Russian jewelry brands: whose names you need to know and who you should follow

LevashovaElagina

A jewelry brand at the intersection of punk and glamor, which Zhenya Levashova-Elagina founded six and a half years ago. At TSUM, her products are purchased three times more often than those of direct competitors, and Zhenya’s clients regularly write to her that her jewelry changes their lives. All this thanks to sentimental engravings like “Everything will pass, and this too” and “He who walks will master the road” - simple words that are always nice to keep somewhere close to you. “My audience is young guys who are growing up with me,” says Zhenya, who is surprisingly good at communicating with this audience. And although Levashova-Elagina herself is convinced that the success of the brand is largely due to her business skills, everything seems to be much simpler: sincerity is in fashion today, and the LevashovaElagina brand is literally imbued with it.

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Russian designers of handmade jewelry. Review, first part.

With the permission of the Fair administration, I am posting here a recently completed review of the works of Russian and Russian-speaking handmade jewelry designers. With this article I want to open a series of materials devoted to the topic of handmade products in Russian spaces. I would like to make a reservation right away that I myself make jewelry, and therefore my materials will be dedicated specifically to jewelry. It is difficult to talk about jewelry without illustrations, so I will support my story with photographs. Colleagues with whom I constantly communicate helped me in the selection of illustrations. In recent years, the concept of so-called handmade has gained popularity. Magazines and websites began to be dedicated to “handmade”—handmade work—and fashion magazines began to write about it. A great many craftswomen have appeared who want to try their hand at creativity, and perhaps make it their form of income. How can you avoid drowning in the sea of products on offer? How to find something truly original? How to buy a unique thing and not go broke? Several years ago, complaints appeared online that foreign designers were capable of creating something truly original and creative, but ours, alas, were not distinguished by creative originality. They have designs, we have more and more baubles and beaded nets in folk style. Not a very flattering opinion. Is this really true? – many asked in confusion. Fortunately, this opinion turned out to be wrong, and in recent years Russian craftsmen have proven that they can create something truly new, unique, and unusual. A number of professional designers have emerged who have made their hobby their profession, continuously improving in it, working in a variety of techniques, and inventing these techniques on their own. I want to make, so to speak, an introductory review and introduce you to the works of the best, in my opinion, Russian handmade jewelry designers. Unfortunately, the review will be only superficial - otherwise the story will be spread over ten pages, although each of the masters I presented is worth talking about in detail. We need to make a small digression. It’s worth going to any “sales” community of any resource like “VKontakte” - and “exclusive”, “magnificent” and “luxurious” handicraft products will rain down as if from a cornucopia. But who is a designer really? What is the difference between a designer and just a craftsman? There is a difference, and a significant one. Every real designer is certainly a highly qualified master, but not every master is a designer. We can talk about this for a long time. You can delve into the definitions issued by Yandex and Google, shovel through a mountain of information - and, nevertheless, remain at a loss for a clear and simple formulation, especially in relation to handmade, where any person creates unique things. This is where illustrations come to our aid. Just keep in mind that the jewelry I show is often from exhibition and competition works. Almost all designers have lines of work that are more adapted to everyday wear. However, it’s still more interesting to watch the most spectacular one. I also want to make a reservation that I made the selection based on the materials of those people who fall into my field of vision, and therefore the selection, of course, does not pretend to be a complete review. I'll start with what seems most familiar. Isn’t it true - everyone is very familiar with the “baubles” made of beads, as well as the “mesh” mentioned above? Guzel Bakeeva’s works also use beads. But what exotic things are created from materials familiar to us all! Pay attention to an important aspect: Guzel’s works clearly illustrate such a very important factor as the harmony of the overall shape of the product and its constituent elements. This quality distinguishes the work of all true professionals, and if you look carefully, you will find the same quality in the other artists shown here. Anna Braginskaya, a master from Israel, also works with beads. For example, rings made of beads are unusual, aren’t they? And how beautiful! And here is another invention of Anna: a “lace” necklace made of beads. Here are a few more of my “favorites” from Anna’s collection: Looking at these earrings, I can’t help but regret that I don’t have my ears pierced... Let’s move on. Take