Gold Inspirations : Jewellery Style Magazine

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Gurhan

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Turkish-born, New York-based Gurhan Orhan is an award-winning, pioneering designer of 24 carat gold jewellery that blends contemporary fashion influences with ancient goldsmithing traditions. Each piece is imbued with his personal passion for pure gold.

“In my opinion, jewellery is first design, then fashion and then art. Fashion forces me forwards, and is becoming a very important part of the jewellery world. I use only one kind of gold, 24 carat, and over the years I have developed a distinctive irregular hand hammered texture, which makes my jewellery instantly recognisable. Many of the techniques I use for 24 carat are reincarnated from history.

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“When I was first offered some gold, in 1994, it was love at first sight. I closed myself into a tiny room, like a jail cell, and started to teach myself in a process of trial and error, as of course the material could be used again and again. So sensual, malleable and soft, the gold provoked amazing feelings; it was an overnight revelation, a vision. Making all of my own tools, it took about 4-5 months for me to produce the first piece and luckily the jewels started selling and this was my new career.

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“Today, from the gold ingot to the finished product, we do everything ourselves. I have a team in New York and a team in Istanbul. Craftsmen come to our “school”, with no experience, we then train them from scratch, which takes between one and three months. Inspiration comes from the woman, from the lines of the face, or just a scent; from technical knowledge, travels and architecture, and from the materials. I have great respect for 24 carat gold, pure gold, eternal, strong, and precious. I believe that gold is the conductor for the power of gemstones. I dream, I hope that one day I will become a real artist.”

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