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Ornella Iannuzzi is a UK-based jewellery artist of French

origin whose works redefine ‘avant-garde’. The countless

hours spent as a child amidst the pristine and vibrant

beauty of the Alps and Chamonix-Mont Blanc obviously

invigorated and stoked her artistic bent of mind. Ornella

dabbled in various arts and crafts before finding her true

calling – to make offbeat jewellery.

Her jewellery, heavily inspired by nature, is a merger of

organic and geometric shapes – curvaceous lines interact

with lush textures; jagged, eroded edges mingle with sleek

lines and splashy veneers.

Raw poetry and technical precision come together in her

larger-than-life jewellery pieces, where natural formations

get replicated in a dramatic manner in 22-karat gold. The

refined yet playful three-dimensional artistic productions

simply take your breath away.

B y S h a n o o B i j l a n i

O r n e l l a i a n n u z z i ’ s

The scraggy and stark Ring on the Rock features pyrite mineral in its matrix set in 22-karat gold vermeil.

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Did you pursue creative hobbies as a child?

i used to be a very practical child, and i have always enjoyed making things. i

spent a lot of time in my father’s workshop, making all presents for Christmas

or birthdays for my family by hand, from wood, paper, fabric, clay or whatever

i could lay my hands on. as a teenager, i started making jewellery out of

clay for my friends. i enjoyed drawing and painting too. art was one of my

favourite subjects at school and i went to study applied arts for my

international baccalaureate.

Most of your jewellery is nature-inspired with a mix of ultra-modern

elements in it. Did your childhood surroundings influence you?

yes, of course! i grew up in the alps and, as a kid, would play in the forest. i

was fascinated by trees, mushrooms, and plants of unusual shapes. i spent

a lot of time hiking in the mountains near Chamonix and mont blanc with

my mum and sister. i would pick up so many stones and crystals on my way!

growing up in such surroundings helped me to look at nature differently. i

feel very closely linked to nature and this has had a significant impact on

my work.

Where did you study the art of jewellery making? Your technical expertise is

clearly evident in the highly futuristic pieces you make.

i started my jewellery studies in france, after my baccalaureate. i got a very

solid technical grounding there since the teaching in france at that time was

orientated towards technical skills and handmade jewellery.

i learnt a lot as well through various internships and work experience in

Paris, at Capet and Van Cleef & arpels. following this, i wanted to explore the

creative side of ‘art jewellery’ and arrived in London to do a master’s at the

royal College of art and graduated in 2007. Later, i was able to experiment

a lot and find my own style, free from the French tradition! I started

approaching jewellery as an art form, with strong concepts and statements

supporting my designs, rather than basing the designs only on aesthetics.

I learnt a lot as well through various internships and work experience in Paris, at Capet and Van Cleef & arPels.

The Cosmic Huasca ring looks like a natural wonder! Petrified wood set in black and green rhodium silver, with rainforest topaz .

The graphic objet d’art titled Cubic Crystallization showcases pyrite set in black rhodium silver with 24-karat gold leaves.

L’Exceptionnelle Emeraude 18-karat gold sculptural ring set with natural emerald crystal.

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The 20-carat hand-carved Wello opal pendant encased in 18-karat gold with a sparkling brilliant-cut diamond steals the show in the flamboyant Blue Nile Falls necklace made of 42 carats of rough diamonds.

When did you realise that you would move into the world of

jewellery and take it up as a full-time career?

As mentioned, I was studying Design and Applied Arts for

my Bachelor’s, and I discovered René Lalique’s jewellery

while researching on Art Nouveau. I totally fell in love with the

beauty of his works of art and jewellery that could be worn

as body adornments. So I decided to study jewellery after

my graduation and it’s been over 10 years now since I am in

this field.

I launched my own brand and business in 2008, after

graduating from the Royal College. Till 2013, I worked mainly

with private clients.

You have two broad segments – Fine Art Jewellery and

Prêt-à-Porter – under which you make different lines.

How different are these two segments?

It is the same difference as in fashion between haute couture

and prêt-à-porter.

The Fine Art Jewellery segment represents the collections

which are created with a strong art approach. I consider

these to be small-scale sculptures, which can be worn on

special occasions, or enjoyed as miniature artworks. They

are all one-off pieces; each of them has a title, and each

collection has a specific story. I believe these pieces have a

soul and they incite reactions when people view them. I have

been creating these wearable artworks since the start of my

business and they have forged my reputation in the industry

over the years.

