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A t Hemmerle, family business has become an art. For four generations, the company has preserved its high standard of unhurried craftsmanship and artisanal excellence. Stefan and Sylveli Hemmerle turned operations of the house over to their son Christian and daughter-in-law Yasmin, who met at university in London and began working for the business in 2006. According to Christian, good instinct has always been at the root of Hemmerle’s success. “For my parents’ generation, it was not so much about strategy,” he says. “They just made very good gut decisions which led them to where we are today.”
Stefan’s playful imagination and passion for beauty are not the only attributes that have influenced the couple. "Our design ethos is rooted in curiosity," says Christian. "Every creation begins with a question rather than a fixed outcome. We are interested in revealing beauty in unexpected ways and challenging preconceived notions of what jewelry can be."
Hemmerle only produces about 200 pieces a year. "Our designs are almost like prototypes that take time and research and the craftsmanship involved is not a process we ever wish to expedite," says Christian. "Every Hemmerle creation is made entirely in our Munich workshop and entrusted to a single master goldsmith from beginning to end."
Munich has long been the company's seat. In 1893, brothers Joseph and Anton Hemmerle founded the company there, upon taking over an established goldsmith’s company. Two years later, Hemmerle was appointed “Purveyor to the Court” by Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria, and they soon became known for their “bejeweled fantasies” – a description which holds true today. Since the 1970s, Stefan Hemmerle modernized the company by taking it in a design-driven direction, which integrated unusual materials, such as iron and wood, with its precious gems.
Christian and Yasmin continue ushering a new era of Hemmerle. They cater to an increasingly international clientele who appreciates craft and seeks the unusual. Following in Stefan's footsteps, they continue innovating their designs using unconventional objects found in nature, such as acorns from New York’s Central Park and pebbles from Munich’s Isar River. Stones range from diamonds and jade to tsavorites and melo pearl.
"When I joined Hemmerle nearly twenty years ago," says Yasmin, "I entered a company with a remarkable history." Yasmin grew up in Cairo and later studied and lived in London before moving to Munich. "Those experiences continue to influence how I see colour, materials, art and design. Egypt in particular has given me a strong appreciation for history, storytelling and the layering of cultural influences over time."
"My Dad taught us to walk around with an open mind and get inspired," continues Christian. "Obviously diamonds and rubies are more precious than tourmalines, but tourmalines can be just as beautiful.”
Their jewels are now in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York. Christian is also a member of TEFAF’s Board of Trustees.
"The past twenty years have been defined by a spirit of experimentation, but also by continuity," he says. "I hope the next twenty years will be defined by continued exploration, new materials, new techniques and new ways of thinking about jewelry whilst keeping ourselves and our audiences excited."
Concluding 10 July, Sotheby's is hosting an online auction in Abu Dhabi titled Materiality. The sale celebrates the essence of luxury through the rare and precious materials featured in over 30 exceptional lots—five of which are Hemmerle pieces.
"What we find particularly meaningful about this group of jewels," say the Hemmerles, "is that, although they were created across different moments in time, they all reflect an enduring aspect of our philosophy: the belief that materials themselves can be a source of inspiration and storytelling."
The collection is lead by a 19.08 carat unheated step-cut Ceylon sapphire set in a sand-blasted white gold mounting. The sandblasted white gold setting is intentionally restrained, they say. "It speaks to our belief that exceptional materials often require the lightest touch."
The step-cut amethyst and purple sapphire earclips, on the other hand, are a study in color. "We have always been fascinated by the emotional qualities of color and the way different tones interact with one another."
Fans of Hemmerle will recognize the brand's signature distinctive use of wood in the moonstone earrings. Yasmin and Christian consider them the most understated pieces in the group, even as they "embody many of the ideas we value most." Warm and luminous, the highly polished surfaces should only improve with wear.
"Looking at the five creations together, what is striking is how differently they express beauty," say the couple. "In many ways, they represent the breadth of Hemmerle's creative vocabulary and our perspective that jewelry can be both deeply personal and profoundly collectible."
