Deep down, in my essence, I am a jeweller.

For almost 40 years I am a jewelry designer and maker. I have always been an autodidact, and always found something new to learn. Over the years, I have stayed updated with the newest techniques and technologies, which I could implement in the jewelry field, and opened my mind for new options.

During the years I participated in different courses in order to “shake” my creativity and way of thinking. In 2012 I participated in Shoe Design Course at “The Guild” school. After graduating, I decided to put my time, my mind and creativity in shoe designing and making, and the jewelry ended up in a vault for seven whole years. I have closed my jewelry gallery-shop in Dizengoff street, and moved into a beautiful place in Old Jaffa Port. An authentic cave-like space, facing the sea, which is a part of the old Armenian church. I had the need for basic "hands-on" handcrafting, and as simple as possible. That is why I chose to focus on wooden clogs. While working on my designs I thought “what can I do with a straight line of leather without using glue?”. This “restriction” opened many options and possibilities, and most of my clogs’ cuts are based on straight, pre-cut strips of leather. The clogs also had to be comfortable and easy to walk in, and I have refined the sole’s shape and material to the best comfort.

In the last year my longing for jewelry design and making reoccurred. Looking back at it, I now realize that I made the shift to shoes in order to go “back to basics” and leave, even for a while, any sophistication and complexity behind, and use basic hand crafts. Using a hammer & nails, cutting, dyeing and sewing leather, and working in zen-like methods. When I felt the need, this year, to go back to jewelry, I along with it wanted to work again with the newest softwares and technology.

In this “comeback” I have explored the Mashrabiya Islamic architectural elements and the action of subtracting from a volume of material. In the Islamic architecture the Mashrabiya is used to shade from the burning sun, while still letting air and light to go through into the house, and allowing the wind to cool it. During the years the Mashrabiya interpreted by many modern designers and architects, including Jean Nobelle, Zaha Hadid, and Aedas Architects.

In my latest jewelry collections I came back to dealing with square rings, which are as much wearable as they are sculptural small objects. For me, rings have always been the ultimate jewel. They are placed on the hand, and much like shoes are in the wearers’ range of sight, allowing them to see it in the context of their own daily life. It is located outside the personal space, and being a statement piece, it triggers a conversation and human communication around it.