such a seemingly prosaic material as wire. I remember that in childhood we cut out copper wires from telephone cables to make rose rings out of them... And here is how Elena Strukova uses wire, combining it with metal, cord and stones: Alena/Hipez from Moscow also works with wire. Enlarge the photos and see how fine the filigree is from silver-coated jewelry wire. As you can see, lace can be created not only from beads, but from metal. A skillful combination of wire weaving and various beads - Simkha: Another unusual version of the “wire” design is demonstrated by Ada Dibner from Haifa, also known under the nickname Gallucinacia. But the designer Evgeshach - aka Evgesha - knows how to achieve harmony, often using angular, sharp shapes, playing with textures and colors: From wire, let's move on to such a fairly common material as plastic - polymer clay, which can harden during firing and turn into hard material like ceramic. Silver Pepper also uses plastic in her works, and silverpepper23 in LiveJournal. There are geometric compositions here (remember - about the sense of form as a whole and its constituent parts?), and beautifully executed flowers. An amazing mixture of techniques is in the works of Bibizza. Flowers, beads, and metal combine surprisingly effectively. Not just decorations - entire magical gardens... Irina Sergeeva, a master of lampworking, has mastered such a relatively new field for our craftsmen as electroplating, also known as electroforming, also known as copper plating. This unusual technique - coating with a thin layer of copper in various shapes, from ready-made beads to real twigs and leaves - allows you to create jewelry in the style of “noble antiquity”. And how beautiful the real, only “copper-plated” leaves look... I would especially like to say about the works of Allim-lip - these are miniatures created from felt and plastic. In fact, the Alim-lip portfolio contains not only flowers, but it is this mini-floristry that I am especially moved by. Amazing grace and tenderness, an unmistakable flair for choosing the texture of materials. Isn't it lovely? Finally, I want to show a few of my own works (in LiveJournal I am known under the nickname Eglenn, but actually my name is Angela Chenina). My favorite field is decorations for weddings (although not only, of course). I work in mixed techniques, and from unusual materials I really like decorative fishing line (not to be confused with fishing line ) - a rare material that allows you to create openwork and airy shapes. So, what distinguishes the work of real designers? Let's try to make something like a list. - Unusual. When you see such work, you will never think: I saw something similar yesterday in the lipstick stall. These works are the embodiment of the author’s vivid imagination. — The use of techniques that require filigree skill, the active use of one’s own technical developments. A performance technique that requires special professional skills. — Such a factor as non-banality. Successfully strung beautiful beads are also a fruit of creativity, and often a wonderful accessory. But, I think, now the difference between such decorations and those shown above is obvious to you. — Almost complete impossibility of playback “on the side.” That is, if desired, one genuine master will be able to copy the work of another... But he won’t: this is considered extremely bad form. — But this factor is almost invisible from the outside, unless, of course, the master is your friend. A true designer is always growing. Creative progress is its indispensable quality. The works are becoming more and more beautiful, the technology is becoming more and more perfect. Please note: I deliberately do not write about the materials used and their cost, since high-quality artistic jewelry can be created without the use of some particularly expensive materials, as, for example, in Irina Sergeeva’s “plated” necklace. In such work, design is primarily valuable. In addition, the work of professionals is usually distinguished by a well-thought-out pricing policy. It happens that the prices for professional products are approximately in the same price category as those for novice craftsmen, or even slightly lower. This is not at all as strange as it seems at first glance: the fact is that a professional can often do in a few hours what a beginner would spend several days doing. In addition, professionals often have their own supply channels for materials where they can be obtained cheaper. Of course, complex, truly exclusive - unique - works are usually expensive (if, of course, they are sold at all), and mainly because they are usually very labor-intensive to execute and feature a design that the master spends a lot of time working on. In the next article I will try to talk about the materials that are most often used in making jewelry, using specific examples and photographs from online stores. And one more planned topic is the relationship between the master and the buyers. PS Many thanks to all the artists whose photographs I used. During the discussion, my colleagues gave me links to the works of designers that I did not know about during the writing process. So soon there will be a continuation of the collection. The article can be taken and reprinted, only, please, with an indication of the authorship. If you need a version of the text with photo tags, knock on my PM, I’ll send it to you.

