Heavenly Hemmerle Jewelry

It’s one thing to know that the renowned Hemmerle Jewelers have been around since 1893, but what’s even more astonishing, is that they’ve been crafting their museum-worthy pieces in practically the same way for over 100 years. You read it right! Kind of amazing.

The family business started in the late 19th century when the brothers Hemmerle took over an established goldsmith in Munich, which was known for creating medals and honors for the elite, including the Bavarian royal family. With an impressive client list in tow, they soon moved on from medals to creating fantastic jewelry and fine objects for the Bavarian court, including the medal for the highly sought after award, the Maximilian Orden in Arts and Science.

By the early 1900s, the Hemmerle has transformed into a full blown jewelers, and won many awards, including one for their amazing Bishops Cross (see below). Soon after, with their work in high demand, they were able to open a boutique in Munich’s up-and-coming fashion district, on Maximilianstrasse, where they still remain to this day.

Stefan Hemmerle and his wife Sylveli have since taken over the business, bringing the collection into the 21st century, while still holding on the the over 100 years of history this amazing family of craftsmen have developed. The first major step in their new direction was this amazing diamond ring that is set into an iron architecture, which harkens back to when iron become popular while gold was going to the war effort in 1813.

Since then, they have continued to explore this new “design-driven” collection with unexpected materials like iron and wood. I just love these amazing spherical earrings, which bring back the old 19th century Bavarian art of weaving and knitting beads of precious gems. Every bead is hand-made, hand-stitched and made to perfection. I think this might be my favourite pieces in their collection. They are just beyond fabulous!

This level of devotion is spent on every piece, which are all handmade in Munich by a team of 15 goldsmiths, stone cutters and setters. Many of the anvils and tools are still from the original 1893 shop, which goes to show that when something works, stick with it!  And when you have so many pieces, like the Harmony Bangle, residing in prestigious private collections, like the Victoria & Albert in London, they might be on to something. Things made the right way are made to last, and this legacy of over 100 years of craftsmanship and beauty has definitely seemed to stand the test of time.