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Justyna Witkowska

All that glitters is not gold - a guide to jewelry brands, part I

This is one of the most popular gifts and undoubtedly a very effective accessory, which is often the culmination of a successful styling.

Sometimes the right earrings or a necklace are enough to get the "wow" effect, with which even average, everyday styling gains shine and depth.

Successively, in this and the following parts of the cycle, I will present jewelry brands whose offer is worth getting acquainted with.

Among them will be both popular, with an established market position, as well as less known, existing relatively recently.

Polish and foreign, offering products from different price ranges, as well as characterized by different aesthetics.

There's a lot to choose from, so here we go.


(I would like to add that the order presented in the list is random and does not reflect my individual preferences).


APART


It is safe to say that it is the most famous Polish jewelery brand (together with Yes and W. Kruk it is the most popular jewelery trio in our country).

It was founded in 1977 and owes its name to the combination of the first letters of the brothers' names Adam and Piotr Rączyński with the word "art".

Currently, the sales network includes over 200 stores across the country, which gives almost 3,000 employees.

The most famous brand ambassadors are Anna Lewandowska, Aneta Kręglicka,

Małgorzata Socha and Kasia Smutniak.

The multitude of collections is impressive, but probably also confuses some people.

Well thought out search filters such as by price, theme, occasion or raw material can help here.

The brand regularly offers various promotions, provides free shipping and 100 days free return.

I think that everyone is able to find something for themselves from among thousands of products, however, as it is a jewelry chain store, it may be hard to find one-of-a-kind and unique accessories -

it is just mostly elegant, suitable for many occasions, safe jewelry,

and I absolutely do not say that this is

a bad thing.


WALD Berlin


Probably the youngest brand in this part of the list.

It was created in 2018 as a result of collaboration between stylist

(Dana Roski) and model

(Joyce Binneboese).

Although the inspiration for the designs comes from different regions of the world, the founders emphasize the company's German roots and its focus on family and ecology.

On the official website you can read that all gold and silver used in the production of jewelry comes from recycling, and thanks to the cooperation with biologists, the creators make sure that materials such as shells and corals are not on the list of protected species.

In addition, the brand also offers

a renovation or repair service for its own products, but I think that it may be a nice option mainly for people living in Germany, because the cost is 39 €.

And if we're on the subject of prices, then we're already at the medium level, which means that for a pair of earrings, for example, we'll have to pay about 100 €.

However, if WALD is really dominated by an ethical, transparent approach combined with good quality, then this is an interesting proposition and I think that no one should be bothered by the multitude of choices, because ... it is quite modest.

All products are kept in a similar style: expressive (sometimes even brass) and modern - perfect for people who like when jewelry is not only a background, but plays a significant role in completing the image.


SORU


We already had a brand created by brothers in this list, now it's time for sisters!

Marianna and Francesca, as they are referred to, were born and raised in the UK, but their veins (thanks to their Sicilian father) are also full of Italian blood, and their hearts are filled with memories of vacations spent with their very large family in Palermo.

The image of the strong, passionate and charismatic women that surrounded them there made such an impact that years later it was reflected in the amazing jewelry designs and continues to be the biggest inspiration for jewelry making today.

Soru's official start was in 2013, when both Marianna and Francesca were new moms.

It was then that the idea of starting a business on their own terms was born in their heads, based on what they both love and have always dreamed of.

They already had experience in customer contact (working in Selfridges), retail (Francesca spent 5 years buying jewelry for the European branch of Claires Accessories), and photography (Marianna), while they learned how to navigate social media and create websites from YouTube tutorials in their spare time.

Each project is the result of the work of one of the sisters, and the realization is handled by small, family-owned companies from Italy or Turkey.

In accordance with the principles of sustainable development, we are not dealing with mass production here, therefore, among other things, for new gems or the return of those sold out, sometimes you have to wait a bit.

Well, a few words about what Soru has to offer.

Beauties.

I am presenting a few examples below, but nevertheless, I really encourage everyone reading this post to take a look at the official website of the brand for a while and feel the sunny, expressive Italian atmosphere.

And if while browsing, you also come to mind associations with the aesthetics of the Dolce & Gabbana duo, it is right, because both sisters are its great fans.

Who, on the other hand, can be counted among the fans of Soru jewelry?

