Maria Frantzi

Jewellery maker

A picture of the world for the wearer

Maria’s parents were jewellers before her
She supplies shops and galleries worldwide
Gemstones take centre-stage in her designs

Maria Frantzi creates distinctive, dazzling jewellery by working with traditional handcrafting techniques. She loves to use 18 carat gold and oxidised silver, and has a soft spot for all kinds of precious and semi-precious stones. Colours, patterns and texture are at the centre of her work. Hammering, forging, granulating, and stone setting are part of her everyday jargon. Maria enjoys translating her interest for older civilisations and paintings into her creations. "My pieces are playful," she says. Maria relishes working on special commissions for which she reuses her clients’ metals and stones, carrying the memory and culture forwards for the next generation. "Connecting with people and their personal stories are the strongest inspiration for me. It is what makes my work so interesting and gratifying," says Maria.

Interview

Why is jewellery a personal art for you?: It is my personal language and my vocabulary to articulate my thoughts. The process is very meditative and it helps me to channel and focus my thoughts. I love the physicality of my work, the strong connection with materials and the stories behind them.
How many utensils do you use on average to make one ring?: I am a maximalist on my personal aesthetics, but when it comes to making, I am a minimalist. I mostly use traditional handmaking techniques, using various torches, files, hammers, bradawl chisels, drills and emery papers. In total I use around ten different utensils or tools to make a piece.
Do you also use modern technology?: I have started to use computer designing and 3D wax printing for some of my pieces. I am fascinated by technological developments because they open creative possibilities otherwise out of reach or very time-consuming. The use of technology has broadened my creative language.
What was technically-speaking a challenging commission you worked on?: I once used a very valuable ruby, with brilliant and baguette diamonds and sapphires to create a ring with hundreds of micro-pave settings and a floating central stone. Commissions challenge my creativity and technical abilities, allowing me to become better, and to open new paths.

Maria Frantzi is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1988