6 reasons to go to the Benaki museum

22 March 2021

Bulgari, "Serpenti through the eyes of" Mary Katrantzou

The jeweler Bulgari has entrusted the third “Serpenti through the eyes of” to Mary Katrantzou, a Greek fashion designer well known to the maison – in 2019, its high jewelry pieces adorned dresses at her fashion show at the Acropolis. She draws on the theme of metamorphosis to reinterpret bags with a clasp featuring a snake’s head. Two are in leather, one with a sublime handle featuring an undulating body, while the other has been exquisitely embroidered with pearls. On the flap of the bag, the famous snake head in enamel lies at the center of a coiled body fragmenting into a cloud of  butterflies…. These insects, omnipresent in Mary Katrantzou ‘s work, fuse with reptile of the Italian jeweler, who is of Greek origin. In the ultimate metamorphosis: the snake head becomes the bag, the two merging into a single minaudiere. A remarkable work.

The jeweler Bulgari has entrusted the third "Serpenti through the eyes of" to Mary Katrantzou, a Greek fashion designer well known to the maison – in 2019, its high...

08 January 2021

Melanie Georgacopoulos’ padded mother-of-pearl

In her latest collection, Melanie Georgacopoulos pulls off a new feat: padded mother-of-pearl, sculpted as if a button had been pushed into a cushion. “Only the tenderness of this material, often seen as a disadvantage, made this work possible. I had fun associating it with diamond, the hardest stone.” Over the last decade, Mélanie Georgacopoulos has masterfully taken mother-of-pearl, her favorite material, out of the classical register thanks to spectacular pieces and new techniques. Her masterstroke: cutting the pearl in half to reveal its inner beauty (for M/G Tasaki), plus the different layers of mother-of-pearl that compose it. Her Instagram account, with images that celebrate this material above and beyond her own creations, is a must.

In her latest collection, Melanie Georgacopoulos pulls off a new feat: padded mother-of-pearl, sculpted as if a button had been pushed into a cushion. "Only the...

27 May 2020

Sophia Vari's jewelry at miniMASTERPIECE

Sophia Vari has never been particularly fascinated by jewelry, nor even by precious stones. She began creating her works at the end of the 1980s out of frustration, when she was traveling to the four corners of the world with her husband, the sculptor Fernando Bottero.

Sophia Vari has never been particularly fascinated by jewelry, nor even by precious stones. She began creating her works at the end of the 1980s out of frustration,...

21 April 2020

Christina Soubli, the art of filigree

Christina Soubli’s jewelry is created on the basis of just two materials and two colors: the 22-carat gold of a yellow with orange shades and the white of freshwater pearls.

Christina Soubli's jewelry is created on the basis of just two materials and two colors: the 22-carat gold of a yellow with orange shades and the white of freshwater...

20 April 2020

Greek myths and figures

Designers and jewelers the world over are fascinated by the figures of Greek mythology and the great names who have marked the history of this country, as these jewels amply testify.

Designers and jewelers the world over are fascinated by the figures of Greek mythology and the great names who have marked the history of this country, as these...

17 April 2020

Maria Kaprili: a legacy of motifs

If you are passing through Kolonaki, the smart district of Athens, be sure to visit Maria Kaprili’s store. It’s joyful and welcoming, like the designer herself.

If you are passing through Kolonaki, the smart district of Athens, be sure to visit Maria Kaprili's store. It's joyful and welcoming, like the designer herself.

17 April 2020

Elé Karela: labyrinthine figures

Elé Karela (whose first name is really Eleftheria) creates contemporary jewelry featuring geometric forms and labyrinthine motifs.

Elé Karela (whose first name is really Eleftheria) creates contemporary jewelry featuring geometric forms and labyrinthine motifs.

16 April 2020

Greece, 10 jewels from Antiquity to the present day

Engraved ring from the Mycenaean period, pair of Byzantine arm bracelets… When it comes to jewelry, Greece has delivered up treasures of great beauty.

Engraved ring from the Mycenaean period, pair of Byzantine arm bracelets... When it comes to jewelry, Greece has delivered up treasures of great beauty.

