Profiles in Design
Claudia Kretchmer –
Creating Constellations of Stars
“In all the world, the stars do shine, but none so brightly as art entwined.”
>> Cynthia Unninayar, Editor-in-Chief
F
The back of Shaula, a blue sub-giant
in Scorpio, evoked by a blue paraiba
tourmaline.
The original award-winning
diamond-set cushion pendant.
or Claudia Kretchmer, the fusion of art and science is nothing new. Her mother and father, Alma and Steven Kretchmer,
founded Steven Kretchmer Designs, a brand renowned for its
tension-set jewelry and innovative Polarium®, a permanently magnetized platinum alloy that allowed Steven to create gravity-defying
jewelry. Claudia’s love for astronomy adds yet another dimension to
his dazzling creations. With names straight from the heavens, such as
Polaris, Antares, Arcturus, and Shaula, her first solo collection, called
Star Pendant, is simply “out of this world.”
“The inspiration for the design started because I wanted something
that would stand out at Centurion 2007—my first solo show without
my parents. I was looking through some old images of pieces my father
created 10 to 20 years ago, and one stood out. It had the basic metal
structure of our current cushion pendant but with no diamonds. By
updating it, I could create a look for today, one that combined Steven’s
vision with my ideas. In essence, it is our first collaboration.”
“When the piece was finished, I fell in love with it. Fortunately,
so did other people. We also won the 2007 Town & Country Design
Awards. That’s when I decided to create a limited edition line.” Claudia
wanted each pendant to be unique and magical. Because of her passion
for astronomy, she created each piece using a different star. “After all,
what is more magical and mystical than a sparkling star?” she muses.
“Each pendant also has to be symbolic for its owner, a special piece to
be treasured for years to come.”
The front looks exactly like Steven Kretchmer’s original design, but
the back has a unique stone representing a particular star. “I try to capture the essence of the star by the color and properties of the stone and
the melee around it. The melee stones form the star’s constellation and
are accurate in color, size, and position.” A swivel mechanism makes
it reversible. Pendants are composed of a platinum and 18K yellow
center cushion, with 80 or more diamonds in the halo. The top link
floats using Steven Kretchmer’s patented Polarium®, and each piece is
signed, numbered, and laser-engraved with the star’s name.
“We use stars with a story and beauty that are uniquely their own,”
she says. “In the planning stages are Rigel, Deneb, Bellatrix—a
blue star that symbolizes the female warrior—and Mira, dubbed
the ‘Miracle Star.’” For stargazers and jewelry connoisseurs alike,
Claudia Kretchmer’s bejeweled constellations are truly celestial.
(www.stevenkretchmer.com)
A pair of Venus gravity-defying
Polarium® earrings.
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The back of Antares, a red super-giant in the
Scorpio constellation, represented by a red ruby.
The front of Antares.
The back of Arcturus, an orange
Alpha star in the Bootes constellation,
marked by an orange sapphire.
JQ • May/June 2008