Ring from the Claude Monet collection
FREYWILLE continues to celebrate history, artistry, and luxury with exquisite enamel fine jewellery
Much like a painting, enamelwork wonderfully captures the rich, glowing colours and the magical aura of the festive season. And when the creations are as inspired and masterful as those of FREYWILLE, it raises enamelwork from the level of decoration to that of pure art.
Headquartered in Vienna, with a history spanning close to 70 years, and with more than 90 boutiques in four continents, FREYWILLE is considered one of the world’s premier creators and interpreters of artistic enamel in luxury jewellery. Founded in 1951 and headed today by CEO Friedrich Wille and his wife, Simone Grünberger-Wille, FREYWILLE’s designs are marked by creativity, peerless craftsmanship, and exuberant celebration of historic eras, renowned artists, and ancient cultures.
Production process of the Claude Monet collection
FREYWILLE’s collections are based on humanistic ideals: “Our creative team is deeply inspired by the immaterial values that bring new perceptions to life and art,” says Christine Dengg, the company’s General Manager in China. “We attract clients who are conscious of their individuality, taste, exclusivity, and their love of art and aesthetics.”
The revolutionary design and production process that led and still leads to the creations we see today was developed in the 1980s by Simone Grünberger-Wille with a team that included craft masters from the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna. Since 1951, every FREYWILLE jewellery piece has been handmade in Vienna using a meticulous and systematic process.
Production process of the Claude Monet collection
The process of manufacture, called fire enamelling, requires a minimum of 100 procedural steps — many of them manual — and it takes at least five days to complete one jewellery piece. The formulas for the precious liquid enamel are a closely guarded company secret, and they produce a singularly luminous colour that never fades. The enamel is applied and burned in several layers, the artisan’s instincts deciding the nuances of colour in the design — be it a particular art-historical epoch or a famous painter’s masterpiece. The finished piece, a thin, delicate plate of intense colour, is then set by hand in 24K or 18K gold, or mountings of rhodium-palladium.
“Fire enamel is an elegant material; when handled correctly, it can become a timeless piece of jewellery,” says Dengg. “FREYWILLE’s process brings fire enamel to a state of perfection — the result is brilliant, shining colour and our trademark golden glow.”
Pendant from Vincent Van Gogh collection
FREYWILLE’s jewellery collections have taken inspiration from immaterial and philosophical values, as well as art-historical themes and famous artists, ranging from Claude Monet and Gustav Klimt to Vincent van Gogh. “Following the pioneering work of Simone Grünberger-Wille, the first collection of modern FREYWILLE style was Avantgarde, which was entirely geometric,” shares Dengg. “After which, in the ’90s, FREYWILLE created a beautiful Egyptian pharaonic collection and the first homage collection, Hommage à Claude Monet.”
“Art is one of FREYWILLE’s most precious heritages; and true artistic work has a place in our hearts forever”
– Christine Dengg, FREYWILLE’s General Manager in China
Having emerged in the 1990s, the Hommage collections remain among the most popular of FREYWILLE jewellery with their sublime blend of craftsmanship and historic art. The Hommage à Claude Monet, launched in 1996, features motifs drawn from the life of the legendary Impressionist painter, including the garden at Giverny and its iconic water lilies. Other artists similarly honoured with their own Hommage collections were Alphonse Mucha, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and Gustav Klimt.
Watch from Vincent Van Gogh collection
A recent collection celebrates perhaps the most loved artist of all time, Vincent van Gogh. Recreating three of his masterpieces — “Almond Blossom”, “The Starry Night”, and “Sunflowers” — the enamel brilliantly captures the unmistakable brushwork of the painter with all its emotional power. “Art is one of FREYWILLE’s most precious heritages; and true artistic work has a place in our hearts forever,’ says Christine Dengg.
Dengg sees women in Asia playing an increasingly active and engaged role in their country’s economies; and consequently they seek jewellery that befits their style and status, and expresses their individuality. In Asia, the focus of FREYWILLE is on designs that are elegant, versatile and matching. Women with busy schedules, who travel frequently, would appreciate jewellery that allows them to travel light.
Scarf from Claude Monet collection
“They only need to bring a few essential pieces with them, that match with their outfits on different occasions — from a business meeting in the day to an elegant event in the night, or maybe even a business luncheon during the weekend,” observes Dengg.
FREYWILLE continuously adds new designs to successful collections already launched, and also designs accessories such as jewellery watches, bags, 100% silk scarves, ties, pens, cufflinks, tie clips and writing instruments.
