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Kashmir Ring by Eleonora Federici

Kashmir Ring by Eleonora Federici is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award in Jewelry Design Competition Category.


IronJewelry· 2024

Kashmir Ring

by Eleonora Federici

Client: Eleonora Federici Jewelry

A' Design Award Winner in Jewelry Category

19,084

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #157239

Colors

The Design

About Kashmir Ring

Inspired by the Kashmir paisley pattern, reflects the vibrant fabrics of the Middle East, particularly India. Crafted to convey the magic and spiritual charm of India, it embodies the essence of a Kashmir shawl in a three-dimensional form. Although it falls into the category of dome rings, its design balances positive and negative spaces, creating a delicate equilibrium between complexity and simplicity. Despite its size, its ideal weight and volume distribution ensure it is easily wearable for everyday occasions. Materials: 18K gold, diamonds, blue sapphire, citrine, and red garnet.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award

Kashmir Ring is an Iron A' Design Award winner, a prestigious recognition granted to good designs that meet the professional and industrial requirements expected from well-designed creations. Iron winners demonstrate great skill, high specialization, expert understanding, and creative capacity of their creators. Kashmir Ring is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished creation that is practical and innovative. This Iron A' Design Award-winning design integrates industry best practices and has competent technical characteristics linked with know-how and talent. Kashmir Ring is respected for its thoroughness and is designed to provide quality of life improvements that help make the world a better place.

Interviews

Design Interview

What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

This design was inspired by the Kashmir paisley motif, and reflects the vibrant fabrics of the Middle East, particularly India.

What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

My aim was to seamlessly translate the elegance of the Kashmir fabric into a three-dimensional version while avoiding chaos, monotony or predictability.

What are your future plans for this award winning design?

My future plan for this design is to establish it as a renowned choice for women seeking to express their individuality and unique attitude through jewelry.

Read the Full Interview

Grand Interview

Your innovative interpretation of the Kashmir paisley pattern in the Kashmir Ring represents a fascinating bridge between textile heritage and contemporary jewelry design. Could you elaborate on how you translated this two-dimensional pattern into a three-dimensional masterpiece while maintaining its cultural essence?

The paisley, with its fluid and organic shapes, carries rich cultural significance, and I wanted to honor that while reimagining it in a more sculptural, wearable form.I studied the paisley’s delicate curves and intricate detailing in its textile form, noting how the patterns often flow and intertwine. I sought to retain the essence of that movement and continuity while transforming it not just in a jewel but in a piece of wearable art.The idea was to preserve the sense of fluidity from the fabric while adapting it into a form that could interact with light and shadows, giving the paisley a dynamic, almost living quality. What truly guided me through this process was my instinct and my appreciation for beauty and movement. I started with a piece of jewelry wax, first carving the shape of the dome ring. Then, I hollowed out the model to the desired thickness to ensure a strong structure after casting. From there, I began drawing directly on the wax to form the top part of the pattern, gradually sawing away the areas that would remain empty. This technique allowed me to carve each section of the pattern one after the other, as the shapes seemed to "auto-create" themselves through my hands. That was not easy, as the wax is very soft at certain thickness...It’s difficult to explain my particular design process - it’s more about having an idea in my mind and bringing it to life directly, whether with my hands or on the computer. This approach also gives me the freedom to make changes to the initial concept as I go along, leading to the best final result.The outcome is a fusion of past and present, where the paisley pattern is not simply replicated but reimagined in a form that tells a new story.

The Kashmir Ring showcases an intriguing balance between positive and negative spaces. How did you approach the technical challenges of creating these void elements while ensuring structural integrity in the 18K gold framework?

I am not just a designer, but also a production specialist and bench jeweler, which means I have a deep understanding of the entire process of creating a piece of jewelry, from concept to completion. I have the technical knowledge required to ensure the longevity and durability of a piece like the Kashmir Ring. I am fully aware of the necessary thicknesses and proportions, particularly the width of the bridges connecting the voids, to ensure that the structure remains strong and stable while still allowing for the intricate balance of positive and negative spaces. This expertise enables me to create a design that is both visually striking, structurally sound and elegant.

