Hic habitat felicitas, nihil intret mali
I would like to begin this article with this Latin motto. I am passionate about the Roman and Greek world from which I have been taking my source of inspiration for many years. When I looked at Christina Brummet’s site, I was positively surprised to find these wise and uplifting ancient Roman words that mean: “Here the happiness lives, nothing evil might enter“. This inscription is visible on a mosaic at the base of Mozart memorial in Mozartplatz Square in Salzburg (Austria), and it has become the incipit of Brummé’s website.
I immediately understood that Christina and I had a lot of things in common. I wasn’t wrong: it was so nice to talk to her and to learn about her love for art, culture and history. But there was another surprise to me: Christina speaks Italian and no wonder for someone who loves classical antiquity and art. The Art par excellence permeates her creations that are full of meaning and evoke a lot of references. The other thing that struck me is that she is not obsessed with the quantity and the number of jewels she can produce. For this reason, her pieces of art are unique and for few people.
These earrings are named 67°48’N23°6’E. These are the coordinates of Kiruna, in Sweden where an iron meteorite impacted the earth more than a million years ago. Two large slices of that meteorite adorn the drop earrings.
During our interview, Christina told me that when she was a teenager, she dreamt of becoming an architect, an interior designer, a marine biologist, an astrophysicist or a goldsmith. Actually, things turned very differently, and she became an orthodontist, a profession that unites artisanal skills with technical understanding and aesthetics. While she was training, an orthodontist instructor awakened her love for art and jewellery, since he was a fine collector of antiques and an enthusiastic connoisseur of jewels. This incredible meeting had a great influence on Christina’s conception of jewellery design.
Roswell ring, inspired by UFO. The name Roswell refers to the famous city in New Mexico wherein 1947 a UFO landed.
Zeus earrings
What is absolutely astonishing about Christina is that her creative force and commitment allow her to manage two different activities, since she incredibly continues her job as an orthodontist. “This is not easy – she told me in our interview – during the days I am engaged in the orthodontic profession. My evenings, weekends, holidays and nights are devoted to Brummé jewellery brand. And I don’t want to forget to mention an extremely important part of my life – I’m also a mother of two sons. I don’t have much free time – as you can imagine”. The portrait of this artist, full of moral and creative force, is significant to understand her pieces of art.
Aztec mask ring
Chaiselongue cubistique ring
Sometimes the linearity and geometry of her jewels may recall the Twenties and the Art Déco. “The main sources for my designs are definitely architecture, art and history. I find that these three fields are inseparable. You may recognize that all my jewellery is rather geometrical, edgy. That’s my temper – I know that I’m pretty good at logic thinking; therefore, I had no problems with mathematics. So, it’s natural that I prefer geometrical, mathematical OP-art. It’s also natural that I adore the Art Déco movement”.
M&E ring: beautiful tanzanite from the Merelani Hills in Tanzania meets rare hauyns from the Eifel/Palatin in Germany
Christina’s quest continues with new materials and new forms: this remarkable Fuji Ring gives an example. The starting point was the rare Andradite mineral from the Kohse mine in Japan. This mine is on the island of Honshu, just like the mount Fuji. The volcano itself is made of smoky quartz and is similar to the original one.
Christina represents a new frontier of jewellery design that will catch the attention of all the lovers of beauty. The Romans used to say: “Nihil difficile volenti” nothing is difficult for those who want it.
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Edit by Laura Astrologo Porché