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Ornella Iannuzzi is a UK-based jewellery artist of French
origin whose works redefine ‘avant-garde’. The countless
hours spent as a child amidst the pristine and vibrant
beauty of the Alps and Chamonix-Mont Blanc obviously
invigorated and stoked her artistic bent of mind. Ornella
dabbled in various arts and crafts before finding her true
calling – to make offbeat jewellery.
Her jewellery, heavily inspired by nature, is a merger of
organic and geometric shapes – curvaceous lines interact
with lush textures; jagged, eroded edges mingle with sleek
lines and splashy veneers.
Raw poetry and technical precision come together in her
larger-than-life jewellery pieces, where natural formations
get replicated in a dramatic manner in 22-karat gold. The
refined yet playful three-dimensional artistic productions
simply take your breath away.
B y S h a n o o B i j l a n i
O r n e l l a I a n n u z z i ’ s
The scraggy and
stark Ring on the
Rock features
pyrite mineral
in its matrix set
in 22-karat gold
vermeil.

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Did you pursue creative hobbies as a child?
I used to be a very practical child, and I have always enjoyed making things. I
spent a lot of time in my father’s workshop, making all presents for Christmas
or birthdays for my family by hand, from wood, paper, fabric, clay or whatever
I could lay my hands on. As a teenager, I started making jewellery out of
clay for my friends. I enjoyed drawing and painting too. Art was one of my
favourite subjects at school and I went to study Applied Arts for my
International Baccalaureate.
Most of your jewellery is nature-inspired with a mix of ultra-modern
elements in it. Did your childhood surroundings influence you?
Yes, of course! I grew up in the Alps and, as a kid, would play in the forest. I
was fascinated by trees, mushrooms, and plants of unusual shapes. I spent
a lot of time hiking in the mountains near Chamonix and Mont Blanc with
my mum and sister. I would pick up so many stones and crystals on my way!
Growing up in such surroundings helped me to look at nature differently. I
feel very closely linked to nature and this has had a significant impact on
my work.
Where did you study the art of jewellery making? Your technical expertise is
clearly evident in the highly futuristic pieces you make.
I started my jewellery studies in France, after my Baccalaureate. I got a very
solid technical grounding there since the teaching in France at that time was
orientated towards technical skills and handmade jewellery.
I learnt a lot as well through various internships and work experience in
Paris, at Capet and Van Cleef & Arpels. Following this, I wanted to explore the
creative side of ‘art jewellery’ and arrived in London to do a Master’s at the
Royal College of Art and graduated in 2007. Later, I was able to experiment
a lot and find my own style, free from the French tradition! I started
approaching jewellery as an art form, with strong concepts and statements
supporting my designs, rather than basing the designs only on aesthetics.
I learnt a lot as well through various internships and work
experience in Paris, at Capet and Van Cleef & Arpels.
The Cosmic
Huasca ring looks
like a natural
wonder! Petrified
wood set in
black and green
rhodium silver,
with rainforest
topaz .
The graphic objet
d’art titled Cubic
Crystallization
showcases pyrite
set in black
rhodium silver
with 24-karat
gold leaves.
L’Exceptionnelle
Emeraude
18-karat gold
sculptural ring
set with natural
emerald crystal.
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The 20-carat hand-
carved Wello opal
pendant encased in
18-karat gold with a
sparkling brilliant-cut
diamond steals the
show in the flamboyant
Blue Nile Falls necklace
made of 42 carats of
rough diamonds.

5. When did you realise that you would move into the world of
jewellery and take it up as a full-time career?
As mentioned, I was studying Design and Applied Arts for
my Bachelor’s, and I discovered René Lalique’s jewellery
while researching on Art Nouveau. I totally fell in love with the
beauty of his works of art and jewellery that could be worn
as body adornments. So I decided to study jewellery after
my graduation and it’s been over 10 years now since I am in
this field.
I launched my own brand and business in 2008, after
graduating from the Royal College. Till 2013, I worked mainly
with private clients.
You have two broad segments – Fine Art Jewellery and
Prêt-à-Porter – under which you make different lines.
How different are these two segments?
It is the same difference as in fashion between haute couture
and prêt-à-porter.
The Fine Art Jewellery segment represents the collections
which are created with a strong art approach. I consider
these to be small-scale sculptures, which can be worn on
special occasions, or enjoyed as miniature artworks. They
are all one-off pieces; each of them has a title, and each
collection has a specific story. I believe these pieces have a
soul and they incite reactions when people view them. I have
been creating these wearable artworks since the start of my
business and they have forged my reputation in the industry
over the years.
