a sufficiently high temperature to glaze the ore. The rock is the slag that is formed during metal smelting. The

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS / SWEDISH JEWELLERY REPORT

How did you came across swedish blue?

It all began after a longer stay in Provence, in southern France. There I became fascinated by the beautiful colors along the Azur coast. The fantastic blue color inspired me to use it in combination with silver, which looks beautiful together and that become the foundation of my design. After some thinking about what stones I wanted in my jewelry I decided for Larimar and Blue Turquoise. It was these stones, with their beautiful colors, which best recreated the vision I had received.

When I had decided, I sat on the flight to Tucson in the United States to visit the world’s largest stone fair. It is the only fair with a large selection of stones, to good quality, all at the same place and at the same time.

I made my trip and well there I bought Larimar and Turquoise, but ... I have not used them for my jewelry. At the fair I met 

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What is the story behind jewellery making with Swedish blue?

At the beginning of the sixties, a Swedish goldsmith found the blue stone deep in the Swedish forests, in an area where there had previously been mining.

All early traces of mining were removed, and the slagheaps were grown over and covered with vegetation after being untouched for hundreds of years. He named the stone Berslaggsten, named after the area, where he found it. He started making jewelry with the stone, which quickly became very popular locally in Sweden. But unfortunately, it turned out that the gemstone quality of the Bergsslaggstenen was very rare, which limited his production.

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slag floats at the top of the melt and is discharged from the blast furnace before the metal. The slag is available in all possible colors and textures. What distinguishes Berglaggsten is precisely the blue color and the texture.

The color can change from light blue to clear blue and dark blue via green to black. The appearance depends, among other things, on what it contains for minerals. The structure is glass-like and brittle. The blue-green shades come from the elements of copper in the material, which otherwise consists mostly of silica. The structure is glasslike and when sanded it gives a shine.

Regarding the composition, it’s like glass or silica. You can say it’s very similar to Vulcanic glass.

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS / SWEDISH JEWELLERY REPORT

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a Swedish couple who showed me some incredibly beautiful blue stones. Swedish Blue, or in Swedish Bergslagsten. I had seen these stones earlier, but not as beautiful as they now showed to me.

It was like the world appeared in the beautiful rocks, they also reminded me of blue summer sky from my childhood in Skövde, Sweden.

When you fall in love, nobody else exists. My love for this beautiful stone, which surpasses all that I saw earlier, brought me back to Sweden. It has been a long trip to where I am now, from the time the Swedish couple show me the stones to the finish silver jewelry we now present.

How jewellery making with swedish blue is different from other gemstones?

We cut every stone by hand, the reason for this is the stone‘s structures, only the human eye and abilities can bring out the fine images in the stones.

For us, it‘s like painting a picture, but vice versa. Instead of adding, we take away. We cut forward until we have the unique and beautiful image before final polishing.

Swedish blue is not very known stone? Where are your customers from? Which markets are familiar with Swedish blue?

You are right the stone is not well known, and that is our big challenge, and, in a way, we must find new markets.

As you said the stone was popular in Sweden back in the 60 -70, but the interest for the stones in comming back.

But Sweden is a little country, and we have bigger visions for our jewelry.

In fact, it is too main market for our products: people with Scandinavian heritage or people that are interested in Scandinavian history and design.

And all the people that’s fall in love with the beautiful stone and our jewelry design.

What other jewelers that work with Swedish blue do you know?

The are some small artists in Sweden uses the stone in their jewelry design, but no other professionals. We are selling finish cut stones to local and international jewelry designer to increase the interest and to make the stone ore known How is your jewelry different from other makers?

All our jewelry is unique and handmade. As we are Scandinavian based our jewelry on Scandinavian design and heritage, it’s in our bloodline and hopefully it’s shows in the finish product. It’s also important for us focus on the ethical and sustainable. We are participating personally in every step of the process, from the little idea to the finish product in used by the costumer.

Do you work with other stones?

Our profession is jewelry design and production, with focus on Scandinavian stones. The Swedish Blue stone is just the first. We will soon launch jewelry with Norwegian Thulite, Larvikite, Cordierite and the Swedish quartz/hematite. ■

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HANDMADE JEWELRY WITH SWEDISH BLUE STONE

w w w. s we d i s h b l u e. s e

SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN NATURAL, CLEAN AND ELEGANT EVERY PIECE IS UNIQUE

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS / WORLDWIDE JEWELLERY REPORT

3D PRINTING AND UNLIMITED DESIGN POSSIBILITIES

By Mariam ATEF

We live in a world in which technology dominates, and new ways of doing things make our lives easier than ever.

3D

printing, for instance, is one revolutionary technique in the jewelry industry. It has been replacing the classic ways of making jewelry—like handcrafting and lostwax casting, which are very time-consuming and mistakeprone—and making it easier to create unique, sophisticated jewelry designs.

Without question, digital jewelry-making techniques bring new possibilities to the world of jewelry production, as well as new thrilling options for consumers! Here are some ways by which jewelry businesses benefit from 3D techniques: UNLIMITED DESIGN POSSIBILITIES One of the biggest advantages of 3D printing is having design freedom, where jewelry designers have infinite design choices that would be hard to achieve with traditional ways.

3D printing has brought precision, uniqueness, and attention to detail to the jewelry-making world. Moreover, having a desktop 3D printer at an affordable cost has set the bar much higher for the quality of jewelry designs.

Formlabs, for example, have been able to achieve striking precision in their designs using the latest technology in 3D printing. They’ve been able to effectively couple the

smoothness you get from stereolithography (SLA) with the precision of laser technology to create very unique, beautiful designs which are easily mass produced.

They used castable wax resin designs with exceptional attention to detail, such as raised text, delicate filigrees, and detailed pavé stone settings.

Now, after these design restrictions have been removed, we’re witnessing entirely new design styles, which emerge from jewelers who have digital tools and capabilities in the United States, South Asia, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.

3D PRINTING SIMPLIFIES COMPLEX DESIGNS Since the classic ways of making jewelry—like handcrafting and lost-wax casting—are not only time-consuming and mistake-prone, but also require very highly experienced designers to do the job right, it used to require a great deal of experience to start a jewelry business and bring your ideas to life.

Digital tools, on the other hand, not only make jewelry customization much easier, but they are also perfect for the mass-production of designs. Formlabs’ Jewelry Vertical Product Manager Amos Dudley says: “With the quality that you can get with SLA 3D printing for printing these jewelry pieces, you can jump straight from the 3D printed part to a master mold,” “The surface finish is already so smooth that it doesn’t require very much finishing. You can use that as the rubber mold for creating the final wax parts that go into production.”

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FACTORS DRIVING THE GROWTH OF 3D PRINTING IN JEWELRY It’s clear that the market of 3D printing in jewelry is in continuous growth, and there are three main factors that control this growth: 1. The rise of new fashion trends and the increase of fashion consciousness among consumers.

2. The growing popularity of e-commerce among consumers also favors the 3D printed jewelry market since jewelers are targeting those consumers via online platforms. Moreover,

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WHAT 3D PRINTERS ARE THE BEST? There are several 3D printers for jewelry, all of which have their pros and cons. So, if you’re going to enter the endless world of 3D-printed jewelry designs, you should at least know some of the names of the best 3D printers available!

Here is a list of printers ranked based on resolution, price relativity, material compatibility, and smooth exposure.

Peopoly Moai 130 Formlabs Form 3 3DSystems FabPro 1000 Zortrax Inkspire Photocentric LC Precision 1.5 Solidscape S300 Series EnvisionTEC Vida cDLM DWS 029JL2 Prodways ProMaker LD3 EOS M100 THE FUTURE OF 3D PRINTING IN JEWELRY INDUSTRY Although 3D printed jewelry has great potential, it currently represents a small fraction of the jewelry market.

However, owing to the accessibility of 3D printing technologies, the arrival of new skilled designers, and the creation of other foolproof hardware and materials, the market of 3D printed jewelry is very promising and is expected to grow further in the near future.

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THE EXPANSION OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY AMONG SMALL JEWELRY BUSINESSES Naturally, as new technologies come with hefty prices and complicated interfaces at first, so did the early 3D printers.

They needed deep pockets and highly skilled operators to function properly.

But the good news, according to Dudley, is that “3D printing has become much more affordable, offering unique opportunities to independent jewelry makers.”

The spread of 3D printing technology in the market has allowed for more competition, giving us more options to choose from and thus making it much less expensive and more feasible.

“In the coming years, we’re going to see a growing trend in that segment, with smaller jewelers adopting these technologies and becoming less centralized,” Dudley stated.

This shift will not only affect large jewelry manufacturers, but it will also have an increasing impact on small, independent jewelers and artists.

Until very recently, the industry of 3D printing jewelry had been dominated by expensive and complicated wax printers, but fortunately for smaller businesses, affordable desktop 3D printers, such as the Form 3, are becoming more available for jewelers.

some e-commerce platforms offer augmented reality (AR), which allows potential customers to virtually try any piece of jewelry before purchasing it.

3. These factors have encouraged more businesses to adopt new methods of designing jewelry, including CAD, induction, and laser technologies, among others. One of these forms of technology is rapid prototyping, which when used in 3D printers, can help designers evaluate design concepts and understand the design in its complex details. This will definitely aid the growth of the market.

But let’s face it, 3D printing technology requires very skilled technicians, as well as necessary materials and data management. Not having skilled manufacturers definitely restricts 3D printing in the jewelry industry.

BUSINESS INSIGHTS / DANISH JEWELLERY REPORT

BE GLOBAL SHOP LOCAL

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By Trine NYGAARD WIBRAND

Things move fast these days.

Just a little over a year ago The Jewellery Room was the company that built a bridge between fashion and fine jewellery connecting press and buyers with brands fashion week style. Their PR events during Copenhagen and London Fashion Weeks became the place to be for media and influencers.

D

escribed as “a first mover in the jewellery industry with the aim to set a global agenda for jewellery en vogue by empowering the most forward-thinking brands in the jewellery industry – The Jewellery Room is a digital-first-mover in a non-digital industry”.

Now they are digitally first moving the way we buy high-end jewellery through a nerdy expert portal that functions as a global display window for jewellery

designers around the world. The company has evolved from high-end PR and branding into an e-commerce company with a strong presence on social media.

They want to reinvent the way people buy jewellery, they say. “We want to give independent designers a platform for global exposure and sale so that they can keep on creating their beautiful products.

We want to be the go-to-platform for genuine and high-quality jewellery”.

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SILVAMEX Andrzej Szczypior ul. Kielnieńska 60 80-299 Gdańsk, Poland Tel. (48) 58 5209700 Fax (48) 58 5209701 Mobile. (48) 501 236895

According to sisters and founders Pernille Møbjerg Knudsen and Charlotte Møbjerg Ansel-Henry, the transition was already on the drawing board by the end of 2019.

“More and more we experienced that end consumers reached out to us on social media and wanted to know where they could purchase the jewellery we exhibited. As we readily sent them to vendors, it dawned on us why not take it a step further.

2020 only served to kick the process into gear as the world shut down and consumers turned to internet shopping.

2020 forced them out of the physical space and online adhering to the current trend of focusing on the end consumer.

But the platform will be more than just a place for transactions as the founders intend to share their deeply founded knowledge about trends, styling and materials from many years of working in the industry as PR-executives, securing a trusted source for high-end jewellery buying.

“We come to the consumer with expertise and guidance so that they stay atop of materials and trends. By

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offering tutorials showing how to style an outfit using your jewellery according to current trends, we inspire you to keep your precious jewellery relevant always as a part of your individual storytelling”.

Love for jewellery, precious stones and metals and profound respect for

2020 only served to kick the process into gear as the world shut down and consumers turned to internet shopping. the craftsmanship drives the sisters as well as the longevity - quality jewellery will last you forever. A genuine piece of jewellery will last a lifetime and add personality to your look.

“We want to challenge the throwaway culture that, like fast fashion, dominates some parts of the business. We want

to sell jewellery that lasts, so you will primarily find precious like gold and silver in a broad and carefully curated collection”.

We will be exhibiting/showing individual jewellery designers who would otherwise not have been able to get noted by a larger audience. At our platform, they will be able to reach a global audience.

You will however also find some selected bijouterie brands as they complement the more high-end pieces in the playful luxurious way that characterizes the “The Jewellery Room style”. Mixing fx bracelets made of colourful glass beads with precious metal pieces for a relaxed and playful yet lush approach to a personal look.

Always on the lookout for new talent, The Jewellery Room takes to social media as travel is, of course, set on hold for a while.

“We will be scouting new talent globally. That way you can log on to our platform and find the little independent jeweller from around the corner that you would only discover, if you were there in that street, in that city”. ■

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25 YEARS OF THE IAA B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

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By Anna SOBECKA The International Amber Association (IAA) is an organisation which brings together the community of Baltic amber manufacturers, researchers and enthusiasts from all over the world.

