The New Aesthetics and Traditions of the Russian Stone and Jewellery Art in the Collections of Yekaterinburg Jewellery Houses

Abstract

This article presents a review of the leading jewellery companies in Yekaterinburg. We present a comparative analysis of the range of products, focussing on the new stylistic design techniques and technological features of the jewellery collections and stone-cutting works produced by the leading jewellery houses. Examples of the most significant works in the premium class segment are discussed. We demonstrate how modern Russian jewellery art creatively combines and develops Russian and European historical jewellery tradition while striving to absorb and utilize cutting-edge techniques, materials and technologies. The wide range of resulting artworks and approaches to modern jewellery-making highlights the successful combination of historical and modern approaches. More sophisticated technology allows the jewellery artists to implement new ideas while creating increasingly technically complex works. We analyse the works by the leading Yekaterinburg jewellery houses: MOISEIKIN, CHAMOVSKIKH, Natasha Libelle, Ringo, Maxim Demidov, Jewellers of Ural.