Oak leaf brooch pendant. Leather, copper, labradorite. 8.2 cm. Designer leather jewelry by Anna Agapova

Designer leather jewelry by Anna Agapova
Born in Tiraspol, Moldova, into a family of artists and teachers, Anna Agapova knew from early childhood that, like her parents, she would be an artist. She loved to draw, sew doll clothes, make crowns, rings from foil, and pendants from sea shells.
After graduating from art school, Anna entered the Chisinau Art School named after Repin. Then she graduated from the Kishinev University, art and graphic department.
As a student, she met an artist who made leather bags and various household items in the national style. According to Anna, these things became the main inspiration for the creation of costume jewelry. Her earrings, brooches, necklaces and pendants were unique, and not at all the same as those sold in stores.
Realizing what great opportunities the skin hides, a variety of works appeared – caskets, vases, photo albums, bags, and paintings. Having fallen in love with this material in 1984, she has never stopped working with this technique.
Anna worked in a children’s art school in her native Tiraspol for many years, and became a member of the Union of Artists of Transnistria.
Since 1987, Anna has been constantly participating in various art exhibitions, among which there were 4 personal ones. Currently the artist lives and works in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
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Yellow mimosa brooch hairpin. Leather, wool. 14 cm. Irina Vladi realistic leather flowers

Irina Vladi realistic leather flowers

Each flower handcrafted by Irina Vladi is a unique piece of wearable art, and a great statement piece for any outfit. According to the artist, she puts all her love and care into every flower. Accurate and lovely details, gifted hands and graduated colors make each flower so realistic.
According to Irina, she has always loved to knit, sew and embroider. For almost 8 years she has been creating jewelry – brooches, hairpins, headbands, necklaces and bracelets made of suede, silk, leather, and natural stones. Over the years, she has created a huge amount of jewelry, which are in private collections around the world.
Noteworthy, Irina often conducts workshops for those who want to make their first flower. Thus, she helps those who are constantly looking for new ways and ideas for their creativity and development of their own business.
Rostov-on-Don based artist of applied art, Irina is the co-author of several books on applied art. Besides, she is the author of her book “Graceful flowers made of leather and suede”, published in 2015.
The main inspiration for her is nature, as well as painting, music and her customers.
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Lilu brooch pendant, from Doll game collection. Copper, bronze, filigree, carnelian, apatite, quartz. 7.5 cm. Elena Safronova Jazzbijoux wirework art

Elena Safronova Jazzbijoux wirework art
Moscow based jewelry designer Elena Safronova grew up in a jeweler’s family and enjoyed creativity since childhood. Most of all she liked drawing and designing costumes and jewelry for her dolls. The girl’s father instilled in her a love for jewelry and taught her the techniques of working with metal. Also, he taught the girl to understand stones, metals, and to see beautiful lines and shapes. Elena’s parents introduced her to various types of arts and crafts visiting exhibitions and museums. Thus, the question of choosing a future profession for Elena was obvious.
Enrolling in the Academic School of Design, Elena studied interior design and decor. It was a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with the classical principles of composition and color.
A multimedia artist, Elena has been working in wirewrap technique for the last 10 years. “This technique makes it possible to embody almost any idea in metal. In particular, to create volumetric forms and complex compositions. Besides, weaving goes well with both classic jewelry techniques and modern technologies”.

Creating brooches, pendants, rings and necklaces, Elena works with silver, copper, brass, and nickel silver. Meanwhile, a special love and inspiration of the designer is her collection of stones.
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Clover egg – the last work made by the brilliant jeweler in 1903. Faberge jeweler Mikhail Perkhin (1860-1903)

Faberge jeweler Mikhail Perkhin

The future jeweler of the Faberge firm, Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin was born in 1860 into a peasant family living in the Olonets province. In 1878-1879, after the death of his father, he left for St. Petersburg, where he entered the apprenticeship of the jeweler Vladimir Finnikov, one of the leading masters of the time. In 1884, Perkhin married 16-year-old Tatyana Vladimirovna Finnikova, the daughter of his teacher. Having received the title of master in 1886, Perkhin, accordingly, received the right to a personal brand “М. П.” (Mikhail Perkhin).