The

organisation’s beginnings are very closely related to the Amberif Fair in Gdańsk. In the first years of the Association, its founding members emphasised the promotion of amber and Gdańsk as the main centre for the manufacture of amber products. The community, initially concentrated in the region, aimed at establishing the Amber Museum in Gdańsk. Founded in 1998 by the then new Mayor of Gdańsk, Paweł Adamowicz (1965–2019), the institution grew with the Association’s immense support. In the same year, the Museum of Amber Inclusions was established at the University of Gdańsk.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the amber industry, the collecting movement and the manufacture of amber art pieces have been developing very intensively. By working with other institutions, including museums and research institutes, the Association has become part of exhibition and publishing initiatives. The Association began publishing a newsletter, which was the initial format of the Bursztynisko.

The Amber Magazine. Gradually, and

also owing to its members’ participation in trade shows around the world, the organisation began to internationalise in a robust way. Currently, the IAA has members from 41 countries worldwide.

The first President of the Association was Wiesław Gierłowski, followed by Wojciech Kalandyk, Mariusz Gliwiński, Mariusz Drapikowski, Anna Sobecka and Ryszard Uliński.

Twenty-five years ago, the founding members of the Amber Association believed that amber, when wellpromoted with an emphasis on the quality of workmanship and design, would be an excellent symbol of Gdańsk; they knew to think about promoting amber education in a deliberate and long-term manner. They also believed that, in collaboration with the industry and scientists, it would be possible to create a classification of Baltic amber.

Moreover, the Association contributed to establishing the Gdańsk—World Capital of Amber strategy.

The IAA supports its members, promotes good design and amber education; together with the MTG SA Gdańsk International Fair Co. and the local community, it organises the Mariacka Street Festival.

For five years now, the IAA Office has been located in Warzywnicza Street, Gdańsk, where its amber product certification laboratory operates.

Additionally, it provides an opportunity to conduct research for scientific

purposes and validate the authenticity of amber. The IAA Experts, who are researchers from various universities, support the laboratory. The trust in the IAA laboratory comes from many years of experience of a whole array of people; it is the result of collaboration between the amber industry and researchers in geology, chemistry, biology, art history and archaeology.

An integral part of the IAA’s Office—its gallery—holds several presentations a year. The first exhibition by the members of the International Amber Association took place in Warzywnicza Street six years ago. In 2016, to mark 20 years of the IAA, we held the Bursztynowe przemiany/ Amber Metamorphoses jubilee exhibition. In 2017, a series of presentations of the works by IAA members entitled Showroom was launched in the gallery. The following year, an exhibition of pieces by Michalina Owczarek Black’n’Amber attracted much attention and, in 2019, there was Artistic Jewellery with a presentation of works by Nico Delaide and Nele Blanckaert. In the pandemic year 2020, the IAA gallery held an exhibition entitled Materialisations to showcase examples of jewellery and artistic objects by Jarosław Westermark.

WE VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO THE TIME WHEN WE CAN SEE YOU AGAIN AT WARZYWNICZA STREET IN GDAŃSK. ■

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS / POLISH JEWELLERY REPORT

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01. 15th aniversary of the IAA, 2011.

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Photo: PB Studio

02. Fashion show during Mariacka Street Festival, 2013. Jewellery Aleksander Gliwiński, fashion Magdalena Arłukiewicz. Photo: MTG S.A 03 & 04. IAA Amber Laboratory, Gdańsk. Photo: Keenys Studio

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AMBER TRIP CLUSTER • TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER • JOIN AMBER TRIP CLUSTER WITH YOUR IDEAS • RECEIVE OUR HELP FOR YOUR BUSINESS •

w w w.amb er t r ip clus ter.co m

• cluster@amber trip.com • +370 688 56 063

BALTIC DESIGN STORIES Interview with Laura BĒRZIŅA

Some team members of the Baltic Design Stories: Kristine Sproge, Laura Berzina and Aiga Skrastina.

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What are the activities of this Baltic Design Stories?

The main activity is to link Baltic designers with Design lovers in Belgium. Thanks to digital world, it is possible not only in Belgium, but also with wider audience. We have created a cooperation platform www. balticdesignstories.eu, where you can find our members, from their profiles you can go to their web sites and e-shops, and discover their beautiful creations.

We gather Baltic Designers, who introduce customers to the identity of the Baltic design. We all know the Scandinavian design, but what is the Baltic Design identity? Through different workshops and events, our parallel and very important work is to find, formulate and present the Baltic Identity.

A vivid recent example that we are going in the right direction. When I was visiting new venue for future projects, the property manager, Belgian by nationality, gave compliments to our designers. He said: “I thought that the Baltic design does not exist, I had imagined that design products look the same as 30-40 years ago. But I found that your designers create beautiful things and they could easily stand next to Belgian designers. Thank you for showing us!”

However, we are communit y: designer must want to get involved, we do two-side communication in strong cooperation with each other.

Now, in Covid-19 circumstances, we have developed more digital communication. Five or six times per year we are meeting online to get to know each other and to cover topics that are important specifically to our designers. Topics are different: copyrights, marketing, export capacity, country knowledge etc.

Very important is to physically show design products, so people can appraise work of designers by themselves. One or two times per year, we are planning to organize our own POP UP projects.

Apart of these projects, we are looking for cooperation and infrastructure partners. It could be an existing concept store that would be interested in welcoming Baltic Designers for a shorter or a longer period. There can be different ways in cooperating with us.

Just ask and let’s brainstorm together!

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non-profit organisation. Since then, the team has already changed several times, but that is normal, as we are a very new organisation and on top of that we are also non-profit, and we are still trying to find the best way to work long term.

The name ‘Baltic Design Stories’ makes you think of different stories behind products and designers who create them. I believe that there is its own story behind everything, and my aim is to introduce a wider audience with it, especially outside the Baltics.

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

How did you come up with an idea to create non-profit organization, which helps Baltic designers to be noticed in Belgium?

I have been living in Brussels for 9 years now, and since the very beginning, I have been involved in organisation of different cultural events, including fashion and design events. I work at the European Commission, but after office hours, I love ‘to play in shops’: my husband and I have participated in different Christmas markets in Belgium several times presenting Latvian products. It was a great experience and the best way to assess interest, see the reaction and talk to people.

I was the Head of the Latvian Association in Belgium from 2005 to 2009, and after finishing my duties there I was looking for a new ‘playground’ in area of fashion and design. I have a dream to open a concept store one day, where Baltic Designerscould be presented. I passionately support our talented designers. They are not worse than well-established brands, but they need some additional support. Besides, it is not only support, I really like those designs. Colleagues always notice when I wear something from Baltics; it looks special on the usual mass production background.

So, in September 2019, I noticed a venue that was rented for POP UP shops on weekends. It perfectly fitted with my needs, and I started to plan the realisation. Firstly, I was thinking of Latvian design pop up shop only. I had contacts back in Latvia and it seemed easier from organisational point of view. However, I turned idea into ‘Baltic Design Stories’ pretty soon: we as small countries with common history and past have to work together. Outside our countries, for example, here in Belgium, people can’t tell us apart. They confuse Lithuania with Latvia very often. They do not know which capital belongs to which country, and, if they have been there, mostly they have visited all three countries together, so called a Baltic trip. Moreover, it is not only in Belgium.

It is not for nothing that many joint projects have launched recently, like Baltic Culture Fund and others.

After the concept was ready, I was looking for a team, and in the beginning of November, together with five other active ladies, who believed in our Baltic Design Stories, we founded this

Linda Berzina

We are also preparing our online selling platform; at the moment, we don’t have an online shop. News will be coming soon.

What is your role in the organization?

I am the founder, the visionary and the Chairman of the Board.

What do Baltic Design Ambassadors do?

The main task is to connect designers to our platform and community, to see and develop opportunities for them.

To help perform our activities and to achieve our goals.

Currently, we are looking for our Ambassadors in Lithuania and Estonia, 

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BUSINE S S INSIGH T S / BA LT IC STAT E S J E W EL L ERY R EPORT

who could spread information about us and introduce new designers to our mission. Currently we have only Latvians in our team!

We receive a great support from all three Baltic Ambassadors and Embassies in Belgium, as well as from honorary consuls representing Baltic countries in Belgium.

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How do you see the role of Baltic Design Stories today, when COVID19 has changed our lifestyles? How are you helping designers in these uncertain times?

Our main role to connect a Baltic Designer with wider audience is now getting even more important in designers’ paths. We are developing our web site, a cooperation platform, and we are planning to open an online selling platform soon.

We, as a community will meet online throughout the year, and we will see how to work better together in order to meet our expectations and achieve our goals. ■ 01 Fashion Jewellery by Laura Daili 02 Ring by Enameli 03 Jewellery by Maija Vitola 04 Anna Fanigina 05 Ring by Andris Lauders

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04

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How many jewellery designers do you represent? Could you name them?

At the moment, we represent following jewellery designers: Daili (LT), Andris Lauders (LV), Verba (LV), Maija Vitola (LV) and Enameli (LV).

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BUSINE S S INSIGH T S / BA LT IC STAT E S J E W EL L ERY R EPORT

GET TO KNOW YOUR

JEWELLER B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

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BALTIC JEWELLERY ART GALLERY

J

ewellery has always been a reliable gift idea for absolutely any occasion! It is a creative way to show someone you care. Besides, it is a notable gift for yourself and it is a great opportunity to express your personality. We want our customers to be able to unleash their inner personalities.

Jewellery is a great way to express yourself even in the positions where you are not allowed to for example business meetings. Even looking at the current situation of the global pandemic, when the main communication happens through video calls, which makes it even more difficult to show your personality. Jewellery helps to express the identity of the person who wears it. Especially when our platform is designed to allow creating a piece of special jewellery together with an artist. Just simply message the jeweller you like the most, let them know what kind of idea you have in mind and you will have individual jewellery made for you.

efforts to connect individuals more directly with the jewellery community. It helps to get acquainted with a piece of jewellery in the digital space not only visually, but also to understand the artist's idea and hidden thoughts.

Our online platform allows jewellers to communicate better and faster with their clients. The gallery always has the manager online to inform both the jeweller and the client about any updates.

We are expanding our

Eglė Čejauskaitė-Gintalė

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“Jewellery has the power to be

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

Our gallery has an array of beautifully curated work from new and established makers. It is always a dependable destination if you're after a unique gift or something rather special to treat yourself. We currently have over 20 artists from Lithuania and we are expanding every month. Our main fear is not to become a simple catalogue. We want our platform to be interactive.

We provide live videos where customers get an opportunity to know the jeweller as a person and ask questions they are curious to get the answers to.

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Šarūnė Vaitkutė

the one little thing that makes you feel unique.” – Elizabeth Taylor.

Our job as a gallery is to promote artists and we also incorporate online marketing strategies to achieve our goals.

Ernesta Statkutė

Stay in touch by exploring our jewellers and their works online!

Karolina Šiburkytė

www.balticjewellerynews.com

Website: www.exhibitjewellery.com Facebook: @Baltic.Jewellery.Art.Gallery Instagram: @Baltic.Jewellery.Art.Gallery YouTube: @AmberTrip Mobile, Viber, WhatsApp: +37068856063 Email: gallery@ambertrip.com

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS / RUSSIAN JEWELLERY REPORT

NEW JEWELRY RUSSIA

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By Marina KUDRINA, JEWELRY GARDEN

Time has set its accents, and new, very small firms that have come to the jewelry market in Russia have become particularly visible. Basically, these are author’s brands that carry their own special appeal. I want to focus on them. JEWELRY GARDEN magazine pays special attention to their development, supports and gives way to creative brands with their own identity.

Moscow

jewelry brand LIBERI is poetry, inspired by love and emotions. It’s a hymn of free feelings, free forms. Nona Dronova is Author of jewelry, professor in the field of jewelry, member of the Union of Russian Artists. LIBERI is a variety of textures, shapes, symbols and colors. The textured surface and blackening make the collection luxurious. There is not a single millimeter of surface on which the texture is repeated. To obtain natural effects, casts were taken from the bark of trees, minerals, and Mediterranean plants.

The author is not afraid of contrasting combinations. This is a confirmation of the freedom of creativity, where each product is not repeated twice. Only natural stones and nacre are used in jewelry. Amethyst and morion - from Brazil, rose quartz and garnet-from India, turquoise-from the USA, coralfrom Italy, green quartz - from Norway, topaz-from Sri Lanka.

St. Petersburg jewelry brand SVETLANA LUZANOVA is the author's brand of a traditional designer, selflessly dedicated to his work. These are modern works of jewelry art based on the most complex traditional technologies, aesthetic and charming jewelry items that fill with special joy and pleasure when you hold them in your hands.

The peculiarity of jewelry is the complexity in the technology of hand-made products: the finest openwork ornament, made by setting a complex pattern of scanned wire, decorated with

grain and filled with hot transparent stained glass enamel.

An extraordinary combination of precious and non-precious stones, a piece-by-piece approach to manufacturing and getting incredibly strong emotions from a man-made flower miniature in a single copy –Svetlana Luzanova’s creative credo.

The jewelry brand LES MASCARONES is based in Moscow.

