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The Best Contemporary and Vintage Jewels At 2025 TEFAF Maastricht | March 23, 2025 (0 comments)
MAASTRICHT, Netherlands--With its mix of prestigious contemporary high art jewelers and some of the most important dealers in vintage and antique jewels, TEFAF Maastricht has become a must-see event for admirers of collectible jewels.
The eight-day show is considered one of the oldest and most respected art, antique and design fairs in the world. The galleries and artists in the fair display objects and art spanning all of western civilization. This year featured seven independent contemporary jewelers, two prestigious jewelry houses, and no fewer than eight vintage and antiques dealers. Below are some of the highlights of the fair.
[Oval shaped Old European cut diamond on an iron and white gold ring by Hemmerle. Photo credit: Hemmerle]
One of the longest jewelry exhibitors at TEFAF Maastricht and one of the best known among collectors is Hemmerle. The Munich, Germany-based family-owned company once again presented its well-executed jewels that mixes traditional and unique materials along with objects from antiquities. Among its pieces was number a capsule collection of contemporary, streamlined and delicate jewels using old European cut diamonds. Among the pieces is a pair of pear-shaped diamond earrings, with each diamond weighing approximately 9 carats, wrapped in bronze and white gold.
{The Mandarin Garnet, Diamond and Shakudo Bangle by Forms]
Hong Kong high jewelry house Forms, based in Hong Kong was founded in 2010 by Elad Assor and Tzvika Janover. The company produces about 100 pieces per year and is one of the few high jewelers that is truly contemporary. The company employs many modern techniques. All pieces are produced at their workshop in Hong Kong by an international team of skilled designers and artisans.
One piece shown at the fair was an 18k yellow gold and shakudo bangle featuring 18 graduated mandarin garnets (21.78 carats) and old half-moon step-cut diamonds (4.74 carats ). The outer surface is adorned with hammered shakudoand circular-cut diamonds.
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[The Marina Necklace by Margot McKinney. Photo credit: Enrique Meesters and Margot McKinney]
Margot McKinney was one of several new jewelers at TEFAF. She is a fourth-generation Australian jeweler whose family firm has a 141-year history in the trade. She is known for her big, bold and classic gem-centric jewels for her well-heeled and well-connected private clients.
Among the jewels she presented for her first exhibition at TEFAF is the Marina Necklace, made with a large green beryl, aquamarine and green tourmaline set against a backdrop of 25 baroque Australian South Sea pearls. The jewel was inspired by the Great Barrier Reef. the gems are arranged to evoke the colors of the tropical waters of the Coral Sea and the marine theme is underscored by the pearls, harvested over several years from the seas of Australia’s far-north region. The gems were cut from fifth-generation gem-cutter Paul-Otto Caesar in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, a renowned center for skilled and artistic gem cutting.
All of Margot McKinney’s pearls for the necklace and for all of McKinney’s creations are from a single Australian pearl farmer, Aji Ellies Wimilirantna.
McKinney recently opened a pop-up at Bergdorf-Goodman and is planning to open boutiques in New York and Los Angeles.
[Anna Hu Cleopatra Necklace. Photo credit: Anna Hu]
Anna Hu presented several new collections. It includes a group of titanium butterflies and orchids finished using a nano-electroplating technique that is “painted” onto the metal. The result is butterflies in several color combinations and patterns that appear to have an enamel finish.
A second collection is based on the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Snake called the “Cleopatra” collection consisting of serpent-themed jewels and a statement necklace with twisted chain made of diamonds, tsavorites and spinels with a gold snake at the end with a row of garnets.
One of her standout jewels was the “Côte Céleste Brooch." The piece is layered in colorful titanium that is centered with a 46.62-carat paraiba tourmaline. The gem rests on a patch of colorful sapphires and diamonds. Circular strands of titanium paved with white diamonds and colored gems swirls around the gem as if in orbit. The piece is finished with 18k yellow, white and rose gold.
[Buccellati Opera Tulle Collection bangle bracelet. Photo credit: Buccellati]
Buccellati exhibited at TEFAF for the first time since 2014. Among the new fine jewelry pieces was a bracelet and necklace set from the “Opera High Jewellery Collection” designed by Buccellati’s current creative director, Andrea Buccellati. Vintage items included diamond-studded brooches from the 1960s and a set of earrings, pendant and brooch with aquamarines from the 1970s.
[The Comme Moi brooch by Feng j. Photo credit: Feng J]
High jewelry artist, Feng J, is the first jewelry exhibitor at TEFAF from Mainland China. Much of her inspiration comes from French impressionist paintings and her motifs, materials and techniques combine western and eastern influences. Her most impressive technique is what she calls, “floating gems,” in which she replicates the effect of the impressionist artists’ brushstrokes. It involves mounting double rose-cut gems in gently colored electroplated gold or titanium prongs. She says this allows the metalwork to “disappear,” making the jewels appear almost weightless.
{Diamond Jaali Earrings by Santi. Photo credit: Santi]
Santi is a London-based private jeweler founded by 36-year-old Krishna Choudhary, a descendent of a family with long and deep-rooted ties to the gemstone industry in Jaipur. Many of his creations are inspired the designs and techniques of rare antiques that served. In addition, the majority of his jewels are made with historic gems that he collects.
[Hand with Three-Horned Chameleon by Otto Jakob. Photo credit: Otoo Jakob]
German goldsmith, Otto Jakob, creates miniature sculptures made with several ancient and modern techniques that took him years to learn. His “Hand with Three-Horned Chameleon,” pendant is made of partially oxidized white gold. Reminiscent of parade armor, the chameleon's features and scales are outlined in painted gold. Its tongue is engraved in coral and its eyes—in turquoise, accentuated with Japanese lacquer. The white-enameled hand is “tattooed” with the image of a grasshopper, painted in gold and black enamel. The hand wears a sapphire and a diamond ring, as well as a bracelet set with tsavorites and yellow diamonds. The suspension loop is micro pavé-set with yellow and black diamonds.
[Angela Cummings for Tiffany & Co 18k burnished gold disc necklace set with one platinum pave set diamond discs, circa 1970, offered by A La Vieille Russie. Photo Credit: alvr.com]
Among the antique and vintage jewelry dealers is the New York based, A La Vieille Russie. The family-owned firm specializes in original Fabergé creations and other Russians. However, its vast jewelry collection from Europe, Asia and the U.S. spans centuries and includes all types of signed and unsigned pieces. The same is true for its equally vast collection of decorative works.
[“Boules des Deux Côtés d’un Carré” (Balls on two sides of a square), 1968, by Bury Pol, offered by Didier Ltd.]
Didier Ltd., founded by Didier and Martine Haspeslagh, specializes in jewels by mid- to late-20th century artists purchased on the secondary market. One of the featured pieces in their booth was the “Boules des Deux Côtés d’un Carré” (Balls on two sides of a square), by Bury Pol, a Belgian sculptor who specialized in large public kinetic sculptures. The 1968 creation is an 18k gold square bracelet with gold beads above and below that move when worn.
