I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go meet with one of the most talented jewelry designers in the world yesterday--Sevan Bicakci (above, photo by me). Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Sevan has been creating jewelry since he was 11 years old. His jewelry often references the architecture and lore of his home country, but it's the precise stone setting and unbelievable gemstone carving that really sets him apart from the competition.
His newest collection, Ida, is based on the two mountains of Mount Ida--one which is found in Greece and the other in Turkey. These sacred locations are extremely important in Greek and Byzantine mythology; in fact, the Olympic Gods gathered there to watch the epic battle of Troy.
Sevan's work is part sculpture, part jewelry and part architecture. This new collection is made up of monuments containing hand-cut quartz, citrine, tourmaline and rock crystal that have been inversely carved and painted as mini-sculptures inside of the each ring (which stand up like Greek statues). Having seen them in person, I can tell you that each piece is truly spectacular. Although a language barrier doesn't always make it easy to talk with Sevan, the beauty of the work really shines through. He told me that he particularly likes the use of blue and green diamonds as accents in these pieces and that each one takes months of painstaking work to be completed.
Check out just a few of the pieces from the Ida collection below. There is a wide range of materials used in each of these rings, including 24-karat gold, silver, and MANY diamonds. (Prices hover around $50,000 each.) If you want to see his jewelry in person, head over to Barney's New York.