Caviar

The founder of the St. Petersburg brand Caviar, Olga Averyanova, created three imperial crowns for the film “Matilda” by Alexei Uchitel and jewelry for the couture collection of Ulyana Sergeenko in 2022. But Olga’s main focus is still on her own brand, Caviar, in which the designer’s love for intricate details is felt. The brand's signature pieces feature snakes that snake around gold bracelets and dangle from earrings.

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Feral Relic

In the summer of 2020, a graduate of the Higher School of Cultural Policy of Moscow State University, Mikhail Okorokov, returned to Moscow from a trip to Kamchatka. Inspired by wild landscapes, he mastered the art of jewelry and began creating unique jewelry. Okorokov’s new ideas are born while traveling. The prototype of the ring from the collaboration with the St. Petersburg brand Trustme Studio was a bent Georgian church bracelet, and the new Feral Relic collection imitates the ancient anchor stones that Misha saw in the Derbent fortress.

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Rayya

Vera Antonova launched a brand of polished metal jewelry three years ago. Then it was called 55 Jewelry, but in 2019 there was a rebranding, and with it changes in design. From rings, earrings and pendants in the form of perfect gold plates, the emphasis has shifted to perforation, which today occupies a central place in the Rayya assortment. The brand's jewelry looks like a 3D model, but fortunately, it is more than real. And the most striking of the latest Rayya drops is a silver Lambda pendant with gold plating, released as a sign of support for the LGBT community.

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Support your own: 9 cool Russian jewelry brands

Fiance

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Posted by Fiancé Jewelry (@fiance_jewelry)

The St. Petersburg brand Fiance rightly asserts that you don’t need a reason to look chic and tries to create elegant jewelry that will not wait for its finest hour a couple of times a year, but will become a wonderful addition to everyday style. They are not tied to trends and fashion - the emphasis is on natural form in competent execution. Jewelry is also made to order, according to specific sizes; in special cases, it is made in white and yellow gold.

The Nolita bracelet made of small white and black pearls, the Dolce Vita earrings made of white combined pearls of different sizes, collected on a Japanese thread, and the Venus Rose ring on a movable base with a silver pendant with natural pink pearls look impressive.

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Leta

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Posted by Leta (@letajewelry)

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Leta was born out of the friendship of an architect and an entrepreneur - they believe that closeness to art and architecture extends the life of good design almost to eternity, passed on from generation to generation. And their jewelry becomes not just a statement, but also a story - it is no less significant. The brand cares about the environment, treats nature responsibly and minimizes the damage it causes to it through its production. The name is associated with mythology: Lethe is the birth and creation from scratch, the root idea of the jewelry brand.

The new Una collection is the modern legacy of Malevich, Suprematist compositions recognizable from the artist’s paintings: a graphic semicircle ring made of red onyx with two gold lines, a necklace in the shape of a straight line combining two stones.

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And nostalgic travel enthusiasts will appreciate the Atlas collection, a story about the natural architecture of our planet: each piece restores the elevation map of a real place. For example, the three lines of the “Amur” ring symbolize the banks of this river and its streams, recalling how important it is to follow your path. And the traditions and new views of Istanbul are reproduced by a medallion on a “Bosphorus” chain: on one side the design repeats the height lines of the Asian part of the city, on the other - the European.

Made in Space

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Publication from METEORITE JEWELRY (@made_in_cosmos)

The very name of the Made in Cosmos brand hints that its products will be very unusual. And it’s true: the jewelry is made from real meteorites. The blanks are cut from large pieces of cosmic bodies found at the site of their fall. To ensure there is no doubt about the origin of the material, a certificate of authenticity and quality is attached. Now the phrase “I can even get you a star from the sky” can be replaced with “even a meteorite from space.” The decorations are very minimalistic, with a simple geometric shape.

Pay attention to the "Stars" collection. Meteors that streak the sky with a bright brilliance are called “shooting stars,” and once on Earth, they become meteorites, from which they make jewelry in the shape of celestial bodies—a pendant, earrings, and a ring. And the “Ball” collection uses a ball made from the Muonionalusta meteorite, coated with rhodium – this gives it a special shine and smoothness, but does not spoil the unique structure.

