Gabriella Kiss 18k & horizontal oval lapis ring
$950
Gabriella Kiss channels her love of the natural world around her into her eponymous jewelry line, finding endless inspiration in the flora and fauna surrounding her studio in New York’s Hudson Valley, from snakes and birds to moss and mushrooms.
A former apprentice and assistant to Ted Muehling, Kiss studied sculpture at New York’s Pratt Institute, where she also learned the art of lost-wax casting which enables her to capture the fine details that have become a hallmark of her designs. Combining precious metals and gemstones, Kiss’ designs are as abstract as they are representational. Her bird collection, conceived while she was pregnant, is all about protection; eggs, fashioned in pearl or turquoise and dangling from the mouths of birds, symbolize the promise of birth and new life. Gold-framed dendritic agate, resembling tiny landscape paintings with its fernlike inclusions, gold-framed dendritic agate, makes a regular appearance in her pendants, rings and earrings.
"The kind of quite concentration required for carving something from nature allows me to 'see' better, " says Kiss. "It's about paying attention and being present."
