Holding a rough piece of aquamarine in her hand, jewelry designer Eva Baum studies the structure of the stone.
She holds it to the light to see its lines, contours - its imperfections and perfections. She picks up the brass piece she was working on to see how they will grow together. She is reminded of another necklace which hugged the contour of the neck and was made with ruby.
The aquamarine is bigger, the setting would have to be slightly different. And so Eva’s jewelry grows. Inspired by the stones she finds, inspired by pieces that came before them, like different branches from the same tree.
“Whenever I make a piece, I am envisioning the next one and the next one. Seeing how the texture of a different stone will create a very different style. Or how more knot work and different shaped brass will map the contour of the body. Each piece evolves out of the ones that came before them”.
Eva studied architecture and mathematics. She is fascinated by form and structure. “I have a 3D insight into geometrical shapes. I can visualize it from back to front and up and down, so that on the body, the piece simply fits the wearer and hangs perfectly. I see shapes not flat surfaces. I do not measure pieces, but they come out symmetrical. I also like to work with asymmetrical lines, playing with the dynamics of shape and form.”
Each Piece Like A Child
A certain drama is created by Eva’s pieces. Her jewellery makes a statement. They are infinitely wearable and you can wear them every day, but they are signature pieces for the wearer. They define you in some way.
Each piece is stunning, but not every piece works on every person. On the stand, it can look simple, but once on the neck it looks magnificent and lights up the person wearing it.
“I remember where I made and sold each piece. They are like my children. Sometimes I even remember a particular turn of the thread or how I felt when I placed a certain stone. Every single bead is chosen for a reason. Some designs come together in a day, while some pieces take weeks or months to evolve. It is a harmonic process which creates a kind of sacred geometry”.
The shapes of the pieces seem to be evolved from nature, brass imitating leaves, shells and snakeskin. “I am not directly influenced by nature or environment, but nature is symmetrical, I tap into its innate geometry. Often people are reminded of ancient civilizations with my work, like the Aztecs or the Egyptians, but I’m not doing it on purpose. Maybe my work makes reference to the past”.
We Are All Reflections Of Each Other
Eva is a nomad, traveling the globe collecting experiences and collecting stones. Although her jewellery is not directly linked to the countries she visits and the environments she immerses herself in, Eva feels each piece is a reflection of her and the places she visits.
“Travel feeds my person. On the road, I need to be adaptable. I’m always meeting new people, building a new life as I go - I think being able to adapt strengthens you as a person. You need to embrace change. I seem to go out and seek new challenges, new environments - change - all the time. This fuels me and in turn it fuels my work".
Eva is subversive in a way. Using rough cut stones and brass rather than gold and silver. Not many people are brave enough to work with unpolished and raw stones.
“Of course I work with the vibrations of the particular crystals and stones, which is why I like to work with rough stones. I am fascinated by the technical structure of crystals, more than the esoteric or healing benefits. I think the wearer should be drawn to what they need, rather than reading about what crystal they need from a book”.
The Alchemy Of Making Jewellery
The creative process is a meditation in itself for Eva. “I have to be a clear channel. I’m always working on myself because I need to be a clear channel for creativity. I don’t think and plan my jewellery very much – but if I am being open and receptive, the ideas flow freely".
“Making jewellery really is alchemy. One piece of jewellery is a key to knowledge. There is so much energy in one piece. The energy of the stone, the intention and stories of the craftsmen and then the emotions and desires of the wearer. You are taking raw materials, drawing reason out of the stones and you add that to the unique personality of the wearer and magic happens. Alchemy happens".