Each decoration of a cultural project is a history of architecture in a jewelry embodiment. The jewelry is based on mascarons from historical buildings in Moscow. Each mascaron is a special mood and energy. It is associated with the image of a mythical hero, which is located on a particular building in the form of an artistic bas-relief. Inna Macaron is owner of the brand and the author of the project, she is orientalist, international lawyer and a very creative person. It turns jewelry into real art objects, and they become priceless, as they carry a piece of the history of Russia.

Mascaron (French- mascaron, Italian-mascherone, literally "big mask") is an architectural decoration, a stucco element that depicts the face of a person, the muzzle of an animal (mainly a lion) or a mythical creature, in fact, masks that have always been amulets from evil and adversity. In jewelry made in silver with gilding or ceramics, only handmade work is used, which stores the warmth of the master's hands. Each brand's jewelry is a collectible item, as well as additional accessories included in the brand's collection (bags, shawls, light souvenirs). LES MASCARONES is a social brand, as it promotes the historical memory of Russia and all the best, in terms of culture, artistic and architectural creativity. ■

good luck, recognition and creative inspiration!

We wish the brands

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Author's jewelry. AKSIOMA Jewelry. Gold

BEAUTY WILL SAVE THE WORLD! Marina KUDRINA, JEWELRY GARDEN, Russia

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS / RUSSIAN JEWELLERY REPORT

KIERGE. Ring from the collection ”Origins of the Earth“ Textured gold and diamond

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YAKUT DIAMONDS. Necklace ”Elizabeth“ Gold, sapphire, diamonds

KIERGE. Earrings, pendant ”The Tree of Wishes“. Gold, silver, diamonds

”Do you still believe in something?“—I was recently asked. I said yes! I believe in better energies, in better emotions, in everything that helps to create, support, make discoveries, and stop wars. I am for creation, even though I have been present at many international exhibitions representing beauty from the finest jewelry firms, brands, designers and jewelry artists for more than twenty years. And this is what will keep living as long as a person is alive. www.balticjewellerynews.com

No

turbulent times can stop the creative process. Yes, time is running today, business is shrinking, but the creative energy of a person will never run out. And this is demonstrated by the jewelry exhibitions that continue to be held despite the situation. There are fewer jewelers, and they are more entrepreneurial and flexible. A new energy is coming, a new wave of creative and rational ideas that contribute to development.

When we talk about the jewelry business, then the latest JUNWEX jewelry exhibition confirmed that yes, the industry is highly segmented. Art

and premium, as well as author's art, the category of the so-called useful things, as in the days of Faberge, and, of course, the mass market, stand out here. What is the Russian jewelry market like today?

Diamonds and precious stones. They were, are and will be loved by Russian women. This is the history of Russia, its traditions and culture. We love jewelry.

In addition, these are decorations that have a national flavour. Russia is a multinational country. Today, the decorations of the northern peoples are especially attractive: their designs, jewelry inserts made from mammoth tusk.

In addition, the northerners have begun 

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to actively experiment. This can be seen in the decorations of the jewelry company KIERGE. In a competitive set of silver with diamonds and rough diamonds, as well as in a necklace with a large rough diamond.

Real jewelry brands with their own identity began to appear on the jewelry market. They stand out and can be distinguished by branded collections and expressive presentation. Perhaps the most expressive modern brand today is Izmestiev Diamonds. Their collection ”Japanese Garden“ is a synthesis of Japanese and Russian cultures. The jewelry is made with inlaid small gemstones in gorgeous plastic and has a special charm. The new brand URBAN M (Urban Madonna) can particularly be distinguished with its special approach to colour when working with Edison pearls.

Author's jewelry. They are bright and positive. Each product has a special energy, special charm and attractiveness, and a special story. There are enough philosophical motifs among designer jewelry, and all of them certainly look fashionable. And this is precisely their success — they are easily combined with modern clothes.

Mass market. They will be in demand and always loved. People want beauty, and jewelers offer the so-called new jewelry in modern forms and with inserts of cultured stones of all kinds of colour shades, which was presented in the collection CONTESSA from the jewelry brand GRANAT. Useful things have always been especially popular in Russia: this time, the Privolzhsky Jewelry Factory presented scrapers for a very trendy gua sha massage, made of all kinds of ornamental stones with silver plates, indicating that jewelers have learned to keep up with the times.

jewelry market is diverse

The Russian

and at the same time

very sensitive to economic fluctuations. And yet, jewelry will always remain a strong motivator to live, love and make plans.

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URBAN M Gold, pearl

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GET TO KNOW YOUR JEWELLERY ARTIST exhibitjewellery.com

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CARTOONS /

1# place & Public choice – Šarūnas Jakštas

JEWELLERY COVID-19 We

live in unique times, we see that jewellers like the rest of the artists are in difficult situation at the moment. We believe that the Baltic Jewellery Art Gallery will help Lithuanian jewellery art creators to reduce losses, will help to adapt and display their

work. Before we opened the Baltic Jewellery Art Gallery we collaborated with the Lithuanian National caricature association Humor Sapiens. Together with the chairman of the association we announced caricature competition – Jewellery COVID-19.

Lithuanian caricaturists offer to look at Covid-19 topics through a different perspective. In this Baltic Jewellery News issue we publish best 5 caricatures. ■

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CARTOONS /

2# place – Jurijus Dobrovolskis

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CARTOONS /

3# place – Adomas Žilinskas

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CARTOONS /

Ilja Bereznickas

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CARTOONS /

Rimantas Dovydėnas

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GET TO KNOW YOUR JEWELLERY ARTIST exhibitjewellery.com

A M B E R I N C LU S I O N S INCLUSIONS

AMB ER W AMBER WARES, ARES, INCLUSIONS INCLUSIONS B BERNSTEINSCHMUCK, ERNSTEINSCHMUCK, IINKLUSEN NKLUSEN G GINTARO INTARO D DIRBINIAI, IR B IN I A I , -

IINKLIU NKLIU ZAI Z AI

Amber IInclusions Amber nclusions MB MB Talino T alino 33/1, 33/1, 05200, 0520 0, Vilnius, V ilnius , L Lithuania it huani a tel.: tel.: +370 +370 699 69 9 576 576 77, 7 7, + +370 3 70 6 646 46 3 302 02 3 34 4 e -mail: info@amberinclusions.eu i n f o @ a m b e ri n c l u s i o n s . e u e-mail: w w w. amberinclusions .eu www.amberinclusions.eu

A RTISTIC INSPIR ATIONS / LITHUA NI A N JEW ELLERY R EPORT

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AMBER TRIP CONTEST SURVEILLANCE JEWELLERY WINNERS

GRAND PRIX – GINTARĖ JANULAITYTĖ “ANXIETY”

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A RTISTIC INSPIR ATIONS / LITHUA NI A N JEW ELLERY R EPORT

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JEWELLERY CATEGORY – ANNELIEKE LANDRE “FACE ID”

OBJECT CATEGORY – LUKAS TOMKUS “BETWEEN WALLS”

AMBER CATEGORY – MONICA BOBBI “CHECKPOINT”

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A RTISTIC INSPIR ATIONS / LITHUA NI A N JEW ELLERY R EPORT

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SPECIAL AWARD FOR SOCIAL EMPATHY – VAIVA KAZLAUSKAITĖ “OBSERVER NOTES”

SPECIAL AWARDS FOR NEW IDEA – JESSICA GRESPI “ON/OFF”

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A R T I S T IC I N S P I R AT ION S / S PA N I S H J E W E L L E R Y R E P OR T

MASKS AND NEW TRENDS My Mariam ATEF

Since the outbreak of Coronavirus, many businesses have been racing to create the perfect, one-of-a-kind face mask.

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Some of them succeeded in bringing great-looking protective masks to the table, and for that exact reason, we picked up the most creative face masks in the market for you. Our favourite pick is a mask by MAM because it looks good and is practical.

THE FUTURISTIC FACE MASKS Electronics company Razer™ created The Project Hazel masks aimed to ensure optimal breathability, as they have high bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) Smart Pods that filter more than 95% of airborne particles and regulate airflow.

The mask has a transparent, clear design that allows people around you to tell when you’re smiling, laughing, or frowning.

If it gets dark, lights inside the mask activate automatically, which allows wearers to express their feelings under any lighting conditions.

Co-founder and CEO of Razer Min-Liang Tan said: “The Project Hazel smart mask concept is intended to be functional, yet comfortable and useful for interacting with the world while maintaining a sociable aesthetic.”

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THE BRIDE‘S FACE MASK Created by a Turkish goldsmith, the golden face mask was made to give pandemic brides the bridal feeling they deserve.

“We saw that the regular face mask does not really visually comple ment the brides,” Creator Hacı Mustafa Öz said.

Without a doubt, wearing this eye-dazzling, $10,000 golden mask at your wedding will surely leave a lasting impression!

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THE ARTISTIC FACE MASKS Anne Sophie Cochevelou, a Londonbased jewellery and costume designer, has created a few of the most artistic face masks we‘ve seen. To create them, she used pop culture toys, faux gems, and decorative accessories.

Anne Sophie views masks as a new way to shape our faces, not to hide them: “T hey bring new narratives to the face. Another layer of meaning through another layer of fabric”.

THE EMPEROR’S FACE MASK Fashion designer Kennedy Gasper took regular face masks to a whole new (royal) level! If empires were still as prominent, you’d probably see emperors wearing this luxury face mask.

Kennedy Gasper said that both the face mask and the headdress are inspired

by Thai fashion.

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The MAM team has even been designing bags recently, and not surprisingly, their success can already be noticed worldwide, especially in Asia and Spain.

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THE SUPER STYLISH FACE MASKS OF MAM Once we took a look at the successful business, MAM, we decided to talk to its creative director about their start, beautiful jewelry collection, and of course, their notable success of MAM's unique face masks.

A STORY OF SUCCESS 4 years ago, MAM started to design and sell unique watches, especially the wooden ones. Founded by Jordi Enrique Albert and Anthya Tirado, they wanted to make something new, innovative, and practical, away from the big wooden watches common in the market. So, they set themselves a goal to create watches that are as thin and minimal as they could be, despite the nature of wood, which makes it hard to create such thin watches. And guess what, MAM now has the thinnest wooden watches in the market.

After achieving massive success in selling watches, they dreamed bigger and decided to create their own unique accessories. And now they are an enviably successful accessory brand.

And they didn’t stop there. MAM went further in 2019, designing eye-dazzling jewelry that attracted buyers from all parts of the world. And as a result, jewelry is now their biggest category.

WHAT MAKES MAM STAND OUT Once you go MAM you can’t go back! Most of MAM’s customers become loyal and re-engage with the brand. In turn, the brand engages with them, which makes it different from other brands in the market.

Their uniquely designed jewelry can’t be found anywhere else, as it doesn’t distinguish itself through just design, but by reinventing the way people interact with their jewelry, as well as the way they wear it.

For them, jewelry goes beyond body parts (ears, neck, fingers, etc.). For example, MAM creates innovative jewelry for hair, like hair cuffs.

Their jewelry has the liking of a modern person who’s into the city lifestyle, for most part people whose ages range from 25-40. For those people, MAM’s jewelry is a source of empowerment through style. It’s about enjoying good art, and because they love the social lifestyle of a city, they like jewelry that expresses their individuality and makes them stand out from the crowd.

Good news is their jewelry is genderless, so the sky is the limit when it comes to combinations.

IF WE’RE GOING TO WEAR MASKS, WHY NOT DO IT IN STYLE? During their trip to Asia, Anthya Tirado, the creative director of MAM, and partner Jordi Enrique Albert, noticed that wearing masks was already part and parcel of their culture.

They noticed in Japan, for example, that people were really well-dressed. However, they were missing one important accessory: good-looking masks. Starting at that point two years ago, they decided to make fashionable masks.

They made their very first prototypes from scarves, and after putting 10 different designs under trial, they finally came to this spectacular design.

It’s true that they created these masks before the crisis of Covid-19, but now the demand on their uniquely-designed masks is at its peak!

What’s so special about their design is that there are several versions of the same design but with different colors, so you can always play around with the different combinations.

THE CREATIVE MINDS BEHIND MAM Anthya and Jordi are always trying to think outside the box and create extraordinary designs that the world has never seen, and that’s where it all started.

Their biggest challenge is trying not to go overboard with the designs, as they need to be comfortable and relatable to people.

Anthya sees that being a jeweler or a designer is a plus in terms of creativity, as jewelers can always try their ideas out and see whether they work or not.

When we asked Anthya if there’s any other jewelry brand she looked up to, her answer was no, as searching for creativity in the world of jewelry wouldn’t work. It’s all about inspirations in other worlds. Everything they do is based on the latest trends in fashion, and they are always responsive to changes in these trends.

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CAMILLA DINESEN STORY

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By Trine NYGAARD WIBRAND

Danish jeweller Camilla Dinesen has actually never worked in Denmark. After graduating as a jeweller she moved to the UK where she has worked as a sought after jewellery designer ever since.