At the end of 2013, I created my first line Les Corallines

under the Prêt-à-Porter segment as I wanted to have a

jewellery collection to be worn on a daily basis. The range

obviously bears the signature style from Abyss, produced

under the Fine Art Jewellery segment, but adapted for daily

wear, so the metal structure is more delicate and much

lighter. In 2015, I launched Rock It! under the Prêt-à-Porter

section. I export only the daily wear ranges since I only sell

the Fine Art Jewellery pieces directly to clients, and not

through outlets.

Most of your jewellery is very sculptural, embodying rugged

and organic textures and forms. Tell us more about the DNA

specific to your lines.

Well as you just said, the organic aspect of my jewellery is

my DNA. I always strive to give my pieces the most natural

aspect as possible, as if they had grown or been formed by

themselves in nature.

I often use unusual materials for high-end jewellery – like

natural elements such as sea urchin, nuts, or minerals;

and I have a very specific way of setting stones. I do not

The cool, icy blue pendant named L’Exceptionnelle Tanzanite revolves around a 45-carat tanzanite crystal partially embedded in 18-karat white gold garnished with diamonds.

Truly a conversation piece, the 18-karat gold honeycomb earrings titled Would You Like A Drop Of Tej, Madame? suspend 6 carats of hand-carved fire Wello opals. The earrings were made as a souvenir of the delicious honey wine called Tej, which is made in Ethiopia.

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create a metal structure to hold stones, but I tried to extend

‘nature’s artwork’ through the metal. So the metal really

complements the stones. It is not used just to hold them

together, it also plays an important part in the piece and I pay

special attention to the combination of materials, colours and

textures. Details are also extremely important in my work and

one of my mottos is a quote by Leonardo da Vinci: ‘Details

make perfection, and perfection is not a detail’.

In general, I always aim to create daring pieces that are

innovative, elegant, and sophisticated.

Tell us more about your inspirations. What leads you to

doing such wonderful and visually attractive pieces?

My inspiration comes directly from my observation of nature,

from tiny details in plants or minerals to landscapes formed

through geological processes. I believe nature is the greatest

artist in the world and I am fascinated by its beauty!

I am also inspired and fascinated by alchemy, which is

strongly linked to nature, since it is the art of bringing nature

to perfection. Alchemy is a science that reveals the great

mysteries of creation, of life and its ultimate goal. In alchemy,

nature is seen as a guiding principle to be understood,

imitated, and transformed through art; and I use jewellery

keeping these principles in mind.

The main purpose behind my work is to bring awareness

of nature’s preciousness in our modern society. And jewellery

allows me to bring some natural elements that are not

commonly classified as precious to a precious level through a

precious medium, which is jewellery!

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Therefore, the visual impact is very important to me. each

piece has to be eye-catching, but it must also sit perfectly

on the body when worn. At the same time, it must be like

something never seen before that truly pays homage to the

stone or materials used. each of my creations needs to have

the ‘wow’ factor.

ralph waldo emerson’s quote is my design philosophy: ‘Do

not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no

path and leave a trail.’

Tell us about your process of creation.

Most of my fine Art jewellery pieces have a story behind

them. It often starts with the centre stone or natural element

within the piece. The inspiration comes either from the stone/

element itself, or from where it is from, or an anecdote about

it. Then, I ‘build’ the design around it in wax like a sculptor.

Sometimes I do a quick sketch on paper to lay down the main

idea but the details come along the way, while carving the

wax. The wax is then cast in metal and I take the final steps

on the metal to finish the texture, colours, and set the stones.

How has the journey been so far?

Like a hike in the Alps! Sometimes it’s really a rocky path,

sometimes easier under pleasant sunshine and amazing

landscapes! There are always ups and downs and we are

constantly learning from our experiences. I started my

business with absolutely nothing and I built it up brick by

brick. It takes time but I am very grateful to have reached

this far!

I often use unusual materials for high-end jewellery – like natural elements such as sea urchin, nuts, or minerals; and I have a very specific way of setting stones.

TOP:The 18-karat white gold Précieuse Coralline Reef ring is topped with a golden South Sea pearl and yellow diamonds.

CENTRE:The dramatic gold ring Merveille Océanique focuses on a freshwater pearl set in 18-karat gold, mounted on sea urchin, and engulfed with 9-karat gold tentacles stippled with green tourmalines.

RIGHT:The 6.5-carat cabochon Wello opal is idolised in the Coralline Atoll ring mounted in 18-karat gold.

