Jewelry design inspiration can come from anywhere, but for two industry veterans, a glance through a book about nature turned into a collection inspired by the male Japanese puffer fish.
Yes, you read that right. The puffer fish. This underwater Romeo gave Serena Van Rensselaer and her design partner Aurelio Rivera the perfect subject for Van Rensselaer’s latest collection. And the result is sublime, she says.
Impression of Love‘s jewelry is modeled after the incredible artwork that male puffer fish create on the ocean floor to find mates. Using only the flipping of his fins, the puffer fish works 24 hours a day for a week to sculpt a seven-foot symbol that looks like a mandala, Van Rensselaer says.
She and Rivera had worked together on Van Rensselaer’s previous collection, which was inspired by the children’s book The Little Prince. Seeing that oceanic mandala lit them both up, she says, and they started researching how and why the symbol is made. They watched videos, read books, and went down a proverbial rabbit hole to learn everything they could. A BBC video describes the puffer fish’s efforts as “mathematical perfection.”
“We were in awe of it—how something created by nature could have such perfect symmetry. It’s not something a human could make, but we wanted to try,” Van Rensselaer says. “This little fish was so humbling, and what he could do was so inspiring to see.”
Van Rensselaer started sketching. Rivera, a master wax carver, came up with a prototype. They produced a collection of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces—every piece oxidized by hand by Van Rensselaer, making sure each one meets the standards she and Rivera set for themselves.
The first Impression of Love iteration is in sterling silver, but Van Rensselaer plans to introduce a line in 14k gold next month at the NY Now show. With Valentine’s Day approaching, Van Rensselaer hopes people will connect with this natural symbol of love, just as it captured her heart.
Much of Van Rensselaer’s work is inspired by nature, including jewelry cast from pine cones, leaves, and seedpods. She also creates fiber art, in the form of macramé earrings and wall hangings. Ultimately, her jewelry is a tribute to the beauty found in the everyday and the respect she has for the natural world. Van Rensselaer says she feels like a conduit between what she sees and what her customers want to wear, which is handmade and organic.
“I taught kids how to make art for years, and that translated into jewelry design. I’ve been making jewelry now for 35 years. It’s only later in life that I’m doing this on a new, higher level,” she says. “It’s an amazing path to be on, and I’m following my heart to see what opens up for me.”
Top: Necklaces in Serena Van Rensselaer’s new Impression of Love collection, based on the oceanic “mandalas” created by Japanese puffer fish (photos courtesy of Serena Van Rensselaer)
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