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Chiara Ferragni, Rita Ora, and (what makes Marianna and Francesca especially proud) the Duchess of Cambridge herself, Kate Middleton, among others, have been seen in the brand's designs.

It is worth mentioning that when it comes to the price aspect, we are dealing here with a mid-range products - these are not cheap, but also not overwhelmingly expensive considering the attractive, original design, and also quite intimate nature of business.

And finally, an interesting fact: SORU in the Sicilian dialect means nothing but sisters.


GOLPIRA


This is the penultimate proposition in this part and at the same time my favorite for several reasons!

Although the brand created by Gisa Golpira in 2014 has its base in Germany, its inspiration and influences reach, among others, to such remote corners of the world as Peru, Papua New Guinea or Australia.

The common denominator for all these locations?

Gold.

More specifically, the so-called 'gold nuggets', that are used in their natural form in Golpira jewelry, and therefore are not melted or polished and that's why each ring or necklace is one of a kind, because there are no two identical nuggets.

Anyway, watch the promo video:

As in the case of Soru, here, too, childhood memories are not without influence on the choice of such a life and career path.

Gisa spent her youngest years in Peru in the heart of one of the most beautiful rainforests in the world, where her parents were involved in gold prospecting.

To this day, she wears a necklace with the first nugget her mom found, and she relies on timelessness when designing and creating jewelry.

Personally, I'm a big fan of raw, simple, natural forms, so the brand's products immediately charmed me.

Another aspect for which they are worthy of interest is the pragmatic-economic one.

Investing in gold is always a good idea as long as it is pure gold.

However, due to the fact that this metal is very soft, the vast majority of so-called fashion jewelry, which is available in chain stores or jewelry stores, is made by mixing it (in different proportions, depending on the sample) with other metals.

This process means that unless we are dealing with a very unique product due to, for example, its design or history

(it previously belonged to a famous person or was made by a famous manufactory), it is a rather average idea for a capital investment.

BUT

The situation is completely different when it comes to nuggets, which constitute less than 2% of all gold mined, which means that their value significantly exceeds the market value of this metal.

Therefore, we can combine here the pleasant with the useful and make a safe investment, at the same time giving ourselves or someone close to us a unique, effective and beautiful accessory.

Gisa also emphasizes how important ethical issues are to her venture, including cooperation only with mines that respect human rights and the natural environment, which do not use any chemicals such as cyanide or mercury.

Maybe it is the most expensive proposition among those presented here, but it is definitely worth a deeper attention.


GOOSSENS


The last stop of the first part of our jewelery tour will be France, because in this country, and more specifically in the fashionable Marais district of Paris, in 1950 Robert Goossens

(son of a metal foundry worker) founded a small goldsmith's workshop.

Earlier, in his youth, he had an internship in creating jewelry, during which he expanded and perfected his skills in the field of casting, engraving and embossing semi-precious and simulated stones.

In 1953, Robert met Gabrielle Chanel herself on his path.

Not only was she enchanted by his works inspired by antiquity (including Byzantine and Egyptian art), but she also encouraged him to transfer his creative skills to interior design elements.

And I have to mention that the mirrors, candlesticks and lamps have stolen my heart and are definitely worth a look.

A table with a base imitating a sheaf of wheat, designed especially for Coco Chanel, serves as an example:

Well, okay, I couldn't help myself - a few more gems:

'Foliage' candelabrum - 1 350€, 'Foliage' chandelier - price on request, 'Wheat' candle holder - 890 €, 'Wheat' mirror - price on request, 'Shell' table lamp - 7 300€


Coming back to jewelry, Goossens designs are a kind of bridge between the past and the present.

It's something like a memento of your grandmother with a modern twist.

The dominant materials are brass bathed in 24-carat gold, as well as colored mountain crystals, and, as in the case of Soru, these are proposals rather for people who like visible, distinctive accessories.

Finally I would like to add, that the brand has collaborated with such designers as: Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent or Hubert de Givenchy, and near a stationary store, at 20 rue Cambon in Paris, there is GOOSSENS GALLERY - a boutique/showroom devoted to the works of its founder.


That's all I have prepared in this part, and the next one will appear in some (undefined) time.

I hope that someone will find the above post useful and that I was able to convey the information in an accessible and interesting way.

Of course, I invite you to share your opinions in the comments.

Greetings!


J.




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