At the end of 2013, I created my first line Les Corallines
under the Prêt-à-Porter segment as I wanted to have a
jewellery collection to be worn on a daily basis. The range
obviously bears the signature style from Abyss, produced
under the Fine Art Jewellery segment, but adapted for daily
wear, so the metal structure is more delicate and much
lighter. In 2015, I launched Rock It! under the Prêt-à-Porter
section. I export only the daily wear ranges since I only sell
the Fine Art Jewellery pieces directly to clients, and not
through outlets.
Most of your jewellery is very sculptural, embodying rugged
and organic textures and forms. Tell us more about the DNA
specific to your lines.
Well as you just said, the organic aspect of my jewellery is
my DNA. I always strive to give my pieces the most natural
aspect as possible, as if they had grown or been formed by
themselves in nature.
I often use unusual materials for high-end jewellery – like
natural elements such as sea urchin, nuts, or minerals;
and I have a very specific way of setting stones. I do not
The cool, icy blue
pendant named
L’Exceptionnelle
Tanzanite
revolves around
a 45-carat
tanzanite
crystal partially
embedded in
18-karat white
gold garnished
with diamonds.
Truly a
conversation
piece, the
18-karat gold
honeycomb
earrings titled
Would You
Like A Drop Of
Tej, Madame?
suspend 6 carats
of hand-carved
fire Wello opals.
The earrings
were made as a
souvenir of the
delicious honey
wine called Tej,
which is made in
Ethiopia.
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6. create a metal structure to hold stones, but I tried to extend
‘nature’s artwork’ through the metal. So the metal really
complements the stones. It is not used just to hold them
together, it also plays an important part in the piece and I pay
special attention to the combination of materials, colours and
textures. Details are also extremely important in my work and
one of my mottos is a quote by Leonardo da Vinci: ‘Details
make perfection, and perfection is not a detail’.
In general, I always aim to create daring pieces that are
innovative, elegant, and sophisticated.
Tell us more about your inspirations. What leads you to
doing such wonderful and visually attractive pieces?
My inspiration comes directly from my observation of nature,
from tiny details in plants or minerals to landscapes formed
through geological processes. I believe nature is the greatest
artist in the world and I am fascinated by its beauty!
I am also inspired and fascinated by alchemy, which is
strongly linked to nature, since it is the art of bringing nature
to perfection. Alchemy is a science that reveals the great
mysteries of creation, of life and its ultimate goal. In alchemy,
nature is seen as a guiding principle to be understood,
imitated, and transformed through art; and I use jewellery
keeping these principles in mind.
The main purpose behind my work is to bring awareness
of nature’s preciousness in our modern society. And jewellery
allows me to bring some natural elements that are not
commonly classified as precious to a precious level through a
precious medium, which is jewellery!
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Therefore, the visual impact is very important to me. Each
piece has to be eye-catching, but it must also sit perfectly
on the body when worn. At the same time, it must be like
something never seen before that truly pays homage to the
stone or materials used. Each of my creations needs to have
the ‘wow’ factor.
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote is my design philosophy: ‘Do
not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no
path and leave a trail.’
Tell us about your process of creation.
Most of my Fine Art Jewellery pieces have a story behind
them. It often starts with the centre stone or natural element
within the piece. The inspiration comes either from the stone/
element itself, or from where it is from, or an anecdote about
it. Then, I ‘build’ the design around it in wax like a sculptor.
Sometimes I do a quick sketch on paper to lay down the main
idea but the details come along the way, while carving the
wax. The wax is then cast in metal and I take the final steps
on the metal to finish the texture, colours, and set the stones.
How has the journey been so far?
Like a hike in the Alps! Sometimes it’s really a rocky path,
sometimes easier under pleasant sunshine and amazing
landscapes! There are always ups and downs and we are
constantly learning from our experiences. I started my
business with absolutely nothing and I built it up brick by
brick. It takes time but I am very grateful to have reached
this far!
I often use unusual materials for high-end jewellery –
like natural elements such as sea urchin,
nuts, or minerals; and I have a very specific
way of setting stones.
TOP:
The 18-karat
white gold
Précieuse
Coralline Reef
ring is topped
with a golden
South Sea pearl
and yellow
diamonds.
CENTRE:
The dramatic gold
ring Merveille
Océanique
focuses on a
freshwater pearl
set in 18-karat
gold, mounted
on sea urchin,
and engulfed
with 9-karat gold
tentacles stippled
with green
tourmalines.
RIGHT:
The 6.5-carat
cabochon Wello
opal is idolised in
the Coralline Atoll
ring mounted in
18-karat gold.

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Which gemstones do you like the most?