Two years later, Carl Faberge invited Perkhin to work in his jewelry firm. In addition, Faberge helped Perkhin open his own jewelry workshop in 1888. It was in this workshop that Perkhin worked for the next 15 years, being the chief master jeweler of the Faberge house.
The Faberge firm provided Perkhin’s workshop with orders, sketches, precious metals and stones, and sold finished jewelry.
Noteworthy that, Henrik Wigström, who later became one of the leading jewelers of Carl Faberge’s firm, began his career as an assistant to Mikhail Perkhin.
According to documents, by the end of the 1890s, more than 50 people worked in Perkhin’s workshop.
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Two archers in red caftans in front of a wooden door, detail of desk set. Silver, gilding, painted enamel, Moscow, circa 1900. Work by Russian master enameller Fyodor Ruckert (1851–1918)

Russian master enameller Fyodor Ruckert (1851–1918)
At the end of the nineteenth century, Russian jewelers took the art of creating painted enamels to a new level. The works of Fyodor Rückert occupy a special place in the art of enamel. Bright cloisonné enamels, covered with fantastic creatures intertwined with intricate floral ornaments, have become famous thanks to international exhibitions and fairs.
Born in the French province of Alsace-Lorraine in 1840, Fyodor Ruckert came to Russia at the age of 14. In 1886, Ruckert opened his own silverware workshop. Already in 1887, he began collaborating with the Faberge firm. Noteworthy, up to 80% of all products bearing the Faberge brand came out of Ruckert’s workshop.
The most interesting and rare items of the workshop are picturesque enamel miniatures which capture the beauty and charm of Russian antiquity – history, boyar life, and folklore.
Over time, the master developed his own unique style and a special color scheme, which included olive, eggplant, and black colors.

Fedor Ivanovich Ruckert died in 1917, and was buried at the Vvedensky cemetery in Moscow.
Today, a large part of the works of Ruckert workshop decorate the collections of foreign museums.
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Cut apple pendant. Gold, silver, agate. 2021. Tatyana Pinchuk jewelry art

Tatyana Pinchuk jewelry art
Member of the Union of Artists of Russia, Tatyana Pinchuk (Kiselnikova) takes a worthy place in the list of both Yekaterinburg and Russian jewelers. Noteworthy, she became imbued with the art of jewelry since childhood, observing the work of her father. Sergei Pinchuk is the recognized Ural jeweler goldsmith.
After graduating from the School of Art and Technology and the Ural State Academy of Architecture and Art, she declared herself as a creatively thinking artist. A professional jeweler, she started her career in well-known companies in Yekaterinburg. In particular, Gold-Platinum Company, Rifesta, and Jewelers of the Urals.
Giving preference to the constructive direction, a characteristic feature of her jewelry is the nakedness of the frame base. A talented artist, Tatyana has repeatedly received prizes at specialized exhibitions and competitions of various levels, including regional, all-Russian and international ones. Artisan exclusively handcrafted jewelry by Pinchuk is in high demand among connoisseurs of fine jewelry.
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Pogremushka (baby toy) Ring. Gold, amethysts, citrines, rauchtopaz. Alexey Baburov jewelry art

Alexey Baburov jewelry art
Born in 1968, Russian artist jeweler Alexey Baburov acquired his first skills in jewelry from his father, Vladimir Baburov. Having received the profession of a jeweler artist at the Krasnoselsky School of Artistic Metalworking, he returned to Khabarovsk. Baburov became a member of the Union of Artists of Russia in 1996.
Alexey himself admits that metals, stones, techniques, and indeed everything that can be used in jewelry are nothing more than paints on the artist’s palette for him. Traditionally, he uses various materials, and it doesn’t matter whether it is expensive or cheap stone or metal. Harmony matters.
According to Aleksey, he is against the mass machine production of jewelry, and all his life he has been handcrafting exclusive single items. Machine made jewelry is not art. Such jewelry is deprived of the main thing – the soul and love of the creator.
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