Kristine Dee and Paul Syjuco at Firma
MANILA, Philippines - Kristine Dee and Paul Syjuco showcase another inspiringly relevant concept in jewelry design in “Deux Yeux,” which opens on Nov. 11 at Firma, ground floor, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City. The show runs until Nov. 30.
Roughly translated as “two eyes,” the artists tackle the interpretation of historical pieces.
The history of grand jewels is nothing short of fascinating. Stories of fabulous wealth and costly inventories of exquisite gems seem so far fetched today, and somewhat of a social sin, that when one reads accounts of court jewels from the Mughal Dynasty, Siam royalty, as well as the French and English crown jewels, one wouldn’t know if they were actually fantasy or fairy tale. From the fabulous Golconda finds, where the first diamonds were mined, came the largest and most illustrious of gems; providing the Mughals their playthings of pebble-sized diamonds strung in massive bibs, turban ornaments, bracelets and rings, among other things — all worn together at the same time.
Tickled pink: Rubies with red, pink and lilac spinels by Kristine Dee for Firma A sort of exchange of European and Indian/Oriental design happened in the early 1900s when French joailliers were commissioned by the English royal house to take apart and recreate many of the accumulated gifts from India, considered the greatest jewels in Europe then. The French artisans redesigned them into lighter, more elegant, Indian-inspired feminine pieces as the originals were mainly worn and designed for male wearers.
Magnificent pieces were produced through commissions between the 1700s and early 1900s by Queen Alexandra, Napoleon and the infamous Marie Antoinette, to name a few, but so far as history goes, the general fate of these magnificent jewels were either to be taken apart or redesigned according to the successive monarchs’ tastes. A majority of the French Crown Jewels was, in fact, auctioned off in 1887 to prevent a royalist coup d’ etat. Parures, coronets and diadems of natural pearls, precious gems and large diamonds were dismantled and sold into numerous lots. And once they were disposed, most were never to be heard of again.
It is from these cloudy chronicles that Kristine and Paul draw inspiration for their new creations. The designers now attempt to reinterpret these grand designs with their own takes.
“I am inspired to create pieces that give a similar feel of elegance and history using a more playful approach,” says Kristine. “I’ve also been watching Disney fairy tale-based movies and listening to the soundtracks while I design. I don’t know if this has a strong influence on the outcome, but it keeps the royal mood light and fun!”
Ear ye, ear ye: Rose-cut rhodolite garnets and brilliant cut yellow sapphires set in yellow gold by Paul Syjuco for Firma “What inspires me are the classic forms and motifs; the incredibly large stones and the formal symmetry, into which I plan to inject some movement, tension and whimsy, to lighten the whole look,” says Paul. “During the creation process, I noticed a large part of my collection gave a nod to the Mughal era, with ‘decadence’ as the guiding principle in allusion to the feel of the end product. But I made sure everything would still be wearable.”
“Deux Yeux” aims to show two different views on the discussion of court jewels. The challenge of which is to practically imagine the original pieces; even the original cuts of the gems themselves, as references to these remain scarce. It was in a time of yet unspoiled commercial society that these jewels came to be and it is that essence of pure creativity that fueled the designers’ minds.
The collections will once again be produced applying the principles of renewable luxury, using reclaimed precious metals and forming them into these newly inspired pieces.
The “Deux Yeux” jewelry collection exhibit is presented by Firma, in cooperation with Greenbelt at Ayala Malls, Belvedere Vodka, and L’Oreal Paris Philippines.
For inquiries, call 757-4009 or e-mail firma2@vasia.com.