Maniovich. A.M.

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Publication from Handmade Jewelry MANIOVICH.AM (@maniovich.am)

Anyone who can't get enough of bright, optimistic colors will surely love Maniovich's cheerful jewelry. AM, made of beads, shells and pearls. This is a kind of “hello” from childhood, when you want to put on all the best and most memorable things without waiting for the holiday. The brand also offers customization services: jewelry will be modified taking into account your wishes and vision of beauty. Freedom of self-expression comes first - just like in childhood, when everyone at least a little felt like stylists and designers.

The catalog includes cute bracelets with inspiring inscriptions “Dance” and “Sea”, necklaces “Tenderness”, “Freedom” and “Fantastic”. It will be interesting to combine them with each other, putting on several accessories at once, so that “Tenderness” harmoniously coexists with “Freedom” - I would like to receive both of them more and more often.

Mineral Weather

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The Mineral Weather brand was created by two independent Moscow artists who are inspired by the world around them. Anya comes up with conceptual collections made of silver with different materials: porcelain, pearls, natural stones, glass, gold plated or platinum plated. Her jewelry is the embodiment of thoughts on exciting topics. Under Sasha’s leadership, sculptural objects are produced from raw stones and minerals in combination with bronze, cupronickel or silver.

New items include a silver Petal ring from the Flower Mind collection, Rosemary earrings with chains made of platinum-plated silver, and a handmade brass ring with amethyst.

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Sumei

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The main goal of Sumei is to create jewelry that will not be too noticeable, but at the same time an irreplaceable detail of the image. Very bright accessories are not always appropriate, but thin chains, modest rings and miniature earrings will be appropriate for the office, for visits, and for events - it is clear that they were chosen with taste and attention to detail. You don’t forget to wear such jewelry: they are like a second skin and you feel more uncomfortable without them than with them.

Take a closer look at the thin OVI open ring with convenient adjustment, the expressive Fold Mong mono earring, reminiscent of a folded silver origami leaf, a classic bracelet made of natural freshwater pearls with silver fittings and a basic anchor chain.

Omut

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Publication from OMUT. WEARABLE OBJECTS (@omutjewelry)

Omut's calling card is hyper-jewelry made from metal chains. The brand experiments with shapes and materials, developing its style and finding inspiration in dark romance, architectural structures, traditional crafts and minimalist aesthetics. Often decorations look like both abstract exhibits and interior items. Omut is an art and craft that combines the personalities of the person who created it and those who will wear it.

Original Mini Daisy earrings made of white beaded daisies with metal rings that look like piercings, massive System chokers made of oval links and Deal bracelets with a double chain on a carabiner decorated with a metal tag - classics in a modern interpretation, suitable for both men and women.

Moonswoon

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The name poetically translates as “full moon that takes your breath away.” Moonswoon positions itself as “third wave jewelry”: beauty is intertwined with meaning, simple motifs become conceptual, and the product itself acts as an occasion for dialogue. Classic forms appear in other interpretations, interesting stylizations and variations. Plus, every order is beautifully packaged, because decoration is always a gift. It is also environmentally friendly: the brand does not forget that it is necessary to minimize waste in production.

Check out the silver bracelet with onyx, the elegant “Comet” pendant, which with its brilliance recalls the romance of distant intergalactic journeys, and the signet ring with a heart - a clear, simple and pleasant declaration of feelings.

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Qari Qris

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Qari Qris - which means "the wind blows" - in jewelry captures the moment, the poetry of which lies in fleetingness. When creating products, 3D modeling and other modern technologies are used to a minimum - they are turned by hand in jewelry wax, so the shapes seem plastic, tactile and alive. In design, the brand gives preference to soft curved lines, close to nature and man.

The “Fairy Tale” collection contains archetypes of happiness and joy that are familiar to us from childhood: a bracelet with a bell, a necklace with a small Dymkovo horse, a braided cuff. And the “Tiflis” collection was formed during a trip to Georgia; the soulfulness of this country is felt in it - for example, in a bracelet with an oblong silver drop and irregularly shaped freshwater pearls, stud earrings with a wavy surface and earrings with long chains falling on the collarbones.