And

although she was a part of the creative crowd that birthed the movement of Young British Artists in the nineties, today she is working out of her studio on her property in rural surroundings in the countryside near Winchester, in the most southern part of England.

Her designs can be acquired by appointment only and her clients find her by word of mouth on exclusive events locally or in Copenhagen or London. Or on her Instagram account which, she says, she needs to update more.

Growing up she knew, that she wanted to do something creative and had played with the idea of either glassblower, something with jewels or photographer. But it wasn’t until she took a year off travelling that she decided on becoming a jeweller. In South America, she felt so inspired by the traditional silver jewellery and visited areas where gemstone was mined. And that was it.

She knew that working with jewellery was her thing.

So she went home to Denmark now in search of an apprenticeship.

“In my mind, it was all about which jeweller I loved and whom I wanted

to learn from and I was surprised to find that this is not how it works. They choose you!”.

While applying for apprenticeships, she was lucky to get a bench at the studio of Danish jeweller Flemming Bo Hansen and here she learned bare necessities like sawing and filing.

And then she successfully acquired a prestigious apprenticeship at Danish jewel icon Ole Lynggaard in Hellerup in Copenhagen.

“I had four wonderful years there, and besides learning the craft I learned the value of being able to work within a tight timeframe. The value of being able to create a saleable collection and not only create unique time-consuming designs”.

Af ter her apprenticeship, she worked in different design projects in Copenhagen before she and her lawyer husband left to settle in London.

“I always knew, that I did not want to become an employee. I wanted to create something on my own. And in

London, I became a part of the creative scene in Hoxton Square in Shoreditch where a lot of artists, photographers, designers and other creatives lived and worked in the old warehouses”.

She teamed up with a Danish furniture designer in a huge ice-cold studio, fortunately with a working fireplace in the corner.

“It was like Manhattan in the old days.

We were at the top of the building and below us was a piercer, a travel photographer and the studio of Gavin Turk. When we all started having kids, Gavin and his wife Debra and we created a kindergarten and took turns taking care of the children while the others worked.

Moving to London also meant starting over from scratch.

“I did not make it easy for myself. I had no network. I had no idea where to buy my materials. Luckily I knew this woman from Lynggaard who was also in London and she pointed me in the right direction”.

And so she began participating in fairs like Cockpit Studios and Goldsmiths’ Fair where the important buyers came.

And this was where she got discovered

by Barneys New York who was known for finding new upcoming talent.

“Back then you did not see many indie brands and in London, there certainly was no tradition for buying indie brands like in Scandinavia. People more often than not went for well-known brands like Tiffany’s”.

Camilla had developed her distinct personal style as a jewellery designer and created a now-classic in her

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A RT IST IC INSPIR AT IONS / DA N ISH J E W E L L E RY R E PORT

collection, the twisted pearl earring. And this was the design, that resonated with Barney’s.

“I wanted to take a new spin on an immortal classic, the pearl earring and made different versions of it.

But things worked out and after Barney’s along came Harvey Nichols, several galleries, it-boutiques in Copenhagen and when developers moved into Hoxton Square, the creatives moved on to Notting Hill and Camilla became a part of the wildly fashionable Ruby Red on Ladbrook Grove where supermodels like Kate Moss bought their jewellery. When the Ruby Red closed Camilla moved on to the old jewellery area on Picadilly where she had a studio side by side with old watchmakers and engravers.

When her fourth child was a baby the family left the hustle and bustle of London and relocated to the small village of Woomancott wheres she works from her home studio. Here

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Barney’s took all of them. It was a big deal for me. I was pregnant and gave birth to our oldest daughter two months later and after one and a half week maternity leave I was back in the studio with my husband as my assistant. And at the same time, I had an exhibit due at the Danish Embassy in London.

I kind of forgot to put the baby in the mix”.

she mainly works with private clients who adore her quirky somewhat schizophrenic - her own words - strict architectural meets soft and organic, sometimes even romantic design style.

Always working in silver, gold and white gold, not surprisingly she finds

her inspiration in nature, old jewellery, architecture and art. The latter especially when it comes to colour combinations.

She is wildly fascinated by the different expression you can create according to the colour of the stone you put in a piece.

You can see more works of Camilla on Instagram: camilladinesenjewellery

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JUHA KOSKELA THE MASTER OF ANTICLASTIC RAISING

By Henrik KIHLMAN

Juha Koskela

Photo: Johanna Talso

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A RTISTIC INSPIR ATIONS / FINNISH JEW ELLERY R EPORT

RETURN TO FINLAND. After the intermission in St. Louis Juha came back to Finland to finish his education at the Goldsmith School in Lahti. After graduation he returned to St. Louis where he finished his master’s degree at Washington University under Heikki Seppä. Back in Finland Juha started his studio in his hometown Lahti. After a few years he decided that he wanted to try his wings on a larger stage and in 1986 he moved to Rockport, Maine and started to work

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Mokume- Gane and silver bracelet

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Photo: Johanna Talso

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LEARNING A UNIQUE SKILL Juha Koskela comes from an artist family. As a young boy school was not his favourite object of interest. So instead of continuing to the gymnasium the handy and practical youngster found himself studying at the Goldsmith school in the city of Lahti, Juha´s hometown. When his father was offered a teaching vacancy in the USA, Juha intercepted his education in Finland and was accepted to study at the Fine Art School´s metal department at Washington University in St Louis.

There he studied under the legendary Finnish master silversmith Heikki Seppä who has developed the technique of anticlastic raising into the form of art we can see today in jewellery and sculptures created by artists around the world. The technique enables one to create the most complex forms using only a hammer and a stake. Learning to work with this technique was to become Juha´s faith and future.

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In the historic region of Isokyrö in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland we can, among other sights, find two very interesting specialties under the same roof.

The place, an old local dairy, was originally famous for its exquisite cheese but now it hosts a local whiskey distillery and is also the home of a world champion awarded gin named after the region, Kyrö. But since this article isn´t about beverages let us move on to the other specialty in the same premises. The local goldsmith who is famous for his work where he applies the anticlastic raising technique combined with titanium, mokumegane and precious metals.

Titanium and gold, bracelet and earrings Photo: Juha Koskela

for Michael Good, who also is a master of the anticlastic technique. For eleven years he developed his skills, both as an employee but also as an independent entrepreneur and acquired an exquisite reputation as an artist among his large clientele. However, when Juha´s children

reached the age of starting school it was time to rethink the future once more. In this situation the Finnish educational system seemed more preferrable, so the family moved back to Finland once again. Juha became part of a jeweller’s collective called Union Design where he

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The creativeness and brilliance of his designs rendered him the title

“Goldsmith of the year” 2003. worked for eight years and the Finnish public got to enjoy the beautiful designs created with the new technique and the skills he had processed during the years in Rockport.

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A UNIQUE MIX OF TECHNIQUE AND MATERIALS. In Juha´s work the anticlastic method is present as the main theme. A bold use of different materials is also a significant factor in his designs. Titanium is an interesting metal. Hard but yet light and it has a special feature. It can be coloured in just about every nuance using heat or electrical current. The element of colour is obviously a very important element for Juha. Also, the old Japanese mokume-gane technique of fusing layers of different metals into a block from which you can create metal plate in gorgeous patterns has become an important element in Juha´s artwork. The creativeness and brilliance of his designs rendered him the title “Goldsmith of the year” 2003.

SETTLING DOWN IN ISOKYRÖ.

After eight successful years in Helsinki he left the metropole and moved to his wife´s family estate in Isokyrö in the Ostrobothnia region in western Finland.

Here he has his shop and workshop, both situated in the same building that now serves as a whiskey distillery under the name Kyrö Distillery Company. Even though Isokyrö is a remote destination the distillery draws crowds and gives as such the best of conditions for a creative artist. A very intense summer season with a large number of visitors that are interested in luxury and skill, be it distilled beverages or exquisite jewellery, and a more peaceful winter season with time to explore and create new pieces and works of art. A must destination when visiting Finland. ■ Buoey earrings, gold Photo: Juha Koskela

https://juhakoskeladesign.com/

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The "Bolmman" in the palm of a hand Photograpy: Tiina Tahvanainen

GULDVIVA FLOWER WORTHY OF A PRINCESS

By Henrik KIHLMAN

The Åland islands, situated right between Finland and Sweden offers a tourist the most beautiful piece of archipelago the Baltic has to offer but it is also known for its shipping industry. Before the second world war it hosted the world´s largest commercial sailing ship fleet that would carry wheat from Australia and guano from Chile back to Europe. This seemingly remote location was definitely connected to the big world at an early stage. Its enterprising people are still known for their diligence and has the highest employment rate in Finland. Among these thriving companies we find a local goldsmith company Guldviva, founded and run by goldsmith Maria Karlström.

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DEVELOPMENT THROUGH DETERMINATION. In the spring of 2018, the business had grown to the point that a decision to enlarge the shop was made and a brand-new annex was built in connection with the old shop. This finally gave enough space to fulfill a dream of an own flagship store decorated in our own style and to have the workshop, behind a glass wall, open for customers to see how the jewellery is being made.

The road to this point of success hasn´t always been easy. It has taken a huge amount of work, stubbornness, sleepless nights and worries about the future.

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Coming from a family of entrepreneurs Maria has a strong will and the belief in success. If you are determined in your beliefs and work hard for your goals, there are no limits. A company is a little bit like a child. You can´t leave It alone and it needs nourishing all the time whatever the situation might be.

After ten years of running her business Maria noticed that things had developed, and the business started to be quite successful. It was time to elaborate new ideas, designs and stories. There was no time for subcontracting and repairs anymore so this bit of the work pallet came to an end. Now all focus was put to develop her own brand. 

Photograpy: Lundberg

WORKSHOP IN THE SEA QUARTERS. Walking the shore of the east harbour in Mariehamn (Capital of Åland) you will find the idyllic sea quarters hosting traditional boatyards, souvenir shops and restaurants. In one of the traditional red buildings, you find an inviting glass door that leads you in to a tastefully decorated jewellers´ shop and studio where you, apart from shopping, also can see the jewellery being made on site.

The Guldviva company was founded in 1989 as a small showroom in an old sawmill in Mariehamn. Maria had trained to become a goldsmith as an apprentice in the workshop of the highly skilled master goldsmith Kaj Rinman. Right from the start Maria has been open to new methods of enterprising and from the beginning utilized the new technology available to start a web shop on the side to enhance the sales. When the millennium changed the year 2000 the company moved down to the sea quarters in the east harbour. At first, they shared the premises with a cafeteria.

The concept of a jewellery cafeteria was very successful and attracted a lot of customers. In fact, the location was so attractive that Maria decided to purchase an old fish smokery, renovate it and set up her shop permanently.

Photograpy: Lundberg

Photograpy: Lundberg

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MOST SUCCESSFUL DESIGNS. The concept was easily found in the nearby surroundings. The archipelago generates easily topics originating from nature, boats, fish and the sea that are inspiring the design. The familiar topics are popular with the customers and have had a good success. Timeless and simple is Maria´s motto.

The signature piece of jewellery for Guldviva has always been the “Blomman (Flower)”. A piece that is very familiar but yet unknown. Almost everybody that has travelled on the Viking Line ferries between Finland and Sweden has come across the “Blomman” in the tax-free shops from where it has spread widely.

- Another hit has been the “Angel”. It was from the beginning meant to be a Christmas product but it´s popularity took us by surprise, and it became our other permanent hit product, says Maria.

As a symbol it is appropriate for so many occasions and it carries so much positive symbolism.

WORTHY OF A PRINCESS. -When I heard that the crown princess Victoria of Sweden was about to visit Åland I sent the royal court a couple of pieces and a letter where I explained about crafts and culture on Åland.

Before the princesses’ visit, I received a thank you note court. Dream of my surprise when the princess exited the plane, and she was wearing the “Blomman” necklace. That was a proud

Photograpy: Lundberg

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moment. Apparently, she likes the necklace since she has been seen wearing it at several different occasions.

It gives me great pleasure to state that we have been able to establish a local jewellery production that reflects our heritage and culture here on this little island. After a rough initial stage, we are now on a solid ground and our capacity of handmade jewellery already exceeds 10.000 pieces per year.

The Guldviva building in winter

Photograpy: Tiina Tahvanainen

PRESERVING THE TRADITION. In the shop there is a corner decorated as an old goldsmith’s shop. Maria has actively collected memorabilia from old goldsmiths’ workshops and shops.

This gives the new shop a warm and welcoming ambience and the workshop an aura of tradition.

- By showing and using these old furniture and tools want to be able to pass on the Ålandic tradition of goldsmithing to my customers and also to a younger generation. For me this is an important cultural deed.

It seems like Guldviva has achieved what many small entrepreneurs only dreams of. So, when I ask Maria what more she could wish for she smiles and says – After 30 years of building a working concept it would be nice to expand and find serious retailers that see potential in our concept outside Åland. ■

https://www.guldviva.com/en/

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Marjut Kemppi Miia Saarikko

TAMMI JEWELLERY

By Henrik KIHILMAN

A RTISTIC INSPIR ATIONS / FINNISH JEW ELLERY R EPORT

Alpo Tammi was born with a nose for business. He was already as a boy earning his own pocket money by selling home grown garden produce in the market. After getting his goldsmiths education as apprentice at the Turku based jewellery company Auran Kotka, he soon realized that he could make more money as an independent entrepreneur than working as a goldsmith in the factory. With those words he gave notice and started his own company Kultaseppä A. Tammi (Goldsmith A. Tammi). To begin with the workforce consisted of himself and a few fellow students in a basement workshop.

