Bibi van der Velden

Jeweller and sculptor Bibi van der Velden was born in New York, and had a peripatetic, artistic upbringing between The Netherlands and the English countryside. After training in sculpture at The Florence Academy of Arts, the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and The Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, she decided to turn her attention to creating art of the wearable variety, launching her jewellery line in 2006

Background story

About the designer

It was antique objects that first inspired her to create jewellery. One of her earliest necklaces had at its heart a gold antique peanut, which she melded together with a folding pocketknife in order to create a charm. Stones with a story still hold an appeal for Bibi, with a square-cut emerald ring – left to her by her late grandmother – one of her most treasured pieces

How we curate our

contemporary designers

SIGNATURE

Every designer we showcase at Auverture has a signature, defined by the recognisable style and knowledge that sets them apart from the rest

STORY

We believe jewellery tells a story, not just about your style but about who you are. That’s why our curators build collections that speak to the past, present and future of influential design

TECHNIQUE

Creating jewellery is an artform and we’re committed to celebrating that. Each piece we curate is technically exceptional, crafted with expertise, skill and creativity

RESPONSIBILITY

As a platform looking to the future, it’s important that all of our designers align with our eco-conscious mission. As a result, the pieces we curate are always purposeful and always ethical

About

Why we curated this designer

Today, she is renowned for her imaginative aesthetic that makes a feature of materials as diverse as 40,000-year-old mammoth tusk, baroque pearls, antique Chinese jade and real scarab beetle wings. She works these unexpected elements together with sustainable gold, diamonds and precious stones, to create truly unique designs. “I love things that tell a story, when something looks like it’s old and has had a previous life,” says the designer. “I love stones and pearls with imperfections, which give them character"