JEWELLERY DESIGNER
RUIFIER
Can you remember when you first held a piece of jewellery?
I have wonderful memories of holding my grandma’s sapphire ring when I was young, it was beautiful.
What is a childhood image with jewellery burnt into your mind?
To me jewellery was always colourful and mysterious. I loved the vibrant colours and the character that every piece of jewellery had to it.
Can you tell me an iconic jewellery designer whose work you got very fascinated by? What did you feel when looking at their designs?—
I have always been fascinated by Joel Arthur Rosenthal who created JAR jewelry. His pieces are both captivating and intricate, and he doesn’t produce for the masses. He creates designs with specific people in mind which is something that I have always loved and admired about his work. Looking at the pieces makes me feel as if they have a story behind them because they have been designed with an understanding of the wearer.
Do you think the “male gaze" is a myth?
I think men naturally see women differently to how we see ourselves, I wouldn’t define every man as having the ‘male gaze’, but equally I think it does exist in some cases. I believe that in the other cases men see form and shape more. As women, we can compare and focus on more on the face but we also see strength and relatability in other women.
What was your first piece of jewellery you ever made?
It was a silver ring. It was my first ever time making jewellery and I was so excited that I accidently burnt my hair when I was soldering!
What do you love most about jewellery making?
I love the feeling of being able to turn my drawings into wearable pieces that reflect the RUIFIER principles of quality, uniqueness, charisma and beautiful craftsmanship. Being able to hold a piece for the first time is something I will always treasure.
What do you hate most about jewellery making?
I wouldn’t say I hate anything about jewellery making, however I don’t like it when a design has to be compromised for the technical side.
If you would start out now what would you be doing, how would you go about// who would you work with and where would you be aiming?
I think I’d be doing exactly the same, I wouldn’t want to change anything on my journey. We previously collaborated with Smart Works, which is a charity that provides high quality interview clothes, styling advice and interview training to women in need. I would love to do more collaborations like this is in the future, with concepts that I really believe in.
Statistics show that only 1 in 10 of the big money jobs i.e. womenswear, beauty, jewellery and perfume campaigns are shot by women. Is there just no qualified female image makers out there?
I believe there are many out there! I have worked with so many talented women in my career including photographers. Women are such creative beings, I think they flourish in jobs like this. We need to encourage and celebrate each other, and collaborate more often to change these statistics.
One says it takes 10’000 hours to become a master of a craft, how long inhours/days/years did it take you to make a living?
After my Jewellery Design degree at Central Saint Martin’s I sourced inspiration from all over the world throughout my travels to develop my skills and experience. I also grew up around collectors who would collect special gemstones. So you could say that from a child I was perfecting my craft, but I don’t know how many hours that would be in total!
Who is your female jewellery designer icon and who is your the one to watch?
My favourite would have to be Parisian jewellery designer, Lydia Courteille. Her designs are flourish with character, vibrant colours and her love of unusual gemstones. I love how her designs are witty, imaginative and designed for the strong, confident women that wear them. They have their own presence and charisma, and speak to our senses in such a unique way.
What do you say about the charge that women’s fashion needs the male gaze to make it and portray it?
I think with help from a lot of movements such as #MeToo, women are beginning to take a stand to things like this and people are beginning to listen. I would love to think that things in the fashion industry will change, and we will be able to witness these changes.
There is a big surge of feminism at the moment - do you think that will affect jewellery design?
I think it will encourage women to chase their dreams and aspirations, so I think it will affect all industries in that sense.
When I look at your work, my favourite collection is Astra. What is yours?
I love them all but the ones I wear the most often would be Friends – for its playful nature, and Astra and Scintilla because I love the pearl and diamond details also. They are such feminine and elegant designs, yet so wearable for daytime or evening.
