Hemmerle brought their astonishing artistic creations to Zurich for a private viewing on 12–15 June 2026. We immersed ourselves in their creative world alongside Jasmin and Christian Hemmerle.
With longer days and an abundance of color, early summer is incredibly energising to me. The splendour of nature creates an atmosphere full of anticipation, urging us to live every minute with equal vibrancy. This elevated mood manifests in myriads of events, including countless showcases of artistic performance that provide relief, reminding us that deep down we are sentient, beauty-seeking, creative beings and not solely driven by selfish interests from one conflict to another. June in Switzerland offers everything from gallery experiences at Zurich Art Weekend, concerts, festivals, to fairs of much bigger size and complexity like Art Basel.
Naturally, these events attract many connecting presentations. With its one-of-a-kind creations, the small, fourth-generation, family-run Hemmerle operates as a true arthouse using jewellery as its medium, demonstrating continuous renewal throughout its centuries-old history. Parallel to the Zurich Art Weekend, Christian and Jasmin Hemmerle presented works from their Munich studio for a private viewing, set against a scene true to their aesthetic creed.
My encounters with Hemmerle always remind me of the unwavering belief in the higher powers of beauty and the unquestionable dedication to craftsmanship I have felt only at a few events like at the Homo Faber exhibitions in Venice. Creation is not a compulsion but the free roaming of imagination and a form of self-expression. By inviting colleagues in the manufacture to bring new inspirations to the worktable, the Atelier absorbs personal experiences to create new ones with its clientele. This is how a real acorn cap picked up during a walk ends up on astonishing brown diamond earrings.
Or how unusual materials become the main component of jewels of the highest grade, forming the definitive theme of a project, such as aluminum in The [AL] Project. Or how an entire project is dedicated to charming, lively Mushroom brooches that refuse to present noble materials and gemstones for their coveted value. Instead, they use these properties solely to reflect the beauty of nature’s creations. They do not imitate nature, but rather integrate it, complementing it with something very human. And in doing so, pay homage to it.
As opposed to shouting for attention, Hemmerle jewels attract the eye through their ingenuity and intricate details. By elaborating on mushrooms, vegetables, spiders, and the fragrant inhabitants of a herb garden, they make you marvel once again at the grandeur of nature. And just like them, their future wearers must share their humor and rejection of labels. If you know, you know.
The setup in Zurich tells exactly who they are: a private encounter in an exclusive yet intimate space, perhaps with one of the most magnificent panoramic views in Zurich from a suite. One visitor at a time receives the utmost dedicated attention from the fourth generation of owners, Christian and Jasmin Hemmerle, and their team. The discussion is just as important as the pieces themselves. Getting to know each other is the means to discover the pieces that integrate best into the personal stories.
Interestingly, one jewel can link stories lived at different times. Their ‘Revived Treasures‘ incorporate fragments of Egyptian faience and amulets from various historic periods of Egypt, including the Old Kingdom (2700–2200 BC), the Late Period (747–30 BC), and the Amarna Period (1352–1336 BC). There is also a natural circulation of pieces. To continue its journey in time, the mushroom brooch above (from the 2004 Mushroom project, with diamonds, copper, silver and rose gold) returned recently to find a new companion to travel with. Christian Hemmerle also showed us a pair of emeralds sold in a jewel by his grandfather in the mid-20th century, which after 70 years returned with a handwritten invoice to Hemmerle. The emeralds now live on in a pair of earrings.
Many houses think in collections, and under the pressure of battling for customer attention, management often stifles creativity just to add yet another piece to the lineup. Hemmerle‘s highly personalised and self-restrained approach, actively managed by the owners, liberates the creative process from business expectations. They aren’t competing for everyone’s attention but aim to bring joy to those who appreciate and seek out this blend of beauty, perfectionism, and wittiness. This is precisely what differentiates profound artistic craftsmanship -a quality multiple houses possess- from art for art’s sake.
Photo credits: Loupiosity.com
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