Marc-Jens Biegel

Biegel Goldschmiede & Juweliere

Jewellery maker

Tomas Bertelsen ©Michelangelo Foundation

Fulfilling a calling

Marc-Jens designs collections as vignettes
His first design, at the age of 17, was a pearl ring for his first love
He choreographs gems and gold into bespoke pieces

Marc-Jens Biegel can be found in his workshop in Frankfurt, rain or shine, mounting a kaleidoscopic selection of stones and transforming lumps of precious metals into jewellery. After an apprenticeship with his father, he broadened his horizons by studying product design at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Offenbach and at Kingston University. Longing to perform each step from concept to completion, he opened his own workshop in 1998, right next to Frankfurt’s stock exchange. Like his father before him, he spends time gazing at his gems and gold through a loupe (a small magnifying glass), before reimagining them into surprisingly minimalist shapes. His designs have been exhibited across Europe.

Interview

©Jörg Baumann

Tomas Bertelsen ©Michelangelo Foundation

Did you always know you wanted to specialise in this field?: It is not a rational choice, it is a calling. Musicians must feel the same – there is just something inside of you that you need to express.
What inspires your minimalistic but lively designs?: Rhythm is everywhere, in the branches swaying in the wind at my favourite park to the pace of the traders rushing to our city’s stock exchange across the street. The exhibitions at the architecture museum of Frankfurt also inspire me because I am fascinated by the composition of architecture, the dynamics of skyscrapers.
Can you describe your creative process?: You do not press a button on a computer to get a bespoke piece. It is a sequence of gestures which you learn by repeating them, by appropriating and exploring them, and then by applying them in an inspired way.
Do you experience flow in your work?: After working for hours with utmost concentration, there are completely blissful moments when you just enter a different state. Running a business has many facets, which means your time is often filled by other activities. But those moments of flow are indescribably precious.

Marc-Jens Biegel is a master artisan: he began his career in 1988 and he started teaching in 1999