Inspiration and gift ideas for the festive season: a selection of unique pieces created by artists and designers from Belgium and Europe.
Boucles d’oreilles “Square”, or jaune 18ct, Sabine Herman
Broche “Succulente”, tissu, paillettes, broderie, perle, Isabelle Mariana, bijoux d’exceptions, galerie hectare, bijou Bruxelles, unique, belge, créateurs
Lou Sautreau lives and works in Brussels. A formal research combined with selected colours generates jewellery that both moves and embodies a touch of poetry. So many objects that we embrace for their personal strength and that make us quiver. Her work is a journey between materials, jewellery-making techniques and textile awareness.
Portrait Lou Sautreau photo laetitia paille
“The memory of a goldsmith grandfather fed my imagination. Each designer translates their era into a language that is unique to them. I let the material guide me and like to express myself through it by carefully listening to it. Present day and timeless shapes, my jewellery draws its strength from its simplicity. Imagine things and give them shape… When you see an idea materialize and come to life on the body, that’s when magic happens.” Sabine Herman
Ambroise Degeneve, rings : oxidized silver, copper, pearl Fossilized pearls La perle autrement
Ambroise Degenève, aka la perle autrement, reinvents the codes of contemporary jewellery. A graduate of the HEAD (Haute École d’Art et de Design) in Switzerland, he currently lives and works in Lyon. A year after graduating, he opened his own workshop, building on his experience as an assistant to the famous jeweller Jean Grisoni in Paris. Since then, his creations have been shown in several group exhibitions in Europe and the United States, reinforcing his reputation as an innovative craftsman in the world of contemporary jewellery.
Ambroise Degenève’s creative universe is a sensory journey. Fossilized species, oxidized flowers, crystallized petals… His work seems to rewrite an encyclopaedia of nature through unique pieces, each one a tribute to the beauty and fragility of the living world. With over a hundred creations to his name, he invites us into a poetic, post-apocalyptic realm of minerals, where experimentation and the reinvention of traditional techniques are at the heart of his creative process.
Ambroise Degenève brings an innovative perspective to jewellery design, masterfully overturning ancient techniques while embracing new materials. He conceals synthetic gemstones in rough rings and daringly combines cultured pearls with silver, which he roughens with a patina to strip away its gloss. Contemporary jewellery thus becomes a playground where the craftsman plays with the value of materials and reinvents the conventional codes of the craft. This unique interplay between pearls – symbols of elegance – and raw materials perfectly embodies the designer’s bold spirit.
We showcased Ambroise’s work for the first time at our exhibition “Round”, celebrating pearls in a modern context in July 2023.
Jiro Kamata’s jewellery reveals the art of the immateriality of reflection. The Munich-based Japanese artist explores the boundaries between the ordinary and the extraordinary. His creations capture light, reflection and its environment, sublimating them to play with perception. Reflection becomes a central element, which blends reality with illusion. Each piece invites the wearer to question how they interact with their surroundings.
Jiro Kamata’s jewellery is characterised by his innovative use of lenses and mirrors. These elements, often associated with photography, become sensory portals. Light and colour, distorted by reflections, create a constant interaction with the wearer. The techniques used, combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary materials, transform each piece into a unique work of art. The polished surface of the lenses enhances depth and invites tactile and visual exploration.
Born in Hirosaki, Japan, in 1978, Jiro Kamata studied gemology and jewellery design in Yamanashi before perfecting his skills at the Pforzheim College of Design. A graduate of the Munich Academy of Fine Arts under Otto Künzli, he combines classical techniques with modern materials. He has been teaching at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts since 2009 and has exhibited internationally, notably in Germany, Japan and the United States.
We exhibited his work for the first time at our ‘Miroir’ exhibition, celebrating the art of reflection, in October 2023.
Visit the artist’s official website
Or an interview with him
Emma Gregory’s jewellery translates the raw energy and rhythmic complexity of electronic music into tangible form. Drawing inspiration from drum & bass, she explores the connections between musical notation and contemporary design. Her creations transform beats into visual patterns, where each chain symbolises a sound section and each colour represents a musical track. Through a subtle interplay of structure and volume, she gives form to the tension and fluidity of basslines – the lowest note sequences – offering pieces that resonate with the pulse of music.
Emma Gregory primarily works with steel – a bold and distinctive choice in the world of jewellery. She uses an exceptionally fine wire, just 0.3 mm thick, which gives her pieces remarkable lightness and movement. Minimalist and airy, her jewellery captivates through its simplicity and precision. Each piece strikes a balance between apparent fragility and structural strength.
Trained in jewellery design at prestigious institutions such as the Glasgow School of Art, the Goldschmiedeschule Pforzheim, and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Emma Gregory has developed a singular approach to her craft. Her master’s project allowed her to delve into the relationship between musical notation and visual art, drawing inspiration from artists like Kandinsky and Paul Klee, who also sought to give visual form to music.
