Introducing the quiet luxury of Ina Beissner

After studying fashion at ESMOD Berlin and jewellery design at IED Milan, Ina Beissner, the jeweller who “was born with earrings” took the plunge and created a fashion jewellery line in 2010. She says: “In South America, the girls get studs the moment they’re born in the hospital, so I can't live without earrings.”

Starting with fashion jewellery, the designer now has an eponymous fine jewellery line. With inspiration taken from her multicultural background and fine jewellery designs that exude quiet luxury, Ina’s following is quickly expanding.

Ina says she “treats jewellery like little objects, little sculpture. It’s keepsakes that you can have forever, little companions.

“And with fine jewellery, there’s this added emotional dimension, and you have a story attached to the pieces.”

Treating jewellery as little sculpture, Ina set up her line in 2010. “I started with silver pieces, gold plated and very voluminous, chunky, fashion statement pieces. This was possible with silver, and with brass.

“I did it for maybe four years. And then I got pregnant.

“This changed everything, and I launched my first fine jewellery pieces in 2015.”

Stopping her fashion jewellery line and pivoting to fine jewellery wasn’t the easiest decision, but it was one Ina doesn’t regret.

“It wasn’t easy because the price points were different. And I lost many clients, but some grew with me, and I obviously gained new clients.

“The style changed as well, and some clients are still asking me about these specific other styles that I was producing back then.

“But it was the right decision, to produce more consciously and less wastefully. And for me personally, as a new mum, I also had to find solutions to work easier and to combine both motherhood and the job.”

With her new fine jewellery line, Ina Beissner established a new aesthetic that has lasted to this day.

“My first pieces were actually my best-selling pieces, the Chikka earrings.

“There are the ones with the interchangeable pins that you can upgrade. Some clients start with just a gold pin or a pin with a tiny little diamond, and then they upgrade and then can interchange the hoops depending on their mood and occasion.

The multicultural jeweller who was born in Lima and grew up between Germany and South America attributes her love of gold and emerald to her upbringing.

“I always had ancient jewellery or ancient culture influence in every aspect of my life. I lived in Colombia, so pre-Colombian jewellery is something you see everywhere, and you grow up with it. And the gemstones, the precious stones, the emeralds… I remember always seeing emeralds as a kid, and I think this is a big influence.

“But I reduce it to the essence and make it a bit more north European. This is my own influence, the German part, the minimalistic part. I am combining the two worlds.”

Her artist mum is also a big influence, with Ina remembering “going to the goldsmith with my mum as a kid.

“She always wanted to remake her jewellery, she always had new ideas. She would take her old pieces to the goldsmith and I would join her and see how she would work on her new ideas.”

Working with people you trust is important to Ina, who has a focus on quality. While the jeweller doesn’t produce her own pieces, she uses “a little atelier in Antwerp” which she says “are the best”.

“Finding this atelier was a big process. I was working with goldsmiths and ateliers all over Europe… I found the atelier in Antwerp through a friend of mine, who also works in jewellery. I’ve been working with them for six years now.

“You need an atelier which is reliable and sticks with timings and deadlines. My designs are very minimal and very sleek, so the production and quality must also be very sleek and precise.”

With her love of stones from her days living in South America, Ina Beissner says her favourite stone is emerald. “It’s my birthstone. I am fascinated by this colour, especially the Colombian one. The green, this vivid green is so powerful. And for me it's a very special stone. Of course, diamonds are number one, but in terms of coloured stones, emerald is definitely my favourite.

“I unfortunately do not source my emeralds from Colombia. My father lives there and he buys me some but it's not easy because I don't see him that often.

“I work with suppliers here in Germany that have a nice assortment. I need to see the stones, because the colour in photographs is never the right colour and you also need to feel the energy, it's so special.”

Working with traceable diamonds from Botswana and emeralds, the jeweller is acutely aware of the importance of traceability: “for the bigger stones, clients get a certificate. Not only the GIA certificate, but also a provenance certificate where they see a photo of the rough stone and where it's been mined and where it's been cut.

“I've finally found a supplier that provides this kind of information. It’s traceable and transparent, and it is very important.”