Heir to the German high-jewellery house known for its obsessively detailed creations, Chris Stenzhorn talks about the boundless inspirational power of nature and the house’s love for challenges.
The light was so strong, and the stars upon the snow were so many, that Nikolai didn’t want to look at the sky, and the real stars seemed invisible.” Thus reads a passage in the second volume of War and Peace. Centuries later, the image painted by Tolstoy seems as fresh and magnetic as ever. We could imagine the scene: a serene, undisturbed surface of millions of snowflakes forming a crystal canvas practically glowing in the dark, much like a gigantic jewel set with diamonds. Although not at the scale of fields and valleys, the German house of Stenzhorn recreates similar glistening fabrics of snow with its works of jewellery art.
Chris Stenzhorn, a second-generation member of the family behind the brand, is adamant about honouring the house’s enduring legacy with every meticulously crafted earring and each carefully set stone. During our conversation in Rosewood Hong Kong’s lofty Butterfly Room, he talks about the ceaseless fascination with flora and fauna that propels Stenzhorn’s creative engine, techniques of invisible stone setting and his own jewellery collection.
What’s the design process at Stenzhorn?
First, our designers look around to get inspired by nature. We have our signature designs, of course, like Panther from the Wildlife collection and butterflies that have become synonymous with the brand, but also more inconspicuous pieces that reimagine different flowers, like poppy, peony or chrysanthemum. The designers show the sketches to me and we start discussing which direction we should take and what kind of customer would respond to it. Then, we choose which and how many stones we’d put on each piece. Once everything is finalised, we make a wax mould and get the piece to the setters and goldsmiths for filing. This way, some pieces may take six to 12 months to make, and up to two years if we’re talking about watches.
The butterfly motif is quite prominent in Stenzhorn’s collections. What’s the significance?
The butterfly is a symbol of transition from something nondescript to something beautiful. We also draw inspiration from mythology, like the Chinese legend of Butterfly Lovers [a tragic romance between Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai], who were separated as humans and then reunited as butterflies. It’s also a versatile visual element – it allows one to mix different colours, stones and materials.
What’s the most technically complex piece Stenzhorn has ever created?
I would say it’s our Chrysanthemum necklace. Looking at it, you can tell we love a challenge. It has realistic leaves and petals, whose fronts and backs are encrusted with rubies partially set using the invisible setting technique [which allows for side-to-side placement of stones hiding the metalwork underneath]. We deliberately didn’t use the invisible setting exclusively for the petals, as we wanted to make them look more interesting and grant them an extra dimension.
How did your partnership with King Fook Jewellery come about?
We met at the Basel Jewellery Show in Switzerland in 2007. I believe they fell in love with our products at first sight. And that’s how our trade collaboration started.
Why does Stenzhorn insist on using the invisible setting technique in its creations?
As you may know, the invisible setting technique was invented by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1933. Stenzhorn adopted it in the ’80s because we saw the market and the niche. Once, a customer asked us to create a piece with invisibly set diamonds – it was uncommon at the time because these stones pose quite a challenge for using such a technique. But my uncle and my father made it work, and we continued honing our craftsmanship. Our only path is a path to excellence.
Tell us about your own jewellery.
I’m wearing a Panther brooch from our Wildlife collection in white gold and diamonds. It can also transform into
a necklace. This piece was designed for women, but I think it’s unisex. I’ve always loved this collection – it’s strong, it has character and it’s a bit of a statement. Every time I attend King Fook events, I wear one of these brooches. I also own quite a few pieces of leather and silver jewellery, from something casual to formal cufflinks and pendants.