As you might have noticed, I am in love with opals. I think the
stone is totally magical! It comes alive when you wear it; opals
keep changing colours so it is impossible to get bored of
them. Having been able to cut opals myself, I had observed
its fascinating attributes!
I also love emerald crystals for their colour and shape. It is
actually my birthstone.
Metal-wise, I love yellow gold; I like the rich colour of
22-karat gold. I also like rose gold.
How long does it take you to produce a collection?
That totally depends on the collection and the pieces.
Obviously the Prêt-à-Porter lines get made quickly than the
Fine Art Jewellery lines. But then each collection has more or
less elaborate pieces, so it’s difficult to say. I have spent over
As you might have noticed, I am in love with opals. I think the
stone is totally magical! It comes alive when you wear it.
200 hours on my latest piece L’Exceptionnelle Tanzanite!
What I have noticed though is that as time goes by, I
spend longer hours doing my work. So for instance, recent
collections like Les Exceptionnelles have taken twice as much
time than Nature’s Treasure if not more!
Nature’s Treasure was inspired by the pyrite mineral,
its various type of crystallisations, and alchemy due to its
nickname “fool’s gold”.
Abyss was inspired by deep-sea landscapes and water;
and Into the Woods was inspired by forests. Lucy in
Wonderland is a result of my journey in Ethiopia in 2010. I
was inspired by landscapes, architecture, legends, and other
peculiarities of the country.
Les Exceptionnelles is inspired by the mineral specimen
selected in each piece. And as mentioned previously, Les
Corallines is an adaptation of Abyss for daily wear and Rock
It! is an adaptation of Les Exceptionelles.
What are your bestselling jewellery pieces?
My rings! I love making them and I tend to make and sell a
lot of them!
How many stores do you have in the world and where is your
jewellery retailed?
I started working with outlets such as Fortnums and Mason
in London and Laboratory in Russia. I have a few other stores
with whom I work in Paris, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Puerto
The Precious Trinity
From The Depth Of
Nature necklace
showcases a Tahitian
drop pearl set in
18-karat gold with
three diamonds and
mounted on Tahitian
baroque pearls and
18-karat gold beads.
The rough and smooth
L’Exceptionnel Grenat Du
Piemont ear clips feature
garnets combined with
green mica from the Italian
Alps, set in 18-karat gold
with diamonds.

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I spent almost 200 hours on this piece, and so I was spending
seven days a week at work and 12 hours minimum
per day – that, too, in the run-up to Christmas.
Rico. However, massive production is not my aim so I’d
rather work with fewer but quality retailers.
Otherwise, I have recently re-launched my e-commerce
website, so this should help in getting more sales from across
the globe.
Have you ever visited India?
Not yet, but it is on my list! I recently visited the Bejewelled
Treasures: the Al Thani Collection… it’s just incredible! I
was amazed by (Viren) Bhagat’s work and his precision in
gem-cutting and mounting.
Tell us about your other hobbies.
I love travelling and hiking. I also love snowboarding in winter.
I like to go far from civilization – usually on top of a mountain,
roam the forest, or idle by the sea. I like remote and silent places
to recharge my batteries, and to be away from the city life.
Otherwise if I am in London and not working, I do what
most Londoners do, visit exhibitions and explore the town.
There is so much to do and to see, but unfortunately never
enough time!
Your ring titled Uprising won two gold awards at the annual
Goldsmiths’ Craft and the prestigious Design Council
Awards. Tell us more about it.
At the end of last year, I was invited to make a piece of
jewellery by a new pearl company based in Ras-al-Khaimah,
UAE. They visited my workshop and presented various
pearls that they had started to culture. I instantly picked a
baroque pearl which had amazing shimmering and lustre;
and they also had some tiny baby pearls, which I found really
cute. I also loved the fact that the pearls came in such a
great variation of colours. So I picked up a few as well. The
company’s aim was to stage a comeback with the Arabian
pearls in the market.
One night, before going to sleep, as it often happens with
my creative process, I had a ‘vision’ of the ring: a giant wave
bringing the pearls over. So I put down the idea with a very
rough sketch, and started carving the wax the following
day. I looked at many images of waves while carving it. I
actually had a slideshow being re-run on my computer every
day, with various images of waves. And the final shape was
refined along the way with all the details.
My instinct told me to use rose gold, and add diamonds
to illustrate the water drops around waves. I also wanted to
create a contrast between the blue part of a wave and the
white part. So I did this through the texture of gold, which is
matt and polish. I spent almost 200 hours on this piece, and
so I was spending seven days a week at work and 12 hours
minimum per day – that, too, in the run-up to Christmas
when I had other commissions to take care of! But it was
really worth it. It felt at that time like climbing a cliff, but then
I got highly rewarded for the hard work! n
The Uprising
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