Storytelling – synonymous with the meaning of jewellery. From wedding rings, birthday necklaces, celebratory bracelets, the concept of jewellery as symbolic of a tale is a natural role it continues to play. 

This is vey much the case for Danish based jeweller Orit Elhanati. 

From searching the past as much as the present for symbolism reworked into contemporary elegance and at times somewhat biomorphic shapes, Elhanati feeds into the notion of what we define as a modern woman. Not shy of her past and its impact, nor fearful of what the future can unfurl.

We spoke to Orit about her cross-cultural approach to design, the textural possibility of 18 carat gold and the protective powers something so close to your skin can bring.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by my environment and people around me. Nature, the sea, the clean lines of the desert, rocks and nature is deeply inspiring to me. I am not religious, but I believe in these greater powers that have such a force, that we cannot comprehend. Each thing I create, whether it be a piece of jewellery or something in my home, is somehow inspired by all these different places and people. It is very important to me that there is a feeling behind everything I do. I am in love with the works of Zara Hadid that has incredible ways of creating beautiful, yet functional design with soft and curvy lines. Gaudi’s mysterious universe as well as Henri Matisse’s sensual lines and touch to name a few have inspired me.  

Why did you choose to launch a jewellery brand ?

Gold has always fascinated me. I have always been infatuated with my grandmother and her friends sitting on the porch in Tel Aviv dripping in gold. This has imprinted itself in my mind and has followed me throughout my life – I love the way jewellery is made to be passed on through generations and becomes a part of the woman and her story. I remember the exact moment when I knew it was my calling – I have never looked back since, and have had ELHANATI since 2011.

Has this reason evolved or changed since your brand’s inception? You are now doing a range of both fine jewellery pieces and more costume jewellery styles: was this diversion part of the plan?

18K gold has always been my preferred material. I love the texture of the gold, I love working with it. However, the main thing for me is creating, and I love having a larger canvas as you can with demifine and limited collections, so this is something that has been a part of ELHANATI from the start, with other things in the pipeline too.

You have a cross-cultural approach to your designs: how does each part of your heritage manifest in your jewellery?

I am a Danish jewellery designer with roots in Israel. I create handmade jewellery from our atelier in Copenhagen, drawing inspiration from the Nordic lightness and minimalism and mysterious energy and surroundings from the Middle East. I only work in 18K solid recycled yellow gold: I am in love with the feeling of working with it, creating textures. Everything I do is connected to nature, so this texture helps me tell stories. The yellow gold I always use, has a direct connection to the Middle East. Many of the things I create are stories about the streets of Jerusalem, the path to the dead sea, the textures of the mountains, cliffs and desert lines. There is also a symbolic meaning connected to the pendants on the necklaces, that protect and empower the bearer.

How do you see the jewellery landscape evolving after this year?

I have always been designing jewellery for men, and bespoke pieces, and I can see the demand is increasing for both of these types of jewellery, so this is something I think we will see more of next year. I am currently working on some amazing projects that I cannot say more about just at present. I can say it something I am very excited about. I love pushing myself and learning new things and working on new projects and collaborations creates something very magical and a completely different universe in my work. I have been really lucky to work with some amazing talents. 

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Tags: accessories, Fashion, jewellery