Inês Telles

Jewellery maker

©Ana Brígida

©Ilaria Bozzini

From art historian to Jeweller

Inês is fascinated by the role jewellery has played throughout humanity
She set up her jewellery workshop during her history of art degree
Her contemporary pieces are inspired by historical and traditional adornments

Jeweller Inês Telles is also an Art Historian, she is especially interested in the existence of jewellery since early human history, whether to mark religious, pagan or social manifestations. She opened her jewellery workshop while still studying her degree in the History of Art. “I was missing the practical side of working with fire and noble materials. As a child I already enjoyed making jewels. My first earring was made with some wire and a whelk.” After completing a jewellery course she moved to Brazil where she worked alongside a master jeweller. This experience really shaped her, giving her confidence to return to Lisbon and launch her signature line of jewellery. Inês likes to believe that her pieces not only beautify but also make those who wear them feel positive and well.

Interview

©Ana Brígida

©Ana Brígida

Could you explain how history and tradition are important in your work?: The art of embellishing humans with jewellery over the course of history is a rich source of inspiration. I also love to study old pieces to understand the mechanisms used for instance to make a clasp or a decorative detail. It helps me develop my own collection.
How would you describe your technique and collection?: I make very few pieces as I only have one person working in the workshop. They are all very personal and unique. I like to experiment with different techniques, for example granules which I explored to achieve the effects of small balls and bubbles for a collection I made.
Could you share how moving to Brazil was a key turning point in your life?: Moving to another continent was a very rich personal and professional experience. I was living a different reality in Brazil, it gave me the necessary strength to come back to Portugal and create my own line of jewellery, confident that what I was doing was worthwhile.
What are your sources of inspiration other than History of Art?: Nature through its organic beauty, perfection, complexity and simplicity – all at the same time. Through it I have refined my senses. Humans also inspire me through their creative manifestations, their inventions and tools. It is essential for my own progression.

Inês Telles is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2010