October 28, 2022 |
BLINGIN’ IT IS TEN’S ONLINE SERIES WHERE WE SPOTLIGHT THE INNOVATORS AND CHANGE-MAKERS OF THE JEWELLERY WORLD.
First unveiled during Copenhagen Fashion Week, the Black Orchid collection from Copenhagen jeweller Elhanati moored itself to the minds of many. Inspired by Bohemian Paris, the collection is a never-before-seen juxtaposition of precious materials; an exquisite melting pot of the most under-appreciated gem in fine jewellery – black spinels – and the most abundant jewel – diamonds – from which a transcendental magic emerges.
Born in Copenhagen to parents of Greek, Israeli and Danish descent, designer Orit Elhanati created the collection as a reaction to the chaos in her own life and on a global scale. And with worldwide rising prices of gold, handcraft of a different kind felt opportune.
The collection sees Elhanati throw in nostalgic elements of a glamorous Middle Eastern childhood and the order and purity of her Copenhagen surroundings – creating something that’s irreverently creative and cutting-edge luxe.
The collection consists of 12 necklaces, three bracelets, four anklets, and six earrings; an extravagant spinel heart on a simple velvet choker at its core, with beguiling black earrings, dainty anklets and opulent neckpieces to boot.
Just as many wear a symbolic crucifix around their neck for religious purposes, the Black Orchid collection is symbolic of worshipping woman; an evocation of the divine feminine through sumptuous adornments. This is refined jewellery that’s not only prodigal but poignant, too.
ON WHAT INSPIRED THE BLACK ORCHID COLLECTION
Orit: “Italian movies. They have been at the back of my mind since I started making Small Worlds; especially the sensual woman. You will see that in Black Orchid, the old movement of strong women, with a mysterious glare. With Black Orchid, my mood was highly influenced by the old Parisian Bohemian Era; the old Noir movies. I wanted to create something very powerful. I can’t describe it, but it’s like I see the woman or man, whatever is the silhouette at the end of the tunnel when I work.
“I am curious in life, and I try to use everything I have experienced and learnt. Being born into two cultures influences my everyday life and work. I try to find the balance between the Middle East and Scandinavia. You can see this in my lines in the jewellery. Almost like fingerprints in the gold.
“On my moodboard right now are clippings from Rupi Kaur, sculptural anatomy, Robert Mapplethorpe, dancing, wind and small rocks from the Sinai desert mixed with soft velvet textures, clippings from Mario Testino’s ‘I love you.’”
ON THE KEY PIECES FROM THE COLLECTION
Orit: “I love the larger necklaces, the spiky black Monument and black velvet heart Dita necklace are the ones I wear at the moment. I like to layer them, working in the thin layers on the top and mixing them with gold.”
ON BECOMING A FINE JEWELLERY DESIGNER
Orit: “It sounds cliche, but it came to me in a dream. I have always known I am an artist deep within somehow, and gold spoke to me. It was mysterious, something ancient, something that just continues for centuries. You can build sculptures that turn into stories, that turn into memories that turn into, well, art. Gold has always fascinated me, I have always been infatuated with my grandmother and her friends sitting on the porch in Tel Aviv dripping in gold. This has imprinted itself in my mind and has followed me throughout my life – I love the way jewellery is made to be passed on through generations and becomes a part of the bearer and her or his story and family heirlooms.
“I really cannot imagine doing anything else, but I have always been fascinated with art and handcraft, so if I did anything else it would probably have to revolve around this. Or perhaps I would be a landscape architect, or maybe I would design fast cars – you never know. But I am lucky enough to be working with my hobby, something I love doing.”
ON CREATING TIMELESS JEWELLERY
Orit: “I do not particularly think of trends when I work, as it defies the purpose of timelessness. I love the craftsmanship of melting and burning gold but have more recently found myself moving into the more classic diamond pieces. I rarely sketch or draw but work from a very intuitive process. When building the jewellery for me they are like miniature sculptures there are so many layers you have to build. So, I drip it, layer by layer. The gold needs to tell a story, so I use my hammer. I melt the gold to get it to drip again and to create the raw, sexy textures I want to achieve. I am completely in love with this way of working, because to me, it is all about the material. Seeing and understanding every inch of the material – and my material is gold.
“I have worked with black spinels since I started. There is something mysterious that draws you in when you look at it. The way it catches the light, the way you can work with it and cut it so that gives it a completely different expression. The black heart from the collection is hand cut in a way where the light plays completely different from some of the necklaces in the collection. I love that balance of play in the jewellery. There is something powerful about the stone, it oozes brilliance. It is believed the stone is empowering, and I feel that when working with it.”
ON DEFINING THE ELHANATI WOMAN
Orit: “I am a fan of people that dare to think and be just as they are; that use their voice for something larger than us. The world is filled and has always been filled with so many extraordinary and talented people, and to be honest I get a humbling feeling when I see my jewellery worn on anyone. I am moved to see how my story can become a part of someone else’s story and how it will be passed on to the next generation you know, how it will outlive all of us. That to me is very special. I like to think of balances in life, in everything I do you know, so my mind can be completely chaotic, and then have an urgent need to convert this chaos into calm. That’s what you see in my work – a fine line; a balance.
“The Elhanati woman and the Elhanati man are strong characters, with a high aesthetic appeal and an appreciation for the unique things in life. They have a voice and use it. They have a dream and fulfil it. They aim for the unreachable and make it reachable. They stand out. The Elhanati woman for me is strong, has a voice and uses it, she balances the feminine and the masculine and is confident, yet humble in her approach in life.”
Photography courtesy of Elhanati. Shop the Black Orchid collection here.
