About Christo Kiffer 

As a designer and goldsmith, my jewelry is constructed as architecture with reflective light; planned to be intense, contemporary and timeless.  As a stone setter foremost, my craftsmanship propelled me to go beyond the “barriers” of traditional methods, creating a new technique to fulfill my artistic vision and launch my aesthetic signature.  My original variation termed, Floating Channel setting, baptized my aesthetic vision into a reality never before possible.

I believe in the sublime function of jewelry to convey one’s ideals. My work encompasses philosophies of architecture in structure and in meaning to express humanity and the values of an individual. I only work directly in metal with a lucid result in mind. It is about the process, not inspiration. The end result directs the path of construction, creating a three-dimensional object reflecting a personal history.

In a defining moment, I traversed from an Architecture and Fine Arts student to a creator of jewelry. An introductory workshop in stone setting changed my perception of three-dimensional forms and reunited my passion for gems. Jewelry’s scale juxtaposed architecture’s, yet synchronized the hyper-realistic drawings I created in fine arts. I decided to fuse my passion for architecture and construction techniques, with my obsessive attention to detail, in an art form whose scale provided me complete control over all processes.

Born in Minas Gerais, Brazil, I was surrounded by minerals, crystals and gemstones. Without access to formal training and with pure determination, I taught myself. I researched books, sought information and developed my skills through experimental creations of large-scale jewelry and custom work.

I made exciting discoveries through empirical learning, often the consequences of mistakes, catapulting my skills to a level capable of expressing my aesthetic concepts.

I have always been fascinated with 2mm, and smaller, full cut diamonds as a design element.  I wanted to break them free of common pavé settings. I wanted to construct a personal language, a signature of distinction, for my designs that was technically challenging and innovative.

Floating Channel setting follows the same principles as channel setting with one variation: before carving the channel, I carve a crown in each wall then carve the channel inside the crown, finally hammering the metal toward the stone. This technique creates 30% to 50% more metal in contact securing the stone.  Since no metal is visible, the stone appears to float on the surface; thus optimizing its reflective qualities.

My work expands over 200 designs, transitioning from rigid, geometric shapes into organic, more rounded architectural concepts - fabricated form illuminated by nature; it is a cumulative revelation of the land and people in my life as I evolve as an artist and an eternal being.

Christo Kiffer