Himere

Himère founder Dina Sagidullina calls her weightless fine line jewelry modern talismans. True, she herself does not endow them with otherworldly powers, leaving this to her clients. But her geometric rhodium earrings from the basic collection have at least one undeniably magical ability - to please the eye. Like the first collection in rose and white gold, which included three pendants in the form of a moon with a rose, stars with an orchid and a small cross covered with flowers. The latter, by the way, are Dina’s own favorites: “As usual, the new collection is always the most beloved.”

Russian jewelry brands

Hello.
After domestic clothing designers, I smoothly move on to my favorite topic - jewelry. Over the past few years, a lot of different brands have appeared, in this post I will list a few whose development I follow and buy something for myself. I will be glad if gossips share their preferences, perhaps I will discover new names.

The first brand is Himére Jewelery, I liked the information about its creation: in 2012, Dina Sagidullina quit her job in the financial sector and started designing jewelry, it seems like her brand is successful, I love stories like this. In general, Dina was one of the first to create minimalistic and laconic jewelry for every day. Still from an old lookbook:

Dina likes to use different symbols in jewelry, for example, the wheel of samsara, a Masonic compass, an ancient Egyptian rod (the last two are pictured):

There are also many astronomical symbols in the collections:

The DNA collection, which includes the most successful Himére models. Very beautiful photo:

Now the designer is trying to get away from minimalism, because obviously everyone has become tired of it, let’s see what jewelry the brand will show in the future.

Another brand with sophisticated designs is Anima, created by Mikhail Baryshnikov, a famous stylist in the past. I’ll immediately note the brand’s incredibly beautiful Instagram, where Mikhail, in addition to shooting rings and earrings, posts paintings, art objects, antique jewelry, etc. Very inspiring page.

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The Anima brand is focused on rare stones, so Mikhail personally selects stones for jewelry. Ring with tanzanite:

Ring with green tourmaline and hemisphere ring:

I like Anima because, despite their apparent simplicity, they have a concept and an idea; they are jewelry with a secret. Compass ring:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDVuDhGow0Q/

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Mono earring from the collection dedicated to the botanist Mary Delavigne Granville. This is a small boutonniere, inside of which you can drop water and place a real living flower. I think it's very beautiful and romantic :)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjcntOEgFm0/

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Lemon gold pendant with Australian thunder opal, in a special inro case made of oxidized silver and ojime beads made of malachite (scroll through the photo).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgeMuROA8mh/

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The next brand is Bluebox, created by Galina Denisova in 2015. Before creating her own brand, Galya worked in the fashion industry with Gianfranco Ferré and Versace, and also managed the Leform store. Bluebox jewelry - thin, openwork, almost transparent chains, rings and earrings + various precious stones. They are produced in Japan, where Galya buys stones. I personally like this boho chic style, which the designer shows directly on himself through the brand’s Instagram:

More recently, Galya began creating large jewelry for the summer in the same boho-chic style:

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A very young brand is Copine Jewelry, which was created by two friends, Lilya Khazhieva and Alena Klimovich at the end of last year. Copine is a French friend, the brand is inspired by the style of French women who add a pair of gold eye-catching earrings or a pendant to their everyday look and “stretch out” the look with such details. I personally have been missing a similar brand on the Russian market for a long time, since I love yellow gold and noticeable jewelry, put on a pair of earrings with jeans and T-shirts - you already look decent :)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdAKPsnj6ZY/

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Designers use baroque pearls:

Enamel:

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Colored polymer:

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More photos

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The last brand in today's selection is BY STOLIE of my favorite Ilona Stolier) Like Ilona herself, the provocative jewelry and playful lookbooks also did not disappoint :)

crown rings and a Perfect pendant with a slipped letter T:)

gold chokers with diamonds:

I would especially like to note the packaging of the jewelry:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbh4G4FBMbd/

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There are still a few brands worth attention left, but I don’t have the strength to make a post anymore) Thank you for your attention, I wish you all a wonderful week and many best girl friends!

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Do you wear jewelry from Russian designers?