Bibi van der Velde Archives

The smoke of Bibi Van Der Velde

Published on December 1, 2021

Anello in oro bianco con diamanti bianchi e grigi, opale

There is the smoke of a cigarette, there is that of a fire, there is that (imaginary) that clouds the brain. But try to grab the smoke. Impossible, at least with your hands. The Dutch designer Bibi van der Velde, on the other hand, has succeeded. But to grab the smoke she had to turn it into jewels. Smoke is the name of the new collection of one of the most imaginative creators of jewelry. It goes without saying that the jewels are a poetic transposition of the swirls of smoke.

Anello in oro bianco18 carati con spinello nero

The collection’s choker, for example, is designed as a line of smoke that curls elegantly around the neck. It is proposed in two versions: one in simple 18-karat gold and one with diamonds, sapphires and spinels set, or in pure 18-karat white gold and is intertwined with gray stones, composed of white and gray diamonds, white sapphires and gray spinels, for capturing the movement of a plume of smoke. The collection stems from Bibi van der Velde’s explorations of the forms of smoke in sculpture, translated into jewels. An exploration that the designer summarizes in this exchange Oscar Wilde: Do you mind if I smoke? Sarah Bernhardt: I don’t care if you burn.

Choker in oro bianco con diamanti bianchi e grigi

Choker in oro bianco con diamanti bianchi e grigi, spinello

Earcuff in oro giallo con diamanti bianchi e grigi, tsavorite

Anello in oro rosa con diamanti bianchi e grigi, spinello

Orecchini in oro bianco, diamanti bianchi e grigi

Nature and art jewels in London

Published on November 21, 2021

news

Wallace Chan, Spring of Life, anello con diamanti gialli, tsavorite, pearle, occhio di gatto, su titanio

Cop26 was held in Glasgow, Scotland. In London, however, Elisabetta Cipriani’s gallery organized another summit, but in this case it is the jewelry that answers questions about the environment. Until November 27, in fact, the gallery hosts the Force of Nature exhibition curated by Melanie Grant, which brings together the work of 17 jewelers and designers who play with the relationship between precious materials and the environment. They are all special jewels, which represent a bridge between jewelry and art. For example, Wallace Chan, Jaqueline Rabun, James de Givenchy, Satta Maturi, Ute Decker, Fabio Salini, Liv Luttrell, Grima, Bibi Van Der Velde and Melanie Eddy.

Even if the theme is the relationship of art with jewelry and nature, not all the jewels on display have shapes that can be immediately traced back to natural ones. In some cases the relationship is more conceptual than naturalistic. In fact, what the designer or artist wanted to interpret with her jewel counts a lot. There are also special pieces such as those by Wallace Chan, including Spring of Life, a 2019 ring with yellow diamonds, tsavorite, pearle, cat’s eye, on titanium: sometimes art surpasses nature.

Melanie Grant, bracciale in bronzo e diamanti

Bibi Van Der Velde, orecchini ant, in oro giallo e tsavoriti

Fabio Salini, collana Cappio in fibra di carbonio, diamanti, perle di acqua dolce

Francesca Grima, collana con conchiglia Ammonite fossile, diamanti e oro

Lydia Courteille, anello in oro 18 carati, tsavorite, giada, peridoto, smeraldi

Satta Matturi, orecchini in oro 18 carati, diamanti, rodolite, onice

An Abraço with Fernando Jorge

Published on September 8, 2020

bracciale/Showroom/Rings

The covid has affected hundreds of independent jewelry designers too. For this auverture.com, the marketplace created on the initiative of Dutch designer Bibi van der Velde, has promoted the Auverture United initiative: limited edition collections created by the designers which are on the online platform (they are many) to financially support those in difficulty.

And here is the Abraço collection by Fernando Jorge, a top designer, who accepted the challenge. The result is jewels that evoke the gesture of hugging. Such as? Precisely by replicating the gesture of hugging in 14-karat gold: earrings, rings and bracelets have the shape, in fact, of small arms that end with tiny hands that grasp the metal. The earrings are made with a hinge at the base that opens and closes with the gesture of the hug, while the ring is made up of two elements that are held together. A very immediate symbology. The collection was handcrafted by a small group of artisans based in Thailand, with whom Bibi has a long-term working relationship. In short, if hugging physically is not possible (or is more difficult) due to the virus, you can evoke the gesture with a jewel.