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Which gemstones do you like the most?

as you might have noticed, i am in love with opals. i think the

stone is totally magical! it comes alive when you wear it; opals

keep changing colours so it is impossible to get bored of

them. Having been able to cut opals myself, i had observed

its fascinating attributes!

i also love emerald crystals for their colour and shape. it is

actually my birthstone.

metal-wise, i love yellow gold; i like the rich colour of

22-karat gold. i also like rose gold.

How long does it take you to produce a collection?

that totally depends on the collection and the pieces.

Obviously the Prêt-à-Porter lines get made quickly than the

fine art jewellery lines. but then each collection has more or

less elaborate pieces, so it’s difficult to say. I have spent over

As you might have noticed, I am in love with opals. I think the stone is totally magical! It comes alive when you wear it.

200 hours on my latest piece L’exceptionnelle tanzanite!

what i have noticed though is that as time goes by, i

spend longer hours doing my work. so for instance, recent

collections like Les exceptionnelles have taken twice as much

time than nature’s treasure if not more!

nature’s treasure was inspired by the pyrite mineral,

its various type of crystallisations, and alchemy due to its

nickname “fool’s gold”.

abyss was inspired by deep-sea landscapes and water;

and into the woods was inspired by forests. Lucy in

wonderland is a result of my journey in ethiopia in 2010. i

was inspired by landscapes, architecture, legends, and other

peculiarities of the country.

Les exceptionnelles is inspired by the mineral specimen

selected in each piece. and as mentioned previously, Les

Corallines is an adaptation of abyss for daily wear and rock

it! is an adaptation of Les exceptionelles.

What are your bestselling jewellery pieces?

my rings! i love making them and i tend to make and sell a

lot of them!

How many stores do you have in the world and where is your

jewellery retailed?

i started working with outlets such as fortnums and mason

in London and Laboratory in russia. i have a few other stores

with whom i work in Paris, Hong Kong, taipei, and Puerto

The Precious Trinity From The Depth Of Nature necklace showcases a Tahitian drop pearl set in 18-karat gold with three diamonds and mounted on Tahitian baroque pearls and 18-karat gold beads.

The rough and smooth L’Exceptionnel Grenat Du Piemont ear clips feature garnets combined with green mica from the Italian Alps, set in 18-karat gold with diamonds.

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I spent almost 200 hours on this piece, and so I was spending seven days a week at work and 12 hours minimum per day – that, too, in the run-up to Christmas.

rico. However, massive production is not my aim so i’d

rather work with fewer but quality retailers.

Otherwise, i have recently re-launched my e-commerce

website, so this should help in getting more sales from across

the globe.

Have you ever visited India?

not yet, but it is on my list! i recently visited the bejewelled

treasures: the al thani Collection… it’s just incredible! i

was amazed by (Viren) bhagat’s work and his precision in

gem-cutting and mounting.

Tell us about your other hobbies.

i love travelling and hiking. i also love snowboarding in winter.

i like to go far from civilization – usually on top of a mountain,

roam the forest, or idle by the sea. i like remote and silent places

to recharge my batteries, and to be away from the city life.

Otherwise if i am in London and not working, i do what

most Londoners do, visit exhibitions and explore the town.

there is so much to do and to see, but unfortunately never

enough time!

Your ring titled Uprising won two gold awards at the annual

Goldsmiths’ Craft and the prestigious Design Council

Awards. Tell us more about it.

at the end of last year, i was invited to make a piece of

jewellery by a new pearl company based in ras-al-Khaimah,

uae. they visited my workshop and presented various

pearls that they had started to culture. i instantly picked a

baroque pearl which had amazing shimmering and lustre;

and they also had some tiny baby pearls, which i found really

cute. i also loved the fact that the pearls came in such a

great variation of colours. so i picked up a few as well. the

company’s aim was to stage a comeback with the arabian

pearls in the market.

One night, before going to sleep, as it often happens with

my creative process, i had a ‘vision’ of the ring: a giant wave

bringing the pearls over. so i put down the idea with a very

rough sketch, and started carving the wax the following

day. i looked at many images of waves while carving it. i

actually had a slideshow being re-run on my computer every

day, with various images of waves. And the final shape was

refined along the way with all the details.

my instinct told me to use rose gold, and add diamonds

to illustrate the water drops around waves. i also wanted to

create a contrast between the blue part of a wave and the

white part. so i did this through the texture of gold, which is

matt and polish. i spent almost 200 hours on this piece, and

so i was spending seven days a week at work and 12 hours

minimum per day – that, too, in the run-up to Christmas

when i had other commissions to take care of! but it was

really worth it. it felt at that time like climbing a cliff, but then

i got highly rewarded for the hard work! n

The Uprising

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