15 April 2020

Ioanna Souflia, a signature in marble

Ioanna Souflia has sculpted the prestigious Thassos marble. An eternal witness of Greek history, harking back to monumental works of art and the sumptuous vestiges of Antiquity.

Ioanna Souflia has sculpted the prestigious Thassos marble. An eternal witness of Greek history, harking back to monumental works of art and the sumptuous vestiges of...

01 April 2020

Minas, designer with soul

I met Minas at the end of his life but he still had a glint in his eye when he told me about his life in New York in the 70s, Mykonos, his friend Keith Richards…

I met Minas at the end of his life but he still had a glint in his eye when he told me about his life in New York in the 70s, Mykonos, his friend Keith Richards...

10 February 2020

Myrto: in praise of the tourmaline

Myrto Anastasopoulou adores the tourmaline: a stone with an infinite variety of shades. She uses shaded tones and monochromes, adding diamond or emerald chips here and there.

Myrto Anastasopoulou adores the tourmaline: a stone with an infinite variety of shades. She uses shaded tones and monochromes, adding diamond or emerald chips here...

21 January 2020

6 reasons to go to the Benaki museum

There’s more to Athens than just the Acropolis! During your visit to the Greek capital, take a few hours to visit the Benaki Museum, a gigantic cabinet of curiosities featuring a unique panorama of Greek jewelry.

There's more to Athens than just the Acropolis! During your visit to the Greek capital, take a few hours to visit the Benaki Museum, a gigantic cabinet of curiosities...

30 December 2019

Two tombs just discovered in the ancient city of Pylos

Discoveries of this significance are extremely rare… Although long since plundered, it turns out that these two tombs of the Mycenaean civilization (between 1600 and 1100 BC) still conserved some elements of their treasure. The two American archaeologists from the University of Cincinnati (UC) have discovered inside a pile of gold leaf fragments that once covered the dark walls, along with pearls of malachite, carnelian and amber. As well as two gold jewels: a ring with two bulls and ears of barley engraved on it and a pendant representing the head of Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love and beauty.

 

Discoveries of this significance are extremely rare... Although long since plundered, it turns out that these two tombs of the Mycenaean civilization (between 1600...

01 December 2019

Greece: what you need to know about the jewelry of Antiquity

Jewelry has a long history in Greek Antiquity. Color of gold, motifs… We continue to draw endless inspiration from it.

Jewelry has a long history in Greek Antiquity. Color of gold, motifs... We continue to draw endless inspiration from it.

25 May 2016

Ancient Greece in Paris

Since the trend has shifted to ancient-style jewelry, what better than to buy it from the master-jeweler Zolotas, who has just opened a shop in Paris. He creates pieces in yellow gold that’s hammered, in filigree, or engraved and features figures coming from ancient mythology. This Greek jeweler, whose origins date back to 1895, has contributed to spreading the jewelry tradition of its home country. Romy Schneider, Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Onassis were among its top clients.

3, rue de Miromesnil – 75008 Paris

Since the trend has shifted to ancient-style jewelry, what better than to buy it from the master-jeweler Zolotas, who has just opened a shop in Paris. He creates...
  • Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou - "Serpenti Metamorphosis" bag in leather

  • Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou -"Serpenti Metamorphosis" bag in leather

  • Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou - "Serpenti Metamorphosis" bag

  • Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou - Embroideries on the "Serpenti Metamorphosis" bag

  • Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou - "Serpenti Metamorphosis" minaudiere

  • Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou -"Serpenti Metamorphosis" minaudiere

  • Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou - Natalia Vodianova "Serpenti Metamorphosis" minaudiere

  • Melanie Georgacopoulos

  • Melanie Georgacopoulos

  • Melanie Georgacopoulos

  • Melanie Georgacopoulos

  • The gold pendant depicting the Egyptian goddess Hathor of beauty, love and music

  • The gold ring depicts two bulls flanked by sheaves of grain

  • The two Bronze Age tombs in Pylos, Greece.

  • Pylos, Greece

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