Your use of multiple gemstones in the Kashmir Ring - including diamonds, blue sapphire, citrine, and red garnet - creates a vibrant palette. What inspired your specific choice and placement of these stones to enhance the ring's connection to traditional Kashmir textiles?

The Middle East is known for its vibrant use of color, and in jewelry, there is an abundance of precious stones. I chose diamonds to draw the eye to the top of the ring, where you will find the blue sapphire and citrine - cold and warm tones that naturally enhance each other. The addition of a touch of red garnet surprises the eye, especially when viewed from all angles, creating an element of intrigue. While I wanted to showcase this rich palette, I was careful not to overuse gemstones, as my goal was to create a modern, wearable piece of art that still honors the traditional aesthetics of Kashmir textiles.

Read the Full Interview

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
While this ring generally falls into the category of domed rings, it displays an unusual interplay of positive and negative spaces, where the void becomes an integral part of the design, creating a decoration that balances complexity and simplicity in a delicate equilibrium. Despite its size, the ring is perfectly wearable and comfortable. The design ensures that the sides of the shank are not too thick or uncomfortable. It was created for the modern, strong woman looking for a statement ring.
Dimensions & Packaging
The ring can be housed in a box measuring 26.30mm x 28.30mm x 39.40 mm. The ring is made of 18 Kt yellow gold set with the following gemstones: 1 oval Sapphire, 11 round brilliant cut diamonds, 1 round orange Topaz, 1 emerald cut red Garnet. Total weight: 28 grams.
Tags
jewelry design, high-end jewelry, Kashmir, italian jewelry design, unique jewelry, one-of-a-kind jewelry, custom made jewelry, made in Italy, eleonora federici, award winning jewelry designer
Production Technology
This model was born out of inspiration and literally grew while carving wax with my own hands. The design flowed naturally, each curve leading seamlessly to the next. While the idea existed in my head, the handwork clarified my vision. It was made using the traditional lost wax technique: the original wax prototype is encased and then melted, leaving a hollow mould that is filled with 18Kt yellow gold. The pure design challenge was to seamlessly translate the elegance of Kashmir fabric into a three dimensional version, avoiding chaos, monotony or predictability.
Design Challenge
Technically speaking, making the wax model was the most arduous task. The voluminous wax model with an average thin thickness and empty spaces made handling and maintaining its integrity a challenge. The model was then cast in 18K yellow gold using the lost wax technique. Finally, I recreated the model in CAD to produce the video, which gives anyone who cannot see it in person the opportunity to get a better 3D understanding of it.
Research
My aim was to create a design that is rooted in a traditional form but stands out from all other rings of its kind. Using the golden ratio as a guide to achieve harmony and complexity, I wanted to create a bold yet elegant piece of jewelry. I subtly adjusted the exact measurements of the golden ratio to achieve a more seamless and cohesive connection between the shank and the head.
Inspiration
The inspiration came from the paisley pattern, whose original Persian name was Boteh and which adorned the characteristic fabrics of the Middle East, especially India. In making this ring, my aim was to reflect the magic and spiritual charm of India and its culture and to create a piece that could embody the essence of a voluminous and elegant Kashmir shawl. The natural connection with jewelry arises because Kashmir has historically been synonymous with prestige.
Project Duration
The project started in Pavia in January 2020 and concluded in Pavia in December 2020.
Operation Flow
This ring possesses a distinctive feature not commonly found in statement or cocktail rings: its ease of wear, proper weight and volume distribution, all while maintaining the necessary thickness for durability, making it a wearable piece throughout the day and for any occasion. Additionally, it is highly comfortable, as the design ensures that the shank's sides are neither excessively thick nor bulging. In fact, an important aspect of my design is always the anatomic-like fit.
Image Credits
Image #1: Stefano Negri
Image #2: Stefano Negri
Image #3: Stefano Negri
Image #4: Stefano Negri
Image #5: Stefano Negri
Video: Eleonora Federici
Video credits: Eleonora Federici, Paolo Argento (music)

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