Rebirth Ian Saude brings simplicity and spiritualism to the

forefront of jewellery.
By Bonnie Siegler

Etoile I, with fancy sapphires, in shades

ranging from classic to exotic.

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Acqua I + Kobe dangles, with

high-dome briolettes (averaging
28-29tcw) in mint green quartz.

S
ettling into the idyllic Katmandu, Nepal, in the mid-'90s, Ian Saude
searched the region for new ideas and inspiration for his jewellery
collection. At the same time, while living in the Himalayas,
studying Buddhism philosophy, Saude sought out the ancient ways of
jewellery making so that each piece he created would enhance the natural
qualities of his surroundings. In 2006, Saude returned to California to
live and begin work on a new brand, Ian Saude: IS, launched in May
2008. Mixing colours and exotic gemstones, Saude’s style of working Acqua I + Kaba dangles, with
with nature instead of against it, has brought about a strong Hollywood baroque-briolette oro verde
citrines in 18k yellow gold.
following enjoys his contemporary and interchangeable pieces, which
bring out their own creativity and daily attitudes.

Canadian Jeweller (CJ): What was it about the ancient craftsmanship

traditions that fascinated you and inspired you?

Ian Saude (IS): Just the fact that they could fashion such amazing
looking pieces of jewellery using, in some cases, tools that had not
substantially changed since the Middle Ages. They used old-fashioned
hand tools, kerosene torches and blow pipes. I thought it was amazing
to see where jewellery-making started and then compare it to all of
the different techniques and tools we have today. That was when I first
started, in 1995.

CJ: How has your jewellery – and you personally – been influenced by
the exotic and spiritualism of Nepal and this region?

IS: I am a practicing Buddhist and the spirituality came first, I think.

I don’t know if I can say specifically how it influenced me because it
has influenced me on so many levels and in so many different ways. In Acqua II + Kobe dangles,
with elongated, almond-
early collections, I used a lot of symbolic imagery from ancient Tibet
shaped hinged hoops.
and Sanskrit, both the iconography and the literary tradition. I love modern
art and I wanted to do pieces that fit more into a Western sensibility, so
the references to those aspects are more symbolic now. For instance, one
of my new earrings is a large hinged hoop earring, but it’s also a very
unusual shape. It’s not that the shape derived directly from any spiritual
tradition, but the whole idea that when you change your perspective
relative to the piece, your perception of how the piece is shaped changes.

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Scultura with Tahitian pearl dangles, with

mocca diamonds with detachable gem-grade
Tahitian pearl dangles.

It’s very much a Buddhist concept. It’s really the subject that defines
the experience, not the object itself. The object is there as a mirror as
it were. As I’ve evolved, the symbolic imagery is less literal and more
experiential.

CJ: Do you work with silver and 18k gold now?

IS: I don’t really work much with silver now. It’s 18k gold and gemstones.

CJ: What gemstones do you prefer using?

IS: I’m doing a lot of micro-pavé work with chocolate diamonds, in the
cognac tones. We’re doing a lot of shading, and I’m using pavé techniques, not
just for normal flat, round surfaces but on curvilinear surfaces, using
diamonds to uncover unusual shapes that you would not normally be able
to use gemstones for until recently. That, in combination with beautiful
subdued colour is what I prefer. I like tourmaline a lot, different colours
of citrine – things that go well with a cognac colour. And all these go so
well with white, yellow and rose gold, which I like to work in, so it goes Acqua I + Lea dangles, in 18k
well with everything, actually. Because it’s a little softer, the colour of the yellow gold with baroque-cut
African amethyst navettes
diamonds is not quite so blatant and women feel comfortable wearing
surrounded by diamonds.
them during the daytime and really get noticed. They’re obviously fine
jewellery, but they’re not necessarily just red carpet accessories.

CJ: So are your designs interchangeable between day and night?

IS: A big concept in the 2009 collection was and is versatility. For example,
I took an earring called Acqua Huggies, which is a small sculptural
piece – Demi Moore and Christina Ricci wore those. The Huggies have a
whole selection of different interchangeable dangles that fit on to them.
And the dangles come in all different colours so the idea is women can
mix and match, and if they’re travelling, you don’t want something
too opulent for the office, but when you’re going out for drinks later, you
can take these earrings and transform them to make them look like
something new. It increases the value of the piece, because you don’t
have to invest in earrings every time. You can customize it to wardrobe, Acqua I + Alais dangles, in
seasonal changes, moods, so it can be a creative thing, too. 18k rose gold with rose colored
Malaya zircons framed with
mocca diamonds.
CJ: Teri Hatcher was seen with a pair of your Piave I earrings.

IS: Yes, she owns a pair of those. She bought them for herself. She also
has wore our 12 stacking rings on the red carpet.

CJ: Other celebrities wear your designs, as well.

IS: Faith Hill wore the big Piave III hoops at the CMA Awards last
year when she presented the Entertainer of the Year award to Taylor
Swift. Jessica Biel wore the Piave II hoops at the Rome Film Festival
last year and on a few other recent occasions. Kate Beckinsale just
bought one of our capsule rings for herself, similar to our Piave
earrings but as a ring.

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CJ: Celebrities do have a hand in setting trends. Do you see an emphasis on

any certain design that calls out “fashion forward” for this year?

IS: The Scultura and the Acqua I and Acqua II earrings with their various
dangle combinations are of particular interest for this season, I think.
The versatility and the “fun” aspect of being able to change them around
is a key reason for their appeal, I’ve heard. Expressing one’s creativity, “butI want to create designs that are contemporary,
not trendy in the sense that they are
your look evolves as you evolve, and I think that’s what is appealing.
disposable and cater to some cultural whim.
CJ: Your pieces represent a look that is chic, yet trendy. What do you think
your collection says about the women who wear some of your pieces? I want women to develop a jewellery wardrobe.
”
IS: That’s a very good question. We have a broad cross section of women
who enjoy the pieces, and I don’t design for any one kind of customer,
specifically. But in general, I try to design for a woman who is confident
in her take, who is looking at jewellery, clothing choices and lifestyle
choices as an outlet for her own creativity as an expression of her taste.
And as someone who is confident in making those purchases for herself.
Although I have a lot of men buying these pieces for women, I’m not
really designing a collection of traditional diamond jewellery that’s Treasure cage ring. Cocktail ring in 18k yellow
going to be marriage-related. Basically, people have different lifestyles gold, entwines a cache of loose baroque South
and relationships now and I’m trying to create jewellery for a woman Sea pearls. The surface is a mixture of brushed
and polished finishes, delicately strewn with
in her own unique point of view, not via the relationship in her life.
tiny green sapphires in bezel settings.
It’s really something that’s going to be fun, that fits into her lifestyle,
something she can use in lots of different ways. Women respond to those
changes. We all evolve over the course of our lifetimes and women (more
than men), are often called upon to fulfill a lot of different roles in their
lives. So I’m trying to create jewellery that’s sexy and fun, but at the same
time, is dignified and apparently valuable. It’s nice to create things that
are fashion forward but still have the ability to become a future classic so
that a woman can wear it, enjoy it now, put it back in her jewellery box
for a few years and then take it out only to love it all over again. I want
to create designs that are contemporary, but not trendy in the sense that
they are disposable and cater to some cultural whim. I want women to
develop a jewellery wardrobe. [CJ]

Capsule rings in black or mocca diamonds.

Available in 18k yellow gold, or white and
rose gold by special order.

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