❤  Small production on demand❤  Certified & recycled precious metals❤  Made in Pforzheim, Germany

Fine Principles

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About the designer
Fine Principles is a Berlin-based jewellery label founded by Alexandra Schwarzwald on 11 November 2022.

The graphic designer first entered the world of jewellery making in 2016. In doing so, she transferred her graphic language to object design and created multi-faceted wax models by hand. Even then, she took a systematic approach — By cutting away wax, she studied the effect of facets until she switched over to 3D modelling.
About the concept
Alexandra speaks the visual language of geometry and grids. In doing so, she uses the potential of folding techniques and follows a meticulous principle of order.

In short, by combining simple mathematical and design principles, she transforms grids from 2D to 3D and creates multi-faceted jewellery.

On 28/29/30 October 2022, the very first ‘Series XF’ was finally presented to the public at the BLICKFANG design fair in Hamburg.
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Design — Folding techniques
The term ‘folding’ is deeply rooted in our language and has a multi-layered meaning. Folding is a product of nature and fascinates scientists, mathematicians, educators, designers, and hobbyists of all ages alike.

The grids of folding techniques can form their own dynamics simply by manipulated like squeezing, stretching, multiplying or even combining. Playing with folding holds enormous potential for design possibilities, which we want to exploit in the future.
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Mathematics — Geometric Series
We use simple mathematics — in our case the Geometric Series — as a useful tool. To limit and control the folds, we take the approach of doubling (1, 2, 4, 8, etc.) and halving (1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, etc.), both in the number of facets and dimensions.

Four of our six categories strictly follow the rule. However, since rings and bangles correspond to natural body measurements, they are each drawn and adapted separately.
About the process
Our production currently takes several weeks for the production of small quantities. This is because there are various processes going on behind the scenes — both internally and externally. To make it short, the actual production takes place in five steps after the design phase:

→ CAD works & 3D printing
→ Moulding
→ Casting
→ Goldsmith works
→ Plating & quality control

All this is done only by wonderful professionals who help transform ideas into concrete jewellery and bring them to life.
Design process
It all starts with the study of folding techniques. From here, basic ideas are drawn, finalized and 3D printed. After reviewing the models and making any necessary adjustments, the CAD drawings are reviewed for feasibility.
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CAD works & 3D printing
Based on the CAD design, a model template is created which is used to produce the final form. After plotting the file, the high-quality piece is handed over to the goldsmith, who trims and cleans the surfaces of the masterpiece by hand.
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Moulding
After cleaning the masterpiece, a rubber or silicone mould is made. With this mould, all parts will be cast in the desired alloy in the future. To ensure a consistently high quality, the most modern wax spraying machines are used for production.
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Casting
From a single piece to small quantities, the jewellery is cast with most modern vacuum casting machines in the selected alloy such as recycled silver, gold, or platinum — Everything with more than 5 decades of casting experience.
Goldsmith works
Once the pieces have been cast, they are cleaned by hand and prepared for wearing. This includes, for example, soldering in ear-studs or attaching eyelets for chains. Afterward, the pieces are sandblasted to give them a matte finish.
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Plating & quality control
The final step is the (galvanic) plating in the desired colour and thickness. The plating on our rings is thicker since they are more likely to come into contact with other objects. After a final quality check, your jewellery is then ready for delivery.
About sustainability
Our production purchases sterling silver, gold, and platinum from local suppliers such as C.HAFNER, Agosi AG or Bauer Walser AG.

All are certified members of the Responsible Jewellery Council and follow the standards of the CoC (Chain of Custody) and CoP (Code of Practices). To make it short, the RJC is the world’s leading sustainability organization in the jewellery industry.

In addition, the atelier and its entire supply chain comply with REACH regulations, in which the focus is on protecting human health and the environment from the risks posed by the use of chemicals.
About the materials
All cast pieces are made from recycled 935 sterling silver and are available in three plated colours — grey (palladium), yellow (18k gold) and pink (18k rose gold). Additional elements such as ear pins or chains are also made from recycled materials purchased in Germany, Berlin.

We also offer special alloys like Fairtrade Gold if required. Our caster receives the gold from Fairever, which is specialized in trading precious metals from responsible small-scale mining.

Please contact us at hello@fineprinciples.com so that we can provide you with a quotation.
About the facets
We love the aesthetics of sharp edges, and we hope you do too. That’s why we leave the surface as pure as possible after casting to preserve this feature. In addition, to keep the folds authentic, they are continued on the inside of the rings.

A piece of jewellery is also an object of daily use. This means that gold-plated rings in particular can scratch more quickly than earrings. This is quite normal because by wearing them they automatically come into contact with other objects.
About the matting
The choice of matte jewellery should be made consciously, as matte surfaces become shinier, while polished surfaces become matte again. Accordingly, edges always become shiny first.

Nevertheless, jewellery can be matted again. However, this only applies to the surfaces and not to the actual sharpness of the edges.

Please let us know if your jewellery needs a refreshment and we will find a solution.