What does well made mean to you?
Something should be recognisable, but at the same time also have individuality. Besides being beautiful, it should be emotionally and conceptually charged. It should have intangible qualities. It must radiate power and have a soul.
What do you love most about jewellery?
As jewellery is sculpture for the body, it needs to make the wearer feel empowered. If the choice is right, a spontaneous communication will start. That’s why I also love to work with recycled gold: it’s a powerful, almost mythical material.
© Courtesy Siegfried De Buck
How do you combine tradition and innovation?
I was among the first to use 3D-printing, I invented the TIG welding technique and I was one of the first to use recycled gold. I also started to combine noble and non-precious materials, which still function as a leitmotiv in my work.
What would you recommend to young people?
Do what you want to do, don’t think about the public. Follow your own feeling, but stand with both feet in this world. You have to know what happens in society, and you have to be part of it, but you need to be visionary. Don’t stop reinventing.