Robin Deriaz contemporary jewellery portfolio and bespoke creations in Switzerland

PACIFIER

Amber, silver, steel.

This work is about trying to find comfort instead of solutions. I also think some people would benefit from being soothed by it, thus preventing them from harming others.

Is it all an illusion ?

Silver, amber, steel. Hand-fabricated.

Inspired by the Rubin vase illusion by Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin, the gaps in the piece are the main focus. Two people looking at each others. Their connection represented by a row of moving amber beads. We’ve never had so many ways to connect with others than nowadays, yet there is a growing feeling of loneliness within society, is it all an illusion ?

Money does grow on trees.

silver 925, brass, cupronickel, and aluminum-bronze. Hand-fabricated.

I wanted to give form to the proverb "Money doesn't grow on trees" by imagining its opposite. A light and poetic approach to an extremely complex subject: our relationship with money. Coins replace acorns, creating a surreal vision where money seems to ripen on the branch, prompting us to ask ourselves… What would change if money grew on trees? Would we treat trees differently if money grew on them?

Just a matter of time

Silver, brick, sand, plaster, pine wood, niello, steel.

This collection explores a shared anatomy found in nature, the body, and architecture: a core, a structure, a surface. Over time, these layers shift, fade, or break away. Each piece embraces transformation. Celebrating time not as loss, but as a process. What disappears leaves a trace. What’s hidden becomes visible. The material carries the meaning. Photo credits: Pauline Humbert // Models: Malaika Kanda Bile and Jean-Philippe Kunz.

TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS

Plaster, gauze, leather, 18k yellow gold.

This Ex-Voto is about healing, it isn’t a request towards a higher power, but a request that will eventually be granted by time. Eventually, the bandaid will fall, symbolising healing and revealing the healed wound beneath. Unlike a brooch, which adorns clothing, this piece is designed to be worn directly on the skin, establishing an intimate connection with the wearer. The main material of the piece, plaster, is used in art as much as it is used in healing. In the process of making the imprint of my scar, I had to cover my wound again, replicating the application of a bandage to the wounded area. When the plaster falls, it will reveal a thin and almost invisible line of gold, gilding the healed wound, as a symbol of the beauty and value of healing. Literal symbol of healing, it is also an analogy to everything that needs healing, from our skins to our souls. For me, a bandaid also represents naivety, through the idea that when you get bruised as a child, a bandaid is applied. Leather is used as it is quite literally skin, covering and protecting the broken skin during the process of healing. The discreet cord in skin coloured leather is there solely to be able to wear the ex voto skin to skin, blending in with the wearer’s skin.

BROOCHES

fabrics, steel, cotton thread, wool.

A series of brooches made next to and with my mother, taking away the pressure of needing to sell, to make refined or detailed work, and only enjoyed moments together.

SUBSTANTIA

This collection was created with the idea of treating 3D printed media as a limited resource, similar to natural stones and minerals. I was excited by the possibility of using digital tools to create a new material which can then be worked with in a traditional way. Each piece in the collection is hand-carved from this newly conceived substance, created in virtual reality and then printed using 3D technology. The material mimics organic structures, with variations in texture and density throughout the mass. The series includes a ring, a pair of earrings and a brooch. Each piece is initially created from the same block, then cast in silver or aluminium. The aluminium offers lightness, and these pieces are finished with a black satin powder coating that highlights the unusual structure of the material.

I LOVE YOU, EITHER WAY

Silver, diamond. Hand-fabricated.

Unconditional love, free from conditions, embraces our diverse selves effortlessly. In my representation, elements pivot, slide, and turn freely. One side features a coveted diamond with a rich history, while the other side embodies simplicity and rawness. The 'nothing' side, as captivating as the diamond, deserves equal love. In unconditional love, giving abundantly or sparingly holds equal meaning, emphasising the beauty of acceptance.

UNDERWATER PALACE

Silver, copper, brass, sodalities, heliolites. Hand-fabricated.

An exploration of the underwater world, imagining a palace deep down in the ocean.

SOLITAIRE FOUGÈRE

Alloy of silver, gold and copper.

PLANT A SEED

Sterling silver, coconut fibre and seed. Lost wax.

COIFFEES

Silver, sapphire, garnet. Lost-wax and hammering.

Each ring is cast spiky or loopy and then "combed" with a hammer to give it its final look.

CROSS MY HEART

Silver, golden thread. Hand-fabricated.

A ring inspired by cross-stitch, an ode to the good times I spend creating with my mother.

GANODERMA

Brass. Hand-fabricated.

Inspired by the spores of Ganoderma mushrooms.

MASKS - Same same, but different.

facemasks.

What should we do with all the facemasks used during the pandemic ? What's after ?

VERTEBRAE

Animal vertebrae cast in silver, 18k gold.

CEPV

Brass, flint, silver, gold, bronze, pearl.

My first pieces made at Nadja Lokschin's workshop during my empirical apprenticeship with her. I used these pieces to get into art school. The triangular volume is inspired by geometries from Leonardo Da Vinci.