A walk through the Grand Bazaar to meet with Seven Bicakci and see his amazing technique and jewels up close! Video courtesy of: The Jewelery Editor
Culture
The real “Lord of the Rings”
This gold and silver Scheherazade’s Palace ring featuring diamonds, a mosaic with turquoise tesserae, and a blue tourmaline with an inversely engraved intaglio. Image courtesy of: The Jewellery Editor
The historical city of Istanbul is home to many great wonders, and visiting Sevan Bicakci’s five-story atelier should be at the top of the “to see list”. Set among awe-inspiring surrounding, Bicakci and his team of talented artisans produce some of the worlds most famous contemporary jewelry.
Within the atelier, less than 500 collectable pieces are produced each year… an average of three to four months is spent on each piece and at least eight specialists (sketchers, stone-setters, calligraphers, painters, and carvers) touch the item before it is finished.
The dome-shaped Hagia Sophia rings are perhaps Bicakci’s most impressive. Inspired by their namesake, St. Sophia, the cathedral-turned-museum, rings feature a giant gemstone of great depth sitting atop a perfectly proportioned diamond-encrusted setting. Image courtesy of: Quintessence
Bicakci learned the art of jewelry-making as an apprentice to Hovsep Chatak, a goldsmith and family friend; and at the age of 18, he opened his own workshop.
The city of his birth has played a very prominent part of his inspirations. With many unique details right outside his doorstep, it’s not a surprise that Istambul’s cultural heritage is evident in many of the jewel’s details. Bacakci says, “My choice is creating multi-layered pieces of jewelry is inspired by the way each piece of historical architecture sits atop layers of remains from previous ages’ significant buildings.”
Since he released his first independent collection of jewelry in 2002, Bicakci has received many awards. In 2009, Bucakci won the Jameel Prize, given at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, that is presented to artists and designers working in the Muslim tradition. Octopus Bracelet. Image courtesy of: Style Shake
Bicakci has managed to perfect a technique called reverse intaglio carving which allows him to carve INSIDE stones. This method has allowed him to carve deeper into the gemstone. He recently said about this technique, “I realized that my talent was too limited for the ideas that were running through my mind, so I started delegating intaglio-carving missions to real sculptures.”
Bicakci was quite hesitant when Assouline, the luxury and high curated book publisher, approached him regarding writing a book about his life and work. Bicakci luckily agreed and jewelry historian, Vivienne Becker, was able to beautifully translate the designer’s real-life inspirations and aspirations in “Sevan Bicakci”. About the book he says, “The book does a great job of explaining the evolutions of my style within Istanbul’s cultural context. Earlier on, I used to think that it was necessary for someone to experience Istanbul in order to understand my work. Now, reading the book will do it.”
The artist at work at his studio in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. Image courtesy of: Straits Times
Even though the artist is now a master jeweler who accessorizes some of the world’s most famous women, he has remained true to his vision and craft. Bicakci’s pieces are truly one-of-a-kind works of art!
