Jewelry designer Suzanne Syz creates colorful pieces of wearable art. As a collector, she’s constantly inspired by the industry of today and yesterday, crafting one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect its changes and movements, and the culture and that inspired it. With her Life Savers earrings, we’ve seen the candy aesthetic elevated with yellow gold, enamel, and diamonds. In her Girouettes earrings, resembling pinwheels, we’ve seen the small blades shine with rubies, amethysts, orange sapphires, tanzanites, tsavorites, and diamonds.
On May 15, the designer presented her new haute joaillerie pieces. To hear more about these pieces, her love for bronze, and the fairytale that sparked her jewelry making, Whitewall spoke with Syz.
Courtesy of Suzanne Syz.
WHITEWALL: Tell us a bit about your newest pieces.
SUZANNE SYZ: This spring I came up with a few different designs. A few spectacular pieces, like the Little Bit of Magic earrings, have all the elements I really fancy—bright colors, comfortable, nice gems. They were sold the very first day of the presentation in NYC. I also did a limited edition of Vinyl Discs which are very fun. You can personalize them with the title of a song and the color that you want, and they are actually made out of real vinyl from the ‘60s. I like colorful, comfortable, and fun pieces, so I try to put a bit of this into all my designs.
Courtesy of Suzanne Syz.
WW: What types of materials do you enjoy working with most?
SS: I love titanium and aluminum because they are lightweight and comfortable to wear, and I can complement them with bright colors that pop. Titanium and aluminum allow me to work on a large scale or with big stones and still have a light piece. Titanium is strong, so I can use it for any type of piece. Aluminum is softer, so I usually use it for earrings. I also love bronze. Although it is not a new material, what I really like about it is that it changes with time. Bronze oxidizes so the piece is constantly changing.
Courtesy of Suzanne Syz.
WW: What was your very first piece?
SS: My very first piece was a ring representing a frog inside of a crown. It was inspired by a Grimm fairy tale and I called it The Prince Charming Ring.
Courtesy of Suzanne Syz.
WW: How has your practice evolved? Stayed the same?
SS: New materials and techniques have enabled me to evolve. There are many more possibilities today than when I started. But I have to say that the creative process is basically the same. I have an idea, sit with my workshop team, explain what I like and they come back with prototypes, waxes or molds. We make changes, again and again, until the piece matches my vision. The big difference today is that we can play with color possibilities and techniques.
Courtesy of Suzanne Syz.