Orecchini con diamanti bianchi e topazio su oro bianco

Orecchini Elettroshock con oro giallo, diamanti, tormalina paraiba e rosa, zaffiri gialli e orange

Orecchini pendenti in oro rosa con diamanti, topazio e acquamarina lattiginosa

Bibi van der Velden, from beetle wings to e-shop

Published on January 12, 2017

Showroom

Collections made with mammoth ivory and beetle wings, but also a shop online dedicated to the trendy designers: the news by Bibi van der Velden.

How about gold jewelry, adorned with ivory comes from the prehistoric mammoth tusks? And of earrings made with delicate beetle wings? Surprising is the definition that befits the new collections of Bibi van der Velden (we have already spoken here). The Dutch designer does not follow the traditional paths and creates really unusual jewelry, not only to the original form, but also for the elements used. How, exactly, the ivory of the ancestors of elephants or insect iridescent wings revered by the ancient Egyptians. Jewelry that cost around 2,000 to 6,000 Euros, and which also are made with gold and precious stones such as diamonds and sapphires. In short, it is not strange craft, but the real high-level jewelry, but chooses the path of a refined eccentricity. But even stranger, in a world full of envy and pride like that of jewelry, is the commercial initiative of Bibi van der Velden, who opened an online shopping, auverture.com, which houses the jewels of others trendy designer, as Delfina Delettrez, Noor Fares or Lydia Courteille. We can not say anything other than: chapeau. Giulia Netrese

Orecchino con ali di scarabeo, argento, oro rosa, zaffiri rosa, ametiste. Prezzo: 2555 euro

Anello della collezione Galaxy in oro rosa, opale, diamanti, zaffiri blu e verdi, tsavoriti, perla di Thaiti. Prezzo: 13.815 euro

Anello con leoni, con argento, oro, diamanti brown e bianchi

Anello in oro rosa, corallo, diamanti bianchi. Prezzo: 8475 euro

Anello in avorio di mammut. Prezzo: 3165 euro

Anello in oro giallo con avorio di mammut. Prezzo: 7255 euro

Orecchini in avorio di mammut, zaffiri blu, oro. Prezzo: 4550 euro

Orecchini con ali di scarabeo, oro giallo, diamanti brown. Prezzo: 6250 euro

Anello Panther, in oro rosa, argento e diamanti brown. Prezzo: 9230 euro

The dreams of Bibi Van der Velde

Published on August 25, 2016

Showroom

Anello in oro con piccole perle e cristallo di rocca

The jewelers are, very often, also sculptors: as Bibi van der Velden, appreciated young Dutch designer. Bibi began his own career as a sculptor and in her work there is also a hint of Italy: he studied, in fact, at the Florence Academy of Arts, as well as at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague. It is family tradition: the mother was herself a sculptress. And with her in 2005, Bibi opened an atelier in Amsterdam. With time, however, his attention was directed on the jewelry. His first collection was published in 2006, it consists of a series of pieces made with parts of antiques purchased in Florence. Unusual materials, in short. And this has been in part her style: it’s a mix of gold, diamonds or precious stones with ancient jade, beetle wings. And even with mammoth ivory to 400 thousand years old that comes from Siberia. But, of course, not all jewelry collections are made drawing on the past. For the recent Dream of a Midsummer Night collection the mix it’s among the imagination of Shakespeare and that of Bibi van der Velde. Gold and emeralds, pearl and rock crystal are joined with small forms of animal camouflaged among the bezels. Here are some pictures of the collection. Matilde de Bounvilles

Collezioen Sogno di una notte di mezza estate di Bibi van der Velde

Collezione Sogno di una notte di mezza estate

Bracciale della collezione Sogno di una notte di mezza estate

Anello della collezione Sogno di una notte di mezza estate