Designer: Gerhard Schreiner & his "Neo Haute Joaillerie"
His fascination with precious stones moved Gerhard Schreiner to immerse himself in the world of jewels. His endeavours led him to Colombia in 1988, the land of emeralds, where the extraordinary success-story of Gerhard Schreiner began. Today there are 300 employees working in Schreiner's enterprise, which has its headquarters in Germany. Designers in Italy as well as Spain are producing Schreiners "neo haute joaillerie". His name represents, throughout the world, the highest luxury imaginable, the absolutely highest standards of quality and the highest demands.And today one can find jewellery from the Schreiner Collection in the treasure chests of numerous noble residences throughout the world.
The magnificent "neo haute joaillerie" reminds one of those ornamental creations of old- steeped in legends from ancient times gone by: each stone a secret, each pearl a fairy teardrop. Fairy tales, woven around noble jewels, enchanted us with images of magical workshops in subterranean realms. In the world of human fantasy, dwarves crafted the most exquisitely precise creations for the King of the Mountain. But due to the ineffable fact that genuine jewellery consists of so much more than just gold and diamonds, they added something immeasurable to its preciousness, something from the transcendent world of human desires and ruminations. Into their creations they infuse these transient incarnations just as skilfully as their emeralds and rubies, thereby bestowing upon each one a unique form, weight and immortality.
Artistic value is added, in this manner, to the material value. Andy Warhol confessed that a visit to his favourite jeweller is like attending "the best exhibition of contemporary art." The considerable advantage of a piece of art-jewellery, when compared to a genuine Warhol is: one can wear it on the body at anytime. This is a luxury which clearly transcends mere ownership and exhibition. In this day and age, our "Lords of the Rings" are obviously no longer dwarf-kings, neither do they assume metaphorical fairy-tale names. They are named, perhaps, Karl Lagerfeld, who swears by the habit of wearing at least one ring on each finger. Jewels are no longer a privilege of the ruling class. Nevertheless, there is always a deeper message which is implicit: precious stones are symbols for magic and power. Even if today's infatuations tend to revolve more around magical and powerful feelings. Love transformed into a crystal- that's the definition of a diamond. A stone from the soul of the earth - that highly compressed power which will outlive everything. A splinter of eternity.
In the "neo haute joaillerie", the most exquisite gems and pearls that are to be found on the planet are utilised. This illustrated volume presents us with a selection of Gerhard Schreiner's best - his ode to immortality.
