Jewelry Brands to Wear in 2019, Part 3

Exquisite jeweled brooch by EraGem's Jewelry Brands to Wear artist Emmanuel Tarpin. Photo copyright Emmanuel Tarpin.   This gorgeous brooch perfectly punctuates this final installment in our debut Jewelry Brands to Wear series. I have so enjoyed getting to know these spectacular designers a little bit better. I look forward to following the journey these brands take on their way to vintage and antique.  

Our Final Jewelry Brands

It is my pleasure to introduce to you Emmanuel Tarpin and Hanut Singh in this final post. These two jewelry brands stand out for their exquisite sculptural jewelry art. For this final article I looked for international brands with an eye for exclusivity. For those of you who read my articles regularly, you know I'm in love with Jewels by JAR. These two designers very much remind me of him. In fact, they both rely primarily on word-of-mouth for their business, just like JAR. Their attention to detail and their boldness in using color and texture bring their jewels to life. The sculptural quality of their jewels sets them apart. Furthermore, their passion for color and gemstones, as well as their meticulous craftsmanship, guarantees their jewels will stand the test of time. Once again, I expect to see these two jewelry brands rising to the top in auctions, museums, and private collections in the next few decades.  

Emmanuel Tarpin

Emmanuel Tarpin literally plays with color, texture, and gemstones as he designs his jewelry. He describes his process as a game of texture and color. He likes the textures and colors to play with each other, so he places matte next to shiny, dark next to light, grainy next to smooth. In this game, he plays chess master, hand picking each and every stone personally. For 13 years, Emmanuel Tarpin worked as a sculptor. Inspired by sculptor and land artist Andy Goldsworthy, Tarpin pursued the art of sculpting with color. In looking up Andy Goldsworthy's work, I'm inspired myself. The British sculptor uses natural materials - wood, rocks, leaves, branches, sand, ice, and more - to create exquisite sculptural works which transform or enhance the natural beauty of the objects themselves. His use of color and texture creates an element of magic that very few artists can replicate. Though Tarpin sculpted for more than a decade, his true passion ignited when he began designing jewelry. In order to replicate the flowers, leaves, and shells he so adores in nature, Tarpin chooses to work primarily with aluminum. After graduating from HEAD (Geneva School of Art and Design), Tarpin began his foray into the jewelry industry as an intern at Van Cleef & Arpels. Not surprisingly, his skill and talent landed him a full-time position at the esteemed jewelry atelier. At the age of 25, Tarpin decided to take the plunge and open his own workshop. Today, his Paris studio is open by appointment only. He relies solely on referrals and word of mouth to perpetuate his business. I invite you to view his website, which I guarantee will leave you wanting more.  

Hanut Singh

The works of Hanut Singh captured my attention from moment one. Clearly inspired by a combination of Persian, Indian, and European art, his sculptural designs also borrow a number of elements from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. His story is exceptional. Hanut is the great-grandson of the Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, friend of Theodore Roosevelt and patriarch of the Kapurthala royal family. This royal family of India sparked a revolution of style at the outset of the 20th century. He grew up amid the legendary treasure his Cafe Society family amassed, including inspired jewels from all the great houses of Europe and America. This early exposure to some of the world's greatest designers, from fashion to jewelry, inspired Hanut to become a designer himself. Primarily self-taught, Hanut Singh has mastered the art of the jewel. He possesses the skills of the goldsmith, the gemologist, and the enameler. He skillfully combines the ancient pietra dura techniques of medieval India, the enameling techniques of the Art Nouveau period, and the geometrical genius of the Art Deco designers. Inspired both by nature and architecture, his pieces delight the senses, evoking regal elegance and absolute wonder. Click here to see for yourself.   ~Angela Magnotti Andrews