The career took off on a grander scale after he had founded Tammen Koru Oy. The company that is still existing and thriving today by the name of Tammi Jewellery Ltd. under a new owner- and leadership. The products were at first designed by goldsmith Pekka Rosenberg.

A few years later jewellery designer Riitta Hakala joined the team, and she was later assisted by current owner and designer Marjut Kemppi. At the time 80 – 90 % of the production was selling on export. The main export markets were in Norway, Sweden and Germany. Finland was up until the 1980´s a major jewellery exporting country and Finnish pavilions and companies was a common sight at the international goldsmiths´ fairs. The company grew and in 1991 it already had its own production facilities built in the city of Turku.

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A NEW START

When the ownership changed the company also

celebrated itś 60th anniversary -We wanted to make something new and different to both celebrate our new company and show the customers what we can produce both design- and quality wise. What could be more suitable for the occasion than a flower. The Orchid was our first launch, and it was well received on the market. We are very particular of the quality. Despite that many companies today design and produce using 3D technology we feel that we can produce more diverse products using more traditional methods in our production and that we can achieve that little extra luster by polishing each piece by hand.

With the new start the company burst into bloom. While renewing the brand, designing new models, and creating new business relations also the older production has awakened a new interest in both older and new customers. Luckily our archives are full of future vintage designs that we are proud to take into production again.

By using traditional goldsmithing techniques the quality remains high, and the jewellery is always adjustable, repairable.

We also emphasize sustainability by using recycled materials. This is very important if you want to be responsible and make a difference in the vast supply of mass-produced jewellery. Internet and digital solutions offer new ways of making our brand known outside the smaller local circles.

-Even though we are now concentrating our resources on the domestic market we are in the future interested in broadening our territory. International sales platforms are of interest, and we feel that we have both the brand and design to offer interesting jewellery in Scandinavian design to an international audience.

IN THE NEAR FUTURE -We want to develop our assortment to become stronger on the wedding front. Wedding and engagement rings make up for a big segment of the market and is as such a very important product category. It is many times the first jewellery encounter for a young person.

A good experience can lead to a life lasting relationship with your jewellery supplier. At the moment we make a lot of silver jewellery. We plan to increase our supply of gold jewellery to better serve our customers demand in the more luxurious segment. The past two years of restrictions have been as challenging for us as it has been for our colleagues all over. During this time entrepreneurs have developed new innovative ways of conducting business. We are now eagerly waiting for society and business to open again and see what lies ahead.■ https://www.tammijewellery.com/

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took over Tammi jewellery Ltd. it was a well-known and reputed company. It had been built from scratch by its´ founder Alpo Tammi who founded the company in the city of Turku in 1954.

OUR MARKET Tammi Jewellery Ltd is not a big company. Therefore, we are now, aiming our resources mainly to master the domestic market serving jewellery retailers across the country and strengthening our brand as a strong domestic sustainable quality product.

The products are designed to last time, to be durable and last through generations.

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Miia Saarikko and Marjut Kemppi

When

HOW DO YOU CONTINUE? When the founder Alpo Tammi died and the next generation took over times had changed, and it became harder to renew the production and adapt to the demand. When Alpos´ son Ari unexpectedly passed away an opportunity to take over the business was offered to Marjut and Miia. Marjut had already many years of experience of the company as she had worked there as a goldsmith and designer. Miias experience was the one of a satisfied customer. Her father had for years bought the family gifts from Tammen Koru and knew that it represented high quality, good design and skillful craftsmanship. Miia was at the time working with marketing and branding in a totally different field, but she was looking for a new challenge in design, marketing, and branding. This seemed like a good opportunity to build something new on the solid base of an old well reputed company. All of this led to the start of the reborn Tammi Jewellery Ltd.

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AN OLD ICONIC COMPANY´S REBIRTH

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LOD A FIXED STAR ON THE SWEDISH JEWELLERY SCENE

Necklace, “Water lily”, silver with citrin.

Model: Petronella Eriksson.

Photography: Christian Habetzeder

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Since

1999 the Swedish public has been able to enjoy an interesting mixed collection of jewellery and corpus silver at the gallery and workshop of the jewellery cooperative LOD on Norra Agnegatan 40 in the Kungsholmen area in central Stockholm. For 22 years This group of young artists has grown into a wellestablished and known establishment providing exhibitions, happenings and many other forms of activity besides offering what you would call normal jewelers´ services to a solid customer base.

It all started when six young artists after their graduation from Konstfack, University of Arts- Craft and Design, were thinking about their future and how to utilize their skills for the best benefit.

The answer was found in the shape of a collective where each artist could develop their own skills but as a group have the support of colleagues and create a more interesting and diverse concept for the public. The fuonding members were Erik Tidäng, Åsa Lockner, Tobias Birgersson, Klara Eriksson, Eva Wistedt and David Taylor.

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- We wanted to create a platform to earn a living of making jewellery and corpus silver. Run a gallery shop with a work studio, have the possibility to have individual exhibitions and create other exciting projects as a group as well as individually.

- The name LOD has several meanings and illustrates in many ways the craft we are working in. LOD means solder and solder is of course something that holds pieces together, like our group.

Lod also means a plummet. A devise for indicating a straight vertical line using the law of gravity.

Of the original six founding members only Erik Tidäng and Klara Eriksson are left. Lod has proven to be an excellent platform where the members have been able to develop their artistic direction and grow as artists. All of the original members that have left LOD during the years are still working as appreciated artists in the field of jewellery and design carrying with them the experience of LOD. LOD is of course after 22 years a cemented part of the jewellery scene in Stockholm. When asked what role they have on the Swedish jewellery scene they state:

Brosch: “I am ok”.

Model: Anna Nordström

Photography: Christian Habetzeder

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Silver necklace: “Arch”, Maki Okamoto.

- We desire to be an open meeting place. A place where upcoming artists can get guidance. A place where you can pop in for a bit of advice or just to borrow a tool if needed. This is for us a way to reach out and share our vast combined competence and experience. LOD is a shop, a gallery and a workshop. It is a place for people to meet with the unexpected and find what they need. A working community and a place for inspiration and discussions where the love for metal as material is the recurring theme.

Working in a community raises the question of how to get all the bits and pieces in place and how to share the responsibility? LOD has created a structure that works for them. Every Monday is started with a meeting where current things are being discussed. The meeting is followed by a designated time when everybody is contributing to the common good. Everybody does the things they are good at. Everything from marketing, display, economy, social media to everyday chores such as cleaning and maintenance of the premises. During the week everybody has one day assigned when in charge of customer service.

- We like to reach out to our customers by doing some special events, the whole group together. During Christmas season we usually make a collection of simple objects. Last year’s theme was light and shadow and ended up in 

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The dinner, table set with productsa from LOD

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lanterns, Christmas tree decorations, a lamp and a sundial. We also like to make simple small things like cocktail cutlery for customers for them to get used to buying silver objects. Our specialty is that we can produce almost anything from metal. Everything from wedding bands to lamps and furniture.

Since LOD has six individual artists working everybody has their own style and specialty.

Erik Tidäng is driven by exploring new techniques and methods that he develops and combines with traditional silversmithing. This gives him a very broad range to create everything from very precise wedding bands to big sculptures in steel.

Maki Okamoto works within the extended field of contemporar y jewellery. Deeply caring for the relationship between human and object.

Maki works metal into pieces where the functional and sensory meet reoccurring themes such as memory and emptiness.

Never with a downhearted sense of loss or hollowness but with a life affirming melancholy whereby Maki passes her work to wearer or viewer with a notion that it only marks the beginning of the story.

Petronella Eriksson is educated as a goldsmith. She gets her inspiration from forests and plants. Her pots like to be covered with soot from the campfire and to be washed in a stream. Her jewellery grows with the traces of use. The art consists of the use of the piece.

Pernilla Sylwan has a background in scenography. It is very detectable in her approach to her creations. She examines expression and form through quantities and groups, where every group becomes a scenography in itself.

Anna Nordström is the most recent member of LOD. She appreciates harmony in lines and the fragility of the graceful, but through the roughness in forging. Welding and hammering are her thing which you can clearly see in her sculptural wall pieces made by welding.

Klara Eriksson likes to examine the nature of curves in different objects such as bowls and rings. She loves for her objects to be used and worn during long periods of time bringing joy and satisfaction to the user. Her objects will bring an element of luxury and wellbeing in your everyday life.

LOD is a meeting place, a mar­ket­ place and an important center for

Shell glasses, Pernilla Sylwan

jewellery, design and art. A place to see experience and explore whether you are an artist, goldsmith or a customer and shear a passionate interest for all the possibilities the field of metalwork and art can offer. It is also the home and workplace of six talented and experienced artists whose combined talent makes the magic happen. There will shortly be a book released about the 22 great years of LOD.

When visiting Stockholm, you are most welcome to pay us a visit. ■ www.lod.nu Henrik KIHLMAN Teapot: “Tea online”, Erik Tidäng

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Legnica Jewellery Festival SILVER 2019, awarding ceremony at the Gallery of Art in Legnica

LEGNICA JEWELLERY FESTIVAL SILVER WILL TAKE PLACE IN MAY

By Maja BIELAKOWICZ

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number of exhibitions dedicated to the jewellery art, photography and poster design, a rich programme of online events (including virtual exhibitions and video guided tours) and, most exciting of all, the award ceremony

Georg Dobler (Germany), Neo Classic brooch, 2012 The International Collection of Contemporary Jewellery, a part of the collection of the Gallery of Art in Legnica

of the 30 th International Jewellery Competition „Touch” – all this is to be expected as a part of the upcoming Legnica Jewellery Festival Silver. The event will traditionally take place in May, and it will reach its culmination on 13-14 May, 2022.

The first exhibitions of artistic jewelry in Legnica took place in the late 1970s. Since then, every year the Festival attracts a wide circle of artistsgoldsmiths, designers and enthusiasts of the art jewellery from all over the world. It is one of the most important events for the jewellery community in

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body, coming into contact with skin receptors, provoking haptic contact, has always been the wearer’s closest prop. We offer you a contemporary interpretation of this nostalgia in the hope that the objects of the most personal use will not be replaced by touch screens.”

In the programme of this year’s edition of the Legnica Silver Festival we will find solo exhibitions of Professor Andrzej Boss (Poland) and Felicia Mülbaier (Germany) realized in the “About the Artists” series, within the framework of which the creative achievements of over 100 authors from all over the world have been presented over the years. The exhibitions promise to be highly interesting – we will have a 

Legnica Jewellery Festival SILVER 2021, „Silver Schools” exhibition

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jewellery explore the sense of touch, physically and emotionally? What can the sense of touch convey? What sort of touch? How does it feel? Could it comfort you? Could it change you?

What might its impact be? How can this non-visual characteristic of jewellery be communicated?”

Professor Sławomir Fijałkowski, a long-term juror of the Legnica SILVER Festival, adds: “This time – in the online era – we would like to refer to the feature that defines jewellery in its most material and – at the same time – the most sensual aspect. Let us invoke touch – the first sense through which we get to know the world, which gives us a sense of security, intimacy and trust. Jewellery worn on the

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Sungho Cho (Republic of Korea/Germany), Tsunami Samsara brooch, 2011 The International Collection of Contemporary Jewellery, a part of the collection of the Gallery of Art in Legnica

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Europe and an arena for presenting the latest trends and creative achievements in the field of contemporary jewellery.

The Legnica Jewellery Festival SILVER features numerous individual and collective exhibitions. Among the artists who presented their works in Legnica are Karol Weisslechner, Jarosław Westermark, Norman Cherry, Ramón Puig Cuyàs, Georg Dobler, Herman Hermsen, Ruudt Peters, Tabea Reulecke, Paweł Kaczyński, Jorge Manilla, Felieke van der Leest, Mari Ishikawa, Philip Sajet, Herman Hermsen, Małgorzata Kalińska and Sara Gackowska. Each edition of Silver is accompanied by numerous publications documenting the development and most important phenomena in the field of artistic jewellery.

The most important part of the Festival is International Jewellery Competition. Each year the competition is held under a different title referring to important, universal issues from the spheres of broadly understood art, culture, sociology or media. The competition is dedicated to jewellery designers and artists – each year it attract hundreds of objects, sent by participants from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, South and North America.

Qualified works will be presented at the main exhibition of the Festival at the Gallery of Art in Legnica. In turn, the non-qualified works will be presented at a separate Holownia exhibition, traditionally held in the Old Town Hall.

The organizers encourage you to visit both exhibitions and confront the jury’s decisions with your own views, opinions and assessments.

