By Galina Kouliaeva, Creative Director at Robin Woolard Custom Designs
Each May, TEFAF New York gathers the world’s most visionary jewelers, collectors, and designers in one space — and each year, it sets a new standard for what fine jewelry can express.
This spring, I returned to TEFAF — as I do each year — to see how the most progressive designers are moving the conversation forward. As a jeweler, I’m always looking for subtle shifts: how materials are being reimagined, how form is evolving, and how classic techniques are given a fresh perspective.
A Celebration of Form and Innovation
One of the most talked-about houses this year was Hemmerle, known for its intellectual approach to design. Their commitment to understated elegance was on full display.
Having followed Hemmerle for years, I approached their booth with a sense of quiet recognition. Their aesthetic remains consistent — sculptural, material-forward, and anchored in a philosophical approach.
The Reverse Side: A Study in Perspective
Among the standouts was a pair of earrings inspired by the underside of a flower — not the part we usually admire, but the one we rarely even notice. Hemmerle had fully pavé-set it with an ombré of purple sapphires. It’s the kind of gesture I’ve come to expect from them: thoughtful, quiet, and entirely intentional. That decision — to honor what’s hidden — says everything about their design philosophy. It’s about meaning, always.
Twisting bronze elements wrap the form with quiet tension. A rare balance of innovation and poetry, these earrings celebrate what is usually hidden — and elevate it into the focal point.
Tanzanite and Anodized Aluminum
Another notable piece was a pair of earrings, each featuring a rare 9-carat unheated marquise-shaped tanzanite, set in a cradle of blackened silver and white gold. But it’s the setting — not the stone — that does the talking. Three graduated, wing-like layers of anodized aluminum fan outward in tonal shades of blue and violet, creating a sense of movement that feels architectural, almost kinetic.
The contrast between the softness of the color palette and the sharpness of the form is what makes these earrings so memorable. The power comes from proportion, silhouette, and material tension.
This is what contemporary high jewelry can be — deeply sculptural, emotionally quiet, and grounded in concept. Hemmerle continues to lead this conversation with clarity and confidence.
Wrapped in Time: Antique Diamonds Reimagined
One standout: a pair of earrings featuring old European-cut pear-shaped diamonds, each weighing 9 carats, set with precision in bronze and white gold.
The design is quiet and deliberate. The diamonds are not hidden or overly embellished — they’re revealed, structured by clean bronze lines that follow the stone’s contour. It’s a technical composition that allows the materials to breathe while holding their presence with quiet authority.
What I admire most is Hemmerle’s refusal to romanticize history. Instead, they frame it — literally — in a modern context.
Final Thoughts
TEFAF 2025 offered fewer surprises than previous years, but the caliber of thought in the jewelry presentations remained high. Hemmerle, in particular, continues to work within its own well-defined language — evolving quietly, without needing to reinvent itself.
The use of unexpected materials, the balance of tension and minimalism — these are tools, not trends. TEFAF remains a place to engage with that kind of thinking.