Like Esther Heite, exhibited at Hectare Galerie since 2023, Emma Gregory highlights the technical potential of steel – a central material in both their practices. This deliberate choice shapes their creative process, with each piece conceived in harmony with the unique properties of the metal. It’s impossible to imagine their jewellery in any other material: the rigidity, flexibility, and lightness of steel define their aesthetic and formal language.
Discover the artist’s official website
Or visit her YouTube channel
Under the name Margoni, Greek duo Mary Margoni and Yannis Mandilakis reveal a new approach to gemstone cutting. Based in Thessaloniki, the designers sublimate each gemstone with a unique philosophy: preserving the stones’ raw authenticity while enhancing it with gold. Their work combines abstract lines and asymmetrical shapes to create vibrant, timeless jewellery that celebrates the kaleidoscopic beauty of each stone.
In her studio, the stones are at the centre of the creative process. Mary concentrates on design, imagining free, modern shapes, while cutting and polishing techniques are Yannis’ area of expertise. Some stones are left raw, revealing a natural texture, while others are shaped into free cuts to capture the light in a unique way. Precious metals such as 18-carat gold and sterling silver frame these gems, adding contrast and subtlety.
Margoni was founded in 1989. Since then, the duo has continued to share their art around the world, with pieces exhibited in Europe and the United States. Inspired by the colourful landscapes of Greece, they infuse their creations with a natural elegance, a blend of strength and delicacy.
Visit the artists’ official website
Or Exceptional jewellery
Kazuko Nishibayashi partage son temps entre l’Allemagne et le Japon. Elle signe des bijoux d’une grande Kazuko Nishibayashi divides her time between Germany and Japan. She designs jewellery of great timelessness. Empty space and form are key in her work. “For me, empty spaces are as important as physical matter.” Between rigour and romanticism, silver becomes sculpture. Her lace and folds are translated into rings, brooches and pendants.
Danni Schwaag explores the connection between material, texture, and colour to create sculptural and captivating jewellery. Her artistic approach, infused with spontaneity and balance, combines mother-of-pearl, wood, and found objects in bold and poetic compositions.
Danni Schwaag transforms materials into captivating compositions, revealing a world where textures and colours boldly respond to one another. Her creative process is rooted in spontaneity and the quest for balance, guided by coincidences and surprises. Nature, architecture, and art intertwine to give birth to jewellery that embodies a tactile and visual exploration, where the connection between touch, emotion, and aesthetics is delicately unveiled.
The artist embraces mother-of-pearl, a material with iridescent reflections, which she combines with unexpected elements such as wood, copper, or galalith. Added to these are enamel, threads, and found objects, carefully assembled to bring depth and visual contrast. This mosaic of materials creates a chromatic harmony where pastel shades, vibrant accents, and rawer tones intertwine. The surprising combinations and meticulous finishes enhance the sculptural character of each piece of jewellery.
Born in Germany, Danni Schwaag studied at the University of Applied Arts in Trier, in the Gemstone and Jewellery Design department of Idar-Oberstein, from 2004 to 2008. In 2006, she participated in an Erasmus programme at Escola Massana in Barcelona, enriching her creative approach. Prior to that, she trained as a jeweller in Münster, where she worked after completing her apprenticeship. This eclectic journey has allowed her to develop a unique artistic language, rooted in experimentation and material reinvention.
We had the pleasure of exhibiting Danni Schwaag’s work during the Foam & Fuel exhibition in April 2022, alongside Nelly Van Oost, where their creations engaged in a dialogue around the sensuality of materials and the artisanal gesture.
Visit the artist’s official website
Herman Hermsen redefines traditional Jewellery by reimagining classic forms with a playful sense of humour and bold creativity. Born in Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Hermsen has become a prominent figure figure in contemporary Jewellery design. His version of “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, for example, transforms the iconic image of a young girl adorned with a striking pearl earring. His work, which balances irony and imagination, challenges the role of Jewellery and art in our lives while presenting a thoroughly modern perspective on this timeless object.
Herman Hermsen explores unconventional and bold materials such as painted aluminium, lacquered steel wire and plastics. He deconstructs traditional elements by splitting diamonds or making pearls appear to float, turning these precious materials into conceptual art pieces. Whether his designs are one-of-a-kind or made in limited editions, they defy expectations by seamlessly blending aesthetics, technical precision and emotional expression. By combining craftsmanship with innovation, Hermsen elevates jewellery beyond its decorative function, transforming it into a means of artistic expression.
After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Arnhem, Hermsen collaborated with renowned designers such as Gijs Bakker and Emmy van Leersum. In addition to his artistic practice, he teaches at the Fachhochsschule in Düsseldorf and institutions in the Netherlands, where he shares his knowledge and inspires new generations of designers. His jewellery continues to challenge conventions, pushes the boundaries of creativity and explores the evolving role of ornamentation in our everyday lives.
We exhibited his work at the ‘Round’ exhibition in July 2023, which offered a contemporary take on the pearl.
Visit the artist’s official website
Or an interview with him