The theme of the 30th edition of the International Jewellery Competition is “Touch”. This is how the Organizers refer to this inseparable element of jewellery – which carries a special load of intimacy and safety, but also – in the time of a global pandemic – of fear and insecurity. In the words of Professor Caroline Broadhead from the United Kingdom, a jury member of the previous edition of the Competition: ”Just as a piece of jewellery that is worn all the time is only noticed when it is taken off or missing, in recent times human touch has been acutely noticeable by its absence. We have become most aware of the need for touch and connection but also the fear of touch as a source of contamination and danger. How can

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The Gallery of Art in Legnica

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chance to admire the most recent works of both Boss and Mülbaier.

In turn, the Silver Schools series presents the best European academies,

schools and art departments spe­ cializing in contemporary jewellery and design. Over the years, more than 20 institutions from all over the world

have been presented in the series. This year, the exhibition will feature, among others, works by students, graduates and educators from the Department of Metal Design at the HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hildesheim (Germany). The other highlight of the Festival is the Debuts series – the cycle of exhibitions that is awarded by the Gallery of Art in Legnica in the Władysław Strzemiński “Project” Competition, organized by the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź (Poland) and addressed to the university’ s graduates.

This year Angelika Kwiatkowska will present her work.

During the Festival, the exhibition of Justyna Stasiewicz will also be shown.

Stasiewicz is a graduate of the Wł.

Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź (where she received her PhD in art) and has participated in numerous exhibitions both in Poland and abroad (including Germany and Spain). The artist will present her graduation collection, which included objects created by the 3D printing technology and further finished using a traditional goldsmith’s technique.

During the Legnica Silver Festival we will have an opportunity to visit the exhibition of works belonging to the the International Collection of Contemporary Jewellery from the

Legnica Jewellery Festival SILVER 2021, „Silver Schools” exhibition

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A RTISTIC INSPIR ATIONS / POLISH JEW ELLERY R EPORT

AWARDED IN 29TH INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY COMPETITION STILL HUMAN?: Grand Prix of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Tadeusz Jaśkowiak – Poland Stone age smartphone pendant, plastic, carving techniques, 151 x 71 x 8.8 mm, 164 g, 2021

2nd Prize of the Mayor of Legnica City Mariana Bilbao Gonzalez-Dueńas – Spain Forget your name brooch, silver, 111 x 80 mm, 53.03 g, 2020

3rd Prize of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Miroslava Veselá – Czech Republic Hope necklace, silver, repoussé, shaping, 40 x 40 x 9 mm, 9 g, 2020 Hope object, clay, handmade, 40 x 40 x 18 mm, 16.2 g, 2020 Hope object, plastic, 3D print, 40 x 46 x 9 mm, 5.6 g, 2020

Award of the Gallery of Art in Legnica Kirsten Plank – Germany Face 1 necklace-puzzle, silver, pigment, acrylic, 150 x 220 mm, 125 g, 2020

The Organizers invite all to attend the culmination of the Festival while emphasizing that – after a long, pandemic break – the return to live events around artistic jewellery is highly awaited. Information about the Festival will be published on an on-going basis on the website silver.legnica.eu and on the social media. In turn, stationary exhibitions will be available (free of charge) from April to June in various locations in the heart of Legnica. ■

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collection of the Gallery of Art in Legnica.

This year’s exhibition will feature works by both Polish and foreign artists, which have been created after the year 2000.

A large part of the exhibition will be composed of works awarded during the Legnica Silver Festivals, including the latest works included into the Collection in 2021. The exhibition will be parallely presented online, where each piece of jewellery will be displayed in the form of a 3D models.

The Legnica Silver Festival will also include a collective exhibition presenting the creative achievements of the members of the Association of Goldsmiths and Jewellery Designers, which has been uniting jewelry artists in Poland for over 30 years, as well as postcompetition exhibitions of photography and posters related to the theme of the 30th International Jewellery Competition “Touch”. Moreover, visitors will have an occasion to see an exhibition of projects qualified for the International Competition for the Design of Jewellery with Amber Amberif Design Award 2022 “Amber as a reward!”, organized by the Gdańsk International Fair.

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Legnica Jewellery Festival SILVER 2021, „Extranalities” exhibition

The Organizers’ special Award for creative courage and uncompromising attitude, innovation or sense of humour „Silver Spur” Tieke Scheerlinck – Belgium* Precious People silver object (boat) with 301 brilliant cut stones, silver, cubic zirconia, garnet, citrine, amethyst, topaz, peridot, ruby, sapphire, aquamarine, spinel, lost wax modelling, 11 x 80 x 21.5 mm, 53 g, 2020

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WHAT MAKES A PIECE OF JEWELRY A MASTERPIECE?

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By Olga NIKONOV

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Natalya, your most famous works were created from a substance that one cannot dare to call jewelry – paper.

How did the idea to use such a non-trivial material come about, and why did you find it more worthy of attention than the usual gold or silver?

In fact, jewelers have always tried to go beyond the usual shapes and materials. When Tatiana and I started participating in jewelry design contests in 1996, we wanted to come up with something completely unusual. It is interesting for us to do large, shocking, podium things, to combine the incongruous. We tried many things – feathers, wood, fibers ... But it was paper, which revealed itself to us as a very plastic and textured material.

Paper gives an invaluable opportunity for a jeweler to control color and shape – you yourself create a material in which you can materialize your idea. After all, jewelers usually work from the opposite – they take a stone or metal and figure out how to beat it, what design will favorably emphasize its beauty.

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Precious metal, diamonds and gems, sophisticated and sophisticated materials processing techniques – this is the first thing that you imagine when it comes to jewelry.

Nevertheless, the famous St. Petersburg artists, sisters Natalya and Tatyana Tarasova convincingly prove that the material is not decisive, and the times when the cost of jewelry was determined mainly by the weight of the metal and the quality of the stone are gone forever. Repeated winners of international jewelry design competitions, including such famous ones as the International Jewelry Design Excellence Award-2017 competition in Hong Kong, masters whose works are in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum and the Museum of Modern Jewelry in Pforzheim, (Germany), they create jewelry masterpieces from the most unexpected materials.

We talked with Natalya Tarasova about the search for new forms and features of the development of Russian jewelry art.

Probably, it is much easier to work with paper?

Not as easy as it seems. Initially, we create blocks by gluing together multi-colored layers of paper. One block takes about a month. In addition, the end of this initial stage is unpredictable: not everything is successful the first time. However, at the end we get a pliable material, light, although not the most pleasant in processing, which allows you to fantasize endlessly with color, shapes, rhythm and texture.

And yet, why not metal? Is there a Makume Gane technique that creates metal with a variety of streaks and layers? Is there a titanium that gives a magical play of color?

Of course, we considered all these options, but we did not find one that would give such limitless color options as paper.

Moreover, the products are becoming too expensive and heavy.

In addition, the appropriate equipment must be selected. This does not mean that we do not experiment further – we still 

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Each appearance of your products at competitions creates a sensation – numerous prizes are proof of this.

Nevertheless, the works are insultingly few, and for 10 years, you did not take part in competitions at all and did not show your products. Why? Time for everything is sorely lacking, because we also have serial production, where administrative tasks require constant attention. We have to distinguish very clearly between work and hobbies, which the creative process has become for us.

On the one hand, the availability of production helps us to realize our ideas – we have machines, equipment. Sometimes creative ideas flow into mass-produced products. However, the combination of these two realities always comes at the expense of creativity. There are many ideas and it is really a shame that not all of them come to fruition.

Wasn’t there a temptation to engage exclusively in creativity?

Unfortunately, in our country, the jewelry art has found itself in a very difficult situation, the art market has remained outside the attention of society, and, more recently, practically outlawed. New amendments to the Federal Law of June 23, 2020 N 188-FZ “On Amendments to the Federal Law” On Precious Metals and Precious Stones “ has regulated very clearly the process of turnover of precious metals, which was useful and correct from the point of view of taxation and increasing the transparency of the industry. Nevertheless, jewelers-artists were left behind – only few of them will master all this reporting in order to continue working with precious metals. Few will be able to present their works at international exhibitions. The government simply did not consider us, our interests in the new law.

In addition, we have very few exhibitions, museums almost never buy the works of jewelers – and this is one of the conditions not only for the development of the creative potential of artisans, but also for the formation of consumer taste. The existing secrecy inherent in our workshop leads to the fact that technologies are

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Since you are talking about the taste of the consumer, how ready, in your opinion, is he for such experiments, isn’t it? In general, is there a tendency to reject jewelry, because in the modern world there are so many substitute products, that can also show status, taste, and emphasize individuality?

A person will never give up jewelry. Moreover, in times of crises, paradoxically, the industries involved in “decorating” a person – fashion, cosmetology and jewelry – flourish. People are trying to create the best version of themselves, and thereby increase their competitiveness in the market – to become younger, more beautiful, look richer.

Nevertheless, during the crisis, the tastes of society become more conservative – everyone wants stability and confidence that investments in expensive purchases are made correctly. However, the consumer in Russia is already overly conservative – the majority need the classics, so that, like everyone else, there is a brand, which is tested and approved by society.

We often came across the fact that the mere fact of jewelry made of paper disgusts the nonprofessional. He does not understand this and does not admit it. However, in Europe, our products are accepted with much greater interest. It is also funny that the few “wearable” things we create often end up in the collections of art historians – professionals correctly assess the artistic and conceptual value of what we do.

Is it possible to change the taste of society, to influence its formation?

Exhibitions, screenings, inclusion in museum expositions gradually form an interest in new forms and concepts. However, work is not fast. Moreover, the tastes of society change radically in an era of change. When Tatiana was writing her diploma on the theme of the avant-garde of the 1920s, I was very interested in this topic. This was an era of total breakdown of foundations, when absolutely everything changed; a society was built with a new consciousness, way of life, education and new aesthetics. In addition, this gave such a powerful impetus to the development of creative thought that the Russian avantgarde became the source from which artists have been drawing inspiration for a whole century.

Something similar happened in the 90s, during perestroika.

Everything in the country collapsed, no one had money, but a huge number of creative people appeared who created amazing jewelry from scrap materials – wood, plastic, medical droppers, from all kinds of trash. They managed to find new forms, new plastic solutions. I am sure that the more restrictions, the better the artist works, because he needs to come up with something original with a minimum of resources, and this greatly excites the creative thought. ■

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But the very concept of jewelry kills away from precious materials, isn’t it? In general, is it possible to equate jewelry and jewelry? On the other hand, does it not become a piece of jewelry because of what it is made of?

At all times, a person adorned himself, using for this everything that was at hand: wood, stone, leaves, flowers, bones. Nevertheless, these fragile objects have not reached us; archaeologists find only those decorations that were made of metal and stone, that is, what could physically survive. In general, this has formed the concept of jewelry as a piece of jewelry. However, if you can see beauty, are able to extract and present it, is it so important what material is used? There is a huge industry in the gold and diamond niche. There are tons of classic, but alas, quite the same type of things, in which there is no special artistic value, their value is determined by the material costs of production. In addition, there are designers who work with unconventional materials and come up with something

lost – we cannot repeat much of what Faberge did, which it is customary to look up to when speaking of Russian jewelry art.

We have no co-working system, no grants and no gallery owners.

You see, for example, in Europe, workshops have been created, equipped with the necessary equipment, tools and equipment – the master does not need to buy all this on his own, it is enough to rent a workbench, and you can use all the equipment. Grants allow Western artists to develop conceptual art rather than survival.

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work with metals and stones, with wood and other materials.

Yes, and with paper, not everything is clear yet – every time we try new ways of processing it, we get very unexpected and inspiring results.

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JEWELRY ART AS A CRYSTALLIZATION OF HUMAN THOUGHTS

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By Olga NIKONOVA

Anna Tereshchenkova is a famous designer, jeweller, watercolourist and master from St. Petersburg who can materialize the most daring artistic ideas that convey the harmony of the world through seemingly simple things. In her works, Anna shows that today all the most interesting things are born at the intersection of different disciplines and trends, the most attractive artistic finds are always a synthesis of technologies, traditions, and worldviews. And even such a conservative industry as jewellery cannot stand aside from these processes.

- Anna, as an artist-jeweller you are known for your woodwork, and the GOODWOOD project you have created over the years showing that the possibilities of this material are truly endless. But how do you define the so-called jewellery value of a tree for yourself?

- It seems to me that wood is a material created by nature itself for jewellery. Throughout the history of mankind, we have used wood, but we still underestimate its potential, the scope for creativity that wood gives us with its palette of colours, fantastic patterns of textures, with its environmental friendliness and tactility. Woodworking techniques are numerous and have been perfected for thousands of years, we have in our hands a malleable and absolutely flexible material from which you can create anything: the finest carving, voluminous and flat objects, shining glossy and velvety textures. One of the first exhibitions of the GOODWOOD project was held under the motto „Precious woods become jewellery”—by combining wood, metal and stones, we can create true jewellery masterpieces.

Wood is a light and at the same time very durable substance, it can serve for a very long time—many wooden artifacts of very venerable age are exhibited in museums around the world.

