Goldstadt, silver dreams: a Luxembourg woman forged jewelry in Pforzheim

What makes jewelry fascinating? The design, the material, the production or the person behind the creative process? For Charlize Felten it is the combination of all these elements that reveals the « Luxembourg word ». Even as a young girl, today’s student discovered her passion for jewelry.

« As a child, I always told my mother that one day I will open my own business. Since I can think, I have made chains from pearls and other shiny materials, » she recalls.

At around 14 years old, Charlize then dives deeper into the world of jewelry: Among other things, she completes an internship in the jewelry shop « Fabienne Belnou » in Luxembourg city to get to know the craft and carry out small repairs. Later she gained further experiences at « Forge d’Or » in Mersch.

The 23-year-old Luxemburger has been studying jewelry design in the Bachelor at the Faculty of Design in Pforzheim since 2021. « Pforzheim may be small compared to other German cities, but it is the perfect place for my studies, » explains Charlize. « The city is known internationally as a gold city and a real center for jewelry and craft. »

The nickname « Goldstadt » goes back to the 18th century. In 1767 Margrave Karl Friedrich founded a jewelry and watch manufacturer to promote the economic upswing. But Pforzheim is not only known as a gold city – the title « jewelry city » also underlines its long tradition in the industry.

No wonder that numerous dealers are located here, where Charlize also draws the materials for their jewelry projects.

The costs of the studies

For her projects, Charlize prefers to work with sterling silver – for aesthetic and sustainable reasons, as she emphasizes: « In addition to the aesthetics of my designs, sustainability is very important to me. Almost all of my collections consist of sterling silver. So I can recycled and reuse the material and reuse the material. Durable material, which offers the perfect basis for a high quality piece of jewelry. ”

The students bear the material costs themselves, as Charlize explains: « For my last project, I spent around 300 euros for the materials alone. There are also other editions, for example for film roles. Every project is rounded off with a photo shoot that I personally prefer to do with an analog camera. »

Charlize also had to attend a one -year introductory course at the beginning of her studies to learn the goldsmith. « After this year we had to buy a suitcase with the most important tools – it costs around 800 euros, » she says. « Fortunately, the tuition fees are not too high, that compensates for it. Nevertheless, it is an expensive affair, » added the laughing.

The process behind the jewelry design

What does a day look like in the workshop of a jewelry designer? And how much time goes by until a sketch becomes a portable creation? « It is very different and depends on the way of working, » explains Charlize.
« Many of my fellow students work with the technology of 3D printing. They create their sketches on the computer and then have their designs print. On the other hand, I prefer to work in a traditional way and draw my designs in detail on paper. »

As soon as Charlize is satisfied with her sketch draft, she thinks about the metal and decides with which technology she wants to work. In the end, the overwork and polish of the piece of jewelry are coming up to perfectly round off the design.

Charlize describes this last step in the manufacturing process as her favorite moment. « Here the jewelry is freed from any scratches and you can see your designs in their full splendor. That gives them a special character. »

The processes of sand casting and enameling

When it comes to completion of jewelry, Charlize is considering many procedures – but two jump -offs are particularly evident: the sand casting process and enameling. Contemporary, innovative design meets traditional craft here. When enameling, the email powder color with a brush is applied precisely to the desired surface of the jewelry, which is then burned in the enamel stove for several minutes at temperatures of up to 900 degrees.

An impressive example of the coloring in Charlize’s work is your « Aquatica » collection. This includes ten jewelry that are inspired by the aesthetics and colors of the underwater world and its animals. A topic that runs through many of her designs.

Her project « Fragments d’émotions », on the other hand, was created in the sand casting process. « Sand casting is a traditional technique in which liquid metal is poured into a shape of special sand. The sand leaves a rough, organic structure on the surface of the jewelry, which makes each piece unique with a unique texture, » explains Charlize. The attraction of this technique is that the pieces of jewelry never become perfect and always look different than originally planned.

« Fragments d’émotions » combines this rough, organic structure of the sand casting technology with the deep personal memories. With letters stamps, Charlize shaped fragments of lyrics into the necklaces, which give them an emotional dimension. « Music accompanies us through life, awakens memories and combines us with people, moments and feelings. In my jewelry there are four different emotional worlds, the expression of which is reinforced by the imperfect but authentic aesthetics of the sand casting – as if every fragment was a lived moment, stuck in silver, » continued Charlize.

The young student of the German musician Makko mentions “tomorrow/today” as an example of one of these songs. « For me, this song is inseparable to me with a special time – our first Milan Design Week. On the way from university to Milan, he continued in the car, accompanied by my favorite fellow students. He reminds me of inspiring conversations with other artists and designers and the feeling of being part of a unique scene. »

Jewelry for braces

One of the designers’ favorite projects is the “Éclats d’écume” collection, in which Charlize designed jewelry for ties. « The jewelry should highlight the different corners and edges of the tie, » she explains. For this project, Charlize has worked with three different fastening techniques, which enable the jewelry not only to be attached to ties, but also on other clothing. « This project was something very special for me because it was the first time that I did not design a jewelry that you wear directly on the body. Here an accessory – in this case the tie – is decorated, » continues Charlize.

In addition to « Éclats d’écume », Charlize is also one of her favorite designs, which were exhibited on Munich Jewelery Week in March 2023. Grills are jewelry that is worn over the teeth and thus combine the craft of jewelry designers and dental technicians.

In addition to the Munich Jewelery Week, Charlize’s work was also exhibited on the Milan Design Week. Whether your works will soon be seen in Luxembourg remains open: « I am currently in lively contact with various Luxembourg artists who like to support designers like me. But something concrete is not yet planned. I think that I will only deal with it after my master’s degree. »

A semester abroad in Vienna

An internship semester is planned for the students at the Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences as an integral part of the course. Charlize opted for Vienna, a lively city in which she rediscovered her passion for art and further deepened. In the Austrian metropolis she completed an internship in the “Mussels and Muscels” studio last year.

« During my internship I got an insight into all aspects of the management of a studio. From working with delivery services to the shooting of the collections to work on social media. » In today’s world, the presence in social media is of crucial importance for smaller businesses.

For Charlize, too, it is your greatest wish to start your jewelry after your studies. And preferably with your own studio in Luxembourg.