Have your say and vote for your favorite in our global Facebook poll.
Custom bling
Jewelry designer Raphaelle Muller creates custom jewelry for Shanghai's fashion-conscious set
Raphaëlle Muller made these rings with someone else in mind. Yours will be custom-made to reflect your personality. -- Photo by Jeremy GorenEvery girl loves a bit of bling, but finding the right bling is no easy task. Especially in Shanghai.
In a city where 'custom-made' is a buzzword, help is at hand. French jewelry designer Raphaëlle Muller has a flair for creating beautiful custom jewelry pieces that perfectly match for the wearer.
There are no rules to my method.— Raphaëlle Muller
Since 2002, Muller has been running her one-woman jewelry business, Kenjad by Raphaëlle, out of her Shanghai apartment. She works mainly with sterling silver and semi-precious stones that she gathers from her travels or imports from a supplier in Hong Kong. As well as using mother-of-pearl, lapis lazuli and black agate, Muller likes working with exotic stones such as pink quartz, tiger’s eye and hawk’s eye.
"The more unusual, the better," she says. If clients have a specific material in mind, she’ll try to find it.
"I discuss with my client exactly what they’re looking for, then we look at my existing designs to see whether they like any particular stones or details," says Muller. "Step by step I visualize the piece in my mind, trying to capture the wearer’s personality.
"There are no rules to my method. I'm inspired by everything around me -- the things I see and read, fashion trends and even a stone I find."
Depending on her stock of stones, Muller can complete orders in about a week. Prices depend on size, quality and quantity of materials.
By appointment only. Rm. 1901, Bldg 1, Lane 269 Changning Lu 长宁路269弄1楼1901室, tel. +86 21 6210 4018, tel. + 86 138 0176 8527, www.kenjad.com