And the noble bog oak is an eternal material!

And, finally, I don’t think you need to prove to anyone that wood is the most environmentally friendly material available.

Its processing does not require harmful technologies, like many metals and plastics, it does not cause allergies, it is disposed of without harm to the environment. This is a wonderful, renewable resource, and the production of designer jewellery needs so little that even the most ardent environmentalists will not sound the alarm. In addition, artists are usually interested

in so-called completely worthless fragments of wood— scraps of parquet, pieces of plywood, driftwood, twigs found in the brushwood. Sometimes a few strokes are enough to reveal to everyone the beauty that lurked in a piece of wood that lay under our feet. But I prefer a different approach—when you look for and find in wood the ideal material to implement your flexible ideas. Jewellery techniques ennoble wood, elevate it from the level of craft material to a pedestal of material suitable for the crystallization of human thoughts.

- Your another specialty is products with enamels. This is such a complex technique that few people dare to work with today. Why does it attract you?

- I’m not only a designer and jeweller, but also a watercolourist.

I am most interested in working with colours in jewellery as well.

And enamels are just very similar to watercolours. Moreover, I love all types of enamel: transparent, opaque, stained glass, cloisonné, guilloche. My favourite is a combination of stone and enamel—you get a miniature picture.

But by and large, I don’t care what technology to use. To embody the image that was born in my head, we often come up with some unexpected techniques that have no name.

This is exactly what distinguishes author’s things from mass production—a unique author’s technique.

For the last year I have been trying to find a way to incorporate watercolours and paper into my jewellery work.

It may not be very practical at first glance, but it is certainly a very interesting and expressive material.

- Today there is much debate about whether massproduced jewellery can be considered true jewellery rather than costume jewellery, and on what basis designer items made of non-traditional materials can be ranked as works of jewellery art. Where is that line for you?

- Jewellery has long been undeservedly a craft, despite the fact that this industry has always had a lot of talented artists, whose magnificent creations we admire to this day! Today it is difficult to imagine, but when in the 1970s my teacher and legendary jeweller Juta Johannesovna Paas-Alexandrova was the first jeweller to enter the Union of Artists, the painters discussed for two hours behind closed doors whether a piece of jewellery could even be considered an artistic thing and a jeweller an artist.

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Brooch “Eye”. 2022. Amaranth, ebony, artificial amethyst, silver, steel

Brooch “Wounded Sky” from the series “Target City”. 2022. Silver, steel. Dedication to the anniversary of the liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade

Brooch “Dynamic Suprematism”. 2020.

Ebony, mahogany, maple burl, silver, steel

Earrings “Spring”. 2019. Guilloché enamel, chrysolites, sapphires, silver

A series of rings “Petersburg Archetypes”: “Well Yard”, “Gateway” and “Firewall”.

Silver, amber. The image of non-ceremonial Petersburg, the city of Dostoevsky

Pendant from the collection “Transcience”.

2017. Cloisonné enamel, copper, silver

Pendant from the collection “Magic Garden”.

2013. Enamel, silver, copper

Pendant from the collection “Oceanarium”.

2012. Enamel, silver, copper

Today the status of jewellery art is not disputed by anyone, and the methods of identifying outstanding works are essentially no different from those used to identify them in painting or sculpture. The line between a work of art and a quality piece of craftsmanship is thin, but clearly captured by the soul and heart of the viewer—art always has a thought, a feeling, an emotion —it is a reflection of the inner world of the artist and the world around us.

So we can safely call jewellery bijouterie everything that does not contain the author’s approach and artistic thought. It doesn’t matter how much the item costs. For example, in things

produced industrially, there are often so many technological simplifications and conventions, so many pricing policies, that there is often no room for design at all.

Besides, as a jeweller of classical St. Petersburg school, I am sure that any piece of jewellery, no matter what material it is made of, must be made to be jewellery: using complex techniques, with high-quality and meticulous fulfillment of all operations. And as a designer, functionality is very important to me: by and large, a piece of jewellery does not have to be functional at all, but I want my products to be reliable and durable, and give joy to their owners for many years. ■

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SIMPLY BRILLIANT

ARTIST-JEWELLERS OF THE 1960s AND 1970s

In Cooperation with the Cincinnati Art Museum 27 March through 27 June 2021

Simply

put, jewellery of the 1960s and '70s was revolutionary. If the 1950s were demure and controlled, the 1960s became an era of youthful rebellion and radical cultural change -and a new style of jewellery was part of that zeitgeist. Rock 'n' roll, the Vietnam War, the Kennedy assassinations, the civil rights and women's movements, the widespread use of hallucinogenic drugs, and the concept of free love are all associated with these tumultuous decades.

From space-age plastic hoop earrings to the hippie's beaded necklaces, jewellery expressed individuality, nonconformity and the aesthetic, political, and intellectual values of the person who wore it.

Beyond these expressions in inexpensive costume jewellery that was available to all, fine jewellery took an equal turn to incorporate the mood of the times. Young jewellery designers

Veracruz Necklace Gold, platinum, amethyst, diamonds Jean Vendome (1930-2017) France, 1972 Courtesy of the Cincinnati Art Museum, Kimberly Klosterman Collection, Photo Tony Walsh

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For more information, please visit www.schmuckmuseum.de

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Brooch Gold, malachite, diamonds Karl Stittgen (*1930 in Germany) Canada, 1970s Courtesy of the Cincinnati Art Museum, Kimberly Klosterman Collection, Photo Tony Walsh

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Bracelet Gold, pearls, garnets David Thomas (*1936) England, 1965 Courtesy of the Cincinnati Art Museum, Kimberly Klosterman Collection, Photo Tony Walsh

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no longer wanted simply to create demure baubles that accessorized current fashions. They thought of themselves as artists first, jewellers second, approaching their work as any painter or sculptor. They worked in gold, focusing on organic forms, favoring abstract shapes, and concepts related to spaceage trends. They incorporated unconventional materials and were unrivaled in the texture and scale they brought to their designs.

Drawn from one of the most important private collections in the world, assembled by local Cincinnatian Kimberly Klosterman, this exhibition features the work of an international set of independent jewellers as well as major houses as Cartier or Van Cleef & Arpels. The jewellery designers and makers of the 1960s and '70s were uncompromising in their vision.

They took jewellery to a new level of artistry that paralleled the radical changes in society during these decades. ■

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TODAY LATVIAN JEWELLERY COMMUNITY IS A STRONGER FORCE

Interview with Ginta GRUBE LJAA Board Member

What is the mission of the Latvian Jewellery Art Association?

Latvian Jewellery Art Association (LJAA) brings together professionals active in the field. The aim is to organize exhibitions and other events and promote Latvian jewellery art locally and internationally. Also focus on fundraising for jewellery related projects. The association gathers information and facilitates the exchange of experience among young and experienced jewellers. We wish to collaborate with educational institutions as well as other related organizations.

How many members does this association have?

Today there are 22 members in LJAA. To illustrate the diversity of members the youngest are in their 20’s and among the senior members are prominent Latvian jewellers of whom one recently celebrated his 70th anniversary.

How was it established?

What is the story behind?

LJAA was established in February 2018 by jewellery artists Janis and Zane Vilki (husband and wife) and Valdis Broze (the first LJAA Board Members). ”Crucial

moment to establish an association was after the very successful exhibition SYNERGY. Contemporary Trends in Metal Art and Design at the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in the end of 2017. The exhibition broke a 20-year hiatus since the previous exhibition of a similar scale. One of the goals of the association became to continue regular exhibiting,” remembers Zane Vilka. From August 4, 2020 the board is represented by Zane Vilka, Maris Sustins and me (Ginta Grube).

What projects did Latvian Jewellery Art Association do?

The first jointly organized art project was the exhibition A PRIORI in Latvia, Cesis Exhibition Hall (June 21 – July 27, 2019) with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation (SCCF). The concepts a priori and a posteriori are philosophical terms used to distinguish two types of knowledge. A priori stands for the starting point of the LJAA thus the first exhibition gathered members regardless of previous experience.

Some had a wealth of experience while others were fresh from school. Both experienced and well-known artists as well as young graduates joined together to show their latest works.

LJAA second joint art project was the exhibition MARK in Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre (07 February – 12 April 2020). MARK was a keyword to each

LJAA group photo, from left – Zane Vilka, Darja Semjonova, Maija Vitola-Zitmane, Ilze Egle, Janis Brants, Una Mikuda, Paula Treimane, Anita Savicka, Guntis Laudres, Maris Aunins, Anna Fanigina, Andris Lauders, Rasma Puspure, Ginta Grube, Gints Strelis, Maris Sustins, Laura Selecka and Valdis Broze.

Photographer – Kaspars Filips Dobrovolskis.

Members absent in the photo – Jelizaveta Suska, Vladislavs Cistjakovs, Janis Vilks and Peteris Ripa

author’s individual interpretation of the well known painter Mark Rothko or his city of birth or the art centre itself as it is located in the historical artillery arsenal building of Daugavpils Fortress. Brooch was selected as a connecting type of jewellery that would bring it all together through its fundamental features. As Zane Vilka explains: “In jewellery arts, the brooch is traditionally compared to a miniature artwork or painting. (...) This jewellery item has an amazing capacity to highlight the individual traits of its wearer. Oftentimes, artists choose to make a brooch when they want to carry across a certain message that goes beyond functionality. To a jewellery artist, a brooch is what a blank canvas is to a painter. This complex set of ideas finds a brief and concise expression in the exhibition title: MARK. A mark, or a sign, is a loaded word with a substantial range of meaning in many languages.

The exhibition title is a tribute to Mark Rothko, a vivid marker of his time, whose art is among our sources of inspiration.”

The exhibition was closed ahead of time due to Covid-19 restrictions in

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BUSINESS INSIGHTS / L AT V I A N JEW ELLERY R EPORT

March 2020. Notwithstanding this, the exhibition was highly attended and is considered a success.

The latest project funded by the SCCF is the LJAA website – latvianjewellery. org which is about to start off in the beginning of 2021.

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Ginta Grube, brooch for the exhibition Apriori.

Photographer – Maris Grinbergs

MARK exhibition openeing.

Photographer – Ginta Grube

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Una Mikuda, brooch for exhibition MARK. Photo courtesy – author

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

In your personal opinion how does jewellery communities in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia differ?

Which one is the most active?

This is not an easy question. It seems as Estonians are more united with the Scandinavians. As an example they were a part of the project From the Coolest Corner. Nordic Jewellery in 2013. The massive project (symposium, a travelling exhibition and a book) presented jewellery from Northern Europe naming Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic States (information from press release). The Baltic States however were presented by only one of the three Baltic countries – Estonia.

Latvian jewellery history has a close connection with Estonia regarding the education in the 80’s when several jewellery artists graduated the Art Institute of Estonia. Some of them are also members of LJAA. Lithuanians are forming their own community separate from Estonians.

Probably due to geographical location and historical means Lithuanians form a common interest with Poland.

There have been joined art projects between the Art Academy of Latvia, Metal design department and metal artists from The Lithuanian Art Academy.

I have personally participated in the exhibition “Latvijos ir Lietuvos metalo menas” that took place at the gallery TITANIKAS in Vilnius in March 2011. The exhibition was a response to an event 

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Why jewellery artists need an association?

Coming together in an association brings a stronger force to each of the member and helps to withstand stronger competition among other art fields in the context of fundraising. “The broad spectrum of generations and styles among the association is a definite strength that enables us to be at the forefront of the new developments and, at the same time, to ensure unbroken continuity in our field,” says Zane Vilka, the Chairman of the LJAA Board.

BUSINESS INSIGHTS / L AT V I A N JEW ELLERY R EPORT

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

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in order to reduce the impact of the negative consequences of Covid19 on the cultural sector and the creative persons working in it. In the first competition 347 creative persons received funding and later a second round was announced and 663 creative persons received funding and several jewellery artists were among them. In the second round a total of 1,003,908 EUR was granted. Eligible for support were artists (creative persons) with the average monthly income under 538 EUR per month (for a certain few month period) and the beneficiaries received a lump sum of 1614 EUR. The funding aimed to support those whose incomes had fallen sharply due to the restrictions to avoid Covid-19.

SCCF also announced a Creative Person Support Scholarship to artists that have been granted a state old-age pension.

LJAA Board Members, from left – Maris Sustins, Zane Vilka, Ginta Grube.

Photographer – Kaspars Filips Dobrovolskis



of the same kind held in 2009 at the Arts Academy of Latvia. The friendship was based on the previous generation and I hope that the new generation will reconstruct the bound between the two countries once again.

Latvia is somewhere in the middle both geographically and figuratively, concerning the organization of jewellery art community.

Which country is the most active seems to me as a provocative question aiming to highlight one of the countries.

Although healthy competition between neighbouring countries seems inevitable I see the Baltic States and their relations differently. I prefer to encourage cooperation highlighting reasonable strengths of each community.

Although in the nearest past a common event of all three countries has been but a dream, I see a possibility of such a measure thanks to the communication capabilities of the new generation. From my point of view educational institutions

have been the central meeting point for each country’s jeweller communities.

