Elysian Necklace by Britta Schwalm is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award in Jewelry Design Competition Category.
IronJewelry· 2025
Elysian Necklace
Client: www.BrittasSchmiede.de
A' Design Award Winner in Jewelry Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #167900The Design
About Elysian Necklace
Elysian is a 750 yellow gold necklace featuring a main piece with an 11 x 7 mm vibrant green tourmaline and a faceted freshwater pearl. The necklace, made from a thick gold round wire, has a handcrafted clasp. The main piece, inspired by Art Nouveau, uses finely woven gold wire to create wing-like elements around the tourmaline. The 8 mm pearl's new faceting technique enhances its natural shimmer. This innovative piece celebrates nature's beauty and human craftsmanship.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award
Elysian Necklace 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. Elysian Necklace 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. Elysian Necklace is respected for its thoroughness and is designed to provide quality of life improvements that help make the world a better place.
Where to Get It
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Contact UsInterviews
Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
The Elysian necklace was inspired by the elegance and fluidity of Art Nouveau. The design integrates delicate gold wire weaving with a vibrant green tourmaline and a faceted freshwater pearl, symbolizing nature’s beauty and refined craftsmanship. The goal was to merge timeless aesthetics with innovative techniques.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
The primary focus was to create a piece that captures intricate detail and artistic flow while ensuring wearability. I aimed to highlight the pearl’s natural shimmer through an advanced faceting method and enhance the organic elegance of the tourmaline with wing-like gold wire elements.
What made you design this particular type of work?
I wanted to explore new possibilities in pearl faceting while honoring the graceful movement of Art Nouveau. The idea of weaving gold wire in a lightweight yet secure structure allowed me to maintain both delicacy and durability in the piece.
Grand Interview
Your innovative approach to pearl faceting in the Elysian Necklace represents a significant advancement in jewelry craftsmanship - could you elaborate on how this novel technique enhances the natural luminescence of the freshwater pearl?
Pearl Faceting and LuminosityThe newly developed faceting technique is based on the targeted processing of the outer nacre layer, which must be particularly thick and homogeneous in freshwater pearls. The faceted surface creates light refractions that do not obscure the pearl's natural shimmer, but rather enhance it. The result is a more vibrant, almost crystalline luminosity that casts the pearl in a new artistic light – without losing its organic character.
The intricate wing-like elements in the Elysian Necklace showcase a masterful interpretation of Art Nouveau aesthetics - what inspired you to combine this historical artistic movement with contemporary jewelry design?
Art Nouveau as a Design BridgeWhat fascinates me about Art Nouveau is the combination of natural motifs and flowing ornamentation. The movement was both radical and poetic – and it was precisely this tension I wanted to capture in "Elysian." The wing-like gold wire elements are a homage to the lightness and dynamism of this era, translated into a contemporary piece of jewelry that doesn't appear historicizing, but rather thinks ahead.
How does the careful selection and positioning of the vibrant green tourmaline in the Elysian Necklace contribute to the overall narrative of nature's beauty that you aimed to capture?
Tourmaline as a Symbol of NatureThe green tourmaline represents vitality, growth, and connection to the earth. Its position at the center of the centerpiece—flanked by the gold wire wings—gives it an almost botanical aura. The color is reminiscent of fresh foliage, and the stone itself seems to glow from within. Thus, the stone becomes a symbol of the beauty of nature, framed in a design that brings this idea to life both visually and tactilely.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Elysian features a 750 yellow gold necklace with a central piece housing a vibrant green tourmaline. The tourmaline is accompanied by a freshwater cultured pearl, faceted with a new technique to enhance its natural shimmer. The necklace itself is made from a solid 750 yellow gold round wire with a handcrafted clasp. The central piece is a woven 0.5 mm gold wire setting with wing-like elements flanking the tourmaline. The pearl's facets and the intricate design make this piece truly unique.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Central piece: 12 x 6 mm green tourmaline, 8 mm faceted freshwater pearl. Necklace: solid 750 yellow gold round wire with handcrafted clasp. Length: 42 cm.
- Tags
- Green tourmaline, 750 yellow gold, faceted pearl, Art Nouveau, handmade necklace, unique jewelry, luxurious design
- Production Technology
- Elysian is crafted using 750 yellow gold, with a combination of round wire and finely woven wire for the central piece. The tourmaline is bezel-set with gold wire loops at each corner, and the freshwater pearl is faceted using a novel technique that requires a thick, flawless nacre layer.
The necklace "Elysian" was awarded a prize money at the LIV NRW (Germany) competition "Schmuckvisionen". - Design Challenge
- The main challenge was developing the faceting technique for pearls and ensuring the intricate wire design could securely hold the gemstones. Overcoming these challenges required meticulous craftsmanship and innovative thinking.
- Research
- The research focused on incorporating innovative faceting techniques for pearls and exploring intricate wire designs inspired by Art Nouveau. The goal was to create a unique piece that combines classic elegance with modern craftsmanship. The findings demonstrate the potential for new techniques in enhancing the natural beauty of pearls.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration for Elysian came from the desire to combine timeless elegance with innovative craftsmanship. The tourmaline's vibrant green and the faceted pearl symbolize nature's beauty, while the intricate gold wire design reflects the delicacy and fluidity of Art Nouveau. This piece aims to evoke a sense of wonder and sophistication.
- Project Duration
- The project started in April 2024 and was completed in July 2024 in Frankfurt/Main.
- Operation Flow
- The necklace can be securely fastened with the handcrafted clasp. The central piece, with its vibrant tourmaline and faceted pearl, catches the eye and adds elegance to any outfit.
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