From now on I believe that new nongovernmental organizations (as LJAA) should play a more important role in transnational communication.

This also seems to be a good time and place to announce LJAA desire to engage in closer communication with the two neighbouring countries, which could hopefully result in joint exhibitions and other events in the future. This would help to mark the Baltic States as a jewellery community evolving point in a worldly context.

Did your government have any measurements to help artists that felt covid impact to their economic wellbeing?

The upper mentioned SCCF announ­ ced Creative person employment pro­ g­r am that was established on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture

In general did Covid-19 have much impact to jewellery community? How did Latvian jewellers dealt with it?

Somehow it seems that the impact is only about to come. Too little time has passed to see the true changes in the community. Jewellery artist in general is a loner. With rare exceptions work with contemporary jewellery is basically one person in his/her workshop. The regulations of gathering don’t change the everyday work in the workshop.

People still have money so they are able to commission new work. But how will the situation develop in the following months is hard to predict.

What do you think are the prospects for 2021? Will jewellery industry recover fast?

As I already wrote previously, I think the worst is yet to come. So the question about recovery is also asked too early. The small businesses might have more problems in comparison to large companies but this is due to a new tax policy rather than Covid-19. Constant changes in the tax system in my opinion are a major problem in Latvia and in such unstable times it is even worse to cope with jet new changes. ■

The information on the Creative person employment program and scholarship was gathered from www.km.gov.lv; www.kkf.lv and www.lsm.lv.

www.balticjewellerynews.com

MARKET REVIEW / WORLDWIDE JEWELLERY REPORT

The Worldwide

Gold Price

EUR per troy ounce 1700 1650 1600 1550 1500 1450 1400 1350 1300 www.gold.org

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1100

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

1200

41 –2022

1250 1150 2020 2021 2022 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 01 02

Data/EUR per troy ounce

02/03/2020 01/04/2020 01/05/2020 01/06/2020 01/07/2020 03/08/2020 01/09/2020 01/10/2020 02/11/2020 01/12/2020 01/01/2021 01/02/2021

1 437,1 1 443,2 1 531,8 1 553,9 1 572,7 1 668,6 1 648,6 1 620,7 1 624,1 1 504,9 1 542,7 1 541,9

01/03/2021 01/04/2021 03/05/2021 01/06/2021 01/07/2021 02/08/2021 01/09/2021 01/10/2021 01/11/2021 01/12/2021 03/01/2022 01/02/2022

1 439,0 1 467,7 1 464,0 1 551,1 1 501,1 1 524,6 1 528,4 1 515,2 1 547,7 1 578,7 1 599,2 1 600,0

www.balticjewellerynews.com

MARKET REVIEW / WORLDWIDE JEWELLERY REPORT

The Worldwide

Silver Prices

Eur / ounce 29 27 25 23 21 ● 97

19 17 15 2020 2021 2022 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 01 02

Data / USD/OZ

01/04/2020 01/05/2020 01/06/2020 01/07/2020 03/08/2020 01/09/2020 01/10/2020 02/11/2020

13,984 14,938 18,827 18,218 24,417 28,645 24,254 24,033

01/12/2020 04/01/2021 01/02/2021 01/03/2021 01/04/2021 03/05/2021 01/06/2021 01/07/2021

24,053 27,364 29,418 26,678 24,948 26,96 28,102 26,1

AMBER TRIP RAW TRADE trade@ambertrip.com

www.balticjewellerynews.com

02/08/2021 01/09/2021 01/10/2021 01/11/2021 01/12/2021 03/01/2022 01/02/2022 Source: Macrotrends

25,575 24,221 22,536 24,073 22,309 22,81 22,595

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

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13

MARKET REVIEW / WORLDWIDE JEWELLERY REPORT

The Worldwide Price for

Raw Amber 2022

AMBER FROM RUSSIA

AMBER FROM UKRAINE Raw amber

Mar-22

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

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No.

Mar-22

Regular Amber Piece Size

Price / 1 kg – EUR

No.

Regular Amber Piece Size

Price / 1 kg – EUR

1

/-4 fraction

5

1

0-1 gr.

35

2

/+4-8 fraction

6

2

1-2 gr.

100

3

/+8-11.5 fraction

18

3

1-2 gr. Bead

130

4

/+11.5 fraction

37

4

2-5 gr.

220

5

/+14 fraction

70

5

5-10 gr.

460

6

/+16 fraction

160

6

10-20 gr.

850

7

2 gr. - 5 gr.

160

7

20-50 gr.

1200

8

5 gr. - 10 gr.

300

8

50-100 gr.

1300

9

10 gr. - 20 gr.

750

9

100-200 gr.

1500

10

20 gr. - 50 gr.

1200

11

50 gr. - 100 gr.

2200

12

100 gr. - 200 gr.

2500

13

200 gr. - 300 gr.

3000

14

300 gr. - 500 gr.

3500

AMBER TRIP RAW TRADE trade@ambertrip.com

www.balticjewellerynews.com

JACEK BARON PASSED AWAY

By Anna SADO and Mariusz PAJĄCZKOWSKI

PERSONALITY / POLISH JEWELLERY REPORT

www.balticjewellerynews.com

of mechanical jewellery with amber (1995), a special award for a series of bracelets in recognition of modern design and professional workmanship (1996), the Grand Prix for a bracelet with a mechanism for changing the stone (1998), and an award for the Amber Trail necklace for an innovative form of construction (2004). The market was fairly reserved in showing its admiration, although the multitude of copies of his designs seems to contradict this: even today, you can see undeniable inspirations by his ideas in many showcases at jewellery fairs...

Jacek was eager to share his knowledge and experience. Many contemporary goldsmiths started their professional career in his workshop or during courses conducted by him, both in Poland and abroad. He was a friend, colleague and teacher. He quickly won people over. Not loving him was impossible. With great commitment, like few others, he put into practice the Greek aphorism carpe diem. Always smiling and optimistic about life and people, infectious with the belief that everything is possible – if not this way, then in a different way. He has started “from scratch” many times, so he has not been vain in this. This time, however, he did not succeed – he lost his battle with cancer. ■

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best and most spectacular pieces were created with amber, including his most memorable collection of mechanical jewellery or the Baron Cut he created.

“I love amber because each nugget is different, each hides a surprise which I discover when I grind it, I’m enchanted by its colour variety, I love its smell and the many aesthetic possibilities offered by combining it with other materials,” he said in an interview for amber.com. pl, the Amber Website in January last year.

He saw jewellery in everything.

He drew inspiration from everything.

Anything could become the beginning of a new design: architecture, fauna, flora, travel, people... He was not only a great designer, but also a talented artist jeweller, constantly looking for new solutions to express the idea that has just germinated in his mind in an even more perfect way. He was always full of ideas, he could not sit still. Eventually, he would start sketching patterns that came to his mind in order to remember them for the future. He left behind a lot of notebooks, sheets and napkins with sketches and gigabytes of files on his laptop. Those projects, as his family announced, will be systematically completed.

Jacek always knew who he wanted to become. As a teenager, after a short adventure with non-precious metals, he started learning at a silver jewellery workshop. First in the Praga district of Warsaw, where he became acquainted with amber, and then in a workshop in Nowy Świat in Warsaw. At the age of 20, he knew more about silver treatment than many titled artisans. He felt metal and amber like no one else and used his skills uncompromisingly, not caring about trends and fashions. There was always a touch of madness in his designs, a large dose of perversity.

He did not allow himself to think that something could not be done differently.

Having an idea, he would put it into practice almost immediately. So quickly that it was often too soon – it often

They were in him. He did not shrink from challenges. Pearls, Swarovski crystals, zircons, diamonds and other precious stones, gold in many shades – all this was required by companies from Poland, China, the United States, Russia, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and Arab countries, with which he cooperated as a partner and designer.

He was the author of small jewels and significant designs, and a host of unique, original technological solutions that he applied in his studio. Unfortunately, we will not be able to see his latest, almost finished project, a unique combination of recycled materials with gold, amber and diamonds...

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His

happened that his innovative designs went unnoticed only to delight with their freshness and novelty some time later.

The trouble was, Jacek did not wait for the market’s belated reaction, because he was already far ahead...

In this way, for over 40 years, he has effectively, like few others, changed the image of Polish amber jewellery.

His innovative cuts and methods of setting and his lack of “respect” for the tradition of Gdansk craftsmanship outraged some, while others were delighted in it. This was reflected in numerous awards, e.g. in the Mercurius Gedanensis Competition where he received a distinction for a collection

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

On 15 August Jacek Baron, one of the most creative, talented and hard-working jewellery makers passed away. Although he used various stones in his career, amber was his passion.

Jacek was never looking for ideas.

Amber Portal amber.com.pl

Photo by Silver Bar

PETRI JÄRVINEN, MR GOLD SILVER & WATCH

By Henrik KIHLMAN

PERSONALITY /FINNISH JEWELLERY REPORT

www.balticjewellerynews.com

- Today I have also taken a bigger interest in influencing on social media channels such as Instagram and Tik Tok, Petri says.

Petris´ engagement as a fair- and event organizer started about 25 years ago when he became a member of the fair organizing committee. His activity and enthusiasm got him elected to chairman of the committee. A post he held until the committee was abolished due to lack of interest in 2018. However, the absence of a marketing event led to several contacts from entrepreneurs worrying about the future. After a year of thinking Petri realized how important a forum for meeting and business is, and he decided to go ahead and arrange the fair once again, this time on his own.

- It is a challenging project, but I believe that it is vital to have at least one arena where people can physically meet and connect. For many wholesale companies fairs are still the best place

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the years the concept has changed towards a more traditional fair. Still open solely for professionals.

At times there have been discussions about opening the fair to the public, but so far, the exhibitors have expressed their wish to keep it closed for the public.

Whereas many neighboring countries during the last years have temporarily had to shut down their jewellery fairs due to lack of exhibitors or covid, Finland has struggled against the odds. Despite challenging times and practical obstacles, the Finns have been able to maintain their own national fair GSW (Gold Silver and Watch). This fact must be credited to the tireless efforts of goldsmith and entrepreneur Petri Järvinen who plays the major role in organizing and keeping alive the only national marketing event for jewellery and watches GSW. Now to the question. Who is this enthusiast who on his own initiates and organizes fairs and sales events for the Finnish retailers?

Petri is a second-generation golds­ mith. His father Stig Järvinen got fed up with city life and decided to move his business and family from the big city to a secluded island in the western archipelago of Finland. Moving from the city to a secluded island to where you must go by boat was quite a change for a young boy. Luckily Petris´ passion for motocross helped to overcome the big change since the facilities for that sport was great in the countryside. Filling the spare time with meaningful activity never became a problem. When Petri was 18 years old his father unexpectedly passed away and suddenly Petri found

- I learned the business and to be an entrepreneur the hard way, Petri laughs.

Hard work paid off and the company was saved and grew well until it at its peak employed 20 persons and exported jewellery abroad, mainly to Sweden. The amounts were quite impressive. The biggest lots were up to 40.000 pieces per model.

Encouraged by the success of saving the family company and inspired by the opportunities offered by the maritime archipelago environment Petri became interested in creating services for the needs of the hordes of tourists and summer residents visiting his community during the summer months. This has resulted in a bunch of other companies. The range is wide.

Everything from event planning, rib-boat safaris to nearby islands and lighthouse, boat storage during the winter months to publishing local community service magazines and, beeing a jeweller, of course also a jewellery magazine, “Gold Silver & Watch”.

to show their novelties and meet their customers.

- I have my own wholesale company and for us meeting customers in person during the fair is an invaluable asset, Petri tells me.

- The jewellery scene in Finland has stagnated and is not in growth at the moment. One reason is the age structure of the entrepreneurs. Another is that the market is dominated by chain stores that are doing centralized purchasing. To grow sales, we would need to broaden our horizons and do more cooperation with our neighboring regions. In the last

41 –2022

Through

himself in charge of a goldsmithing business that, at the time, was deep in dept and frankly close to bankruptcy.

At that hard time Petri and his mother never gave up. They rolled up their sleeves and started to work hard to save the company.

B A LT I C J E W E L L E R Y N E W S

Finland has a long tradition of jewellery and watch sales events.

In the beginning they were usually held in a hotel where the participating companies had reserved a room in which they displayed their goods. The buyers would walk around the corridors and do their purchases.

The event usually ended in a spectacular gala dinner with dancing. It was the most important marketing event for the business but also the main social event of the year.

GSW show in November 2021, twenty percent of the exhibitors was from another country than Finland. This was very pleasing and hopefully a good sign for a time without covid and restrictions.

The next GSW jewellery fair is already in planning for October/November 2022.

- Even though I am active in many fields, jewellery is still closest to my heart. This is my fathers´ legacy that I cherish. In fact, I will be opening a new jewellery store in my home village. It is situated in a brand-new building in the marina with a magnificent view over the sea. I now have my two passions combined, boating and jewellery in one place. If you are travelling in the region, you are always welcome to visit. ■

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