With Bartlomiej Dziennik, the distinct craftsmanship shines. Derived from enormous patience – the skill of precious stonesetting has become one of his signatures.

The sounds of handicraft work reaches me when I step into the luminous jewellery studio at Sibyllegatan. The sounds come from the inner part, and it feels like this is the heart of the premises – where creativity is manifested into jewellery. Workbenches in rough wood meet in the middle, and this gives room for four goldsmiths to take part. Everything from the bright white stands in the studio place, towards the workspaces in the workshop are all personally hand-made to a perfect fit.

– If you can, you do it! And it always leaves you with a great gratification, he says with a warm smile.

This kind of contentment is something he also would like to convey to his customers – the proceeds of wearing a piece of jewellery.

 A genuine craftsmanship takes shape

We leave the workshop space, and the protective leather apron is taken off for a coffee break. The seating places are set close to a large gold-framed mirror that gives the studio a spacious look. He tells me that past experiences of monotonous work have caused him to dislike it, but it has also provided that extra power to embrace the outstanding.

– In recent years it has become obvious that all senses are required when it comes to small details – even the smell! When I redden the metal, mill or feel the scent of the melting wax. The feeling in the fingers is also important, and the sound – how the hacksaw goes on the metal – the vibrations it emits – and the sight of course, he says, and the passion for the profession shines right through.

I notice Bartlomiej Dziennik’s infatuated feelings towards the material and the work with his own design, but he finds the making of rework jewellery equally exciting.

– To meet the customer and provide new life to the jewellery is amazing. To disassemble and redesign the material into something exclusive – and also to see how such a personal piece of jewellery often inspires courage to the wearer.

Previously, he could feel that it was a handicap when he was not interested in other designers, but over the time when he has realised that it works, it has changed into something he benefits from.

– It has become a great tool, which gives me a unique niche.

In this way he avoids to influence his own design line. The inspiration may come from life and meetings – the rest comes from his genuine source. The confidence in the design is there, and then he leaves it to the viewer’s own sense of the piece.

 

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I’m so stubborn, and live in my design world – my own little bubble. The creative process allows me to draw from within, instead of taking influences from other design forums.

The road to his own studio

Bartlomiej Dziennik realized early that he liked to create with his hands: in handicraft, he made intricate work, which took a long time, because he wanted to understand the material. Even ironwork was something he came into contact with – where he was exploring how much energy is required to form the metal. But it was when he turned seventeen that he found his calling.

– It was an art teacher at high school who told me about the goldsmith school in Mjölby, he says as he ponders a moment, and continues telling the story about how he after the studies focused on gaining more experience in both forging and, the hard way, became proficient at precious stonesetting. Then he opened up his own trade.

– I believe in a future where the real craftsmanship, when a person does everything from scratch, will be valued in a whole new way.

Tauschering:

A working technique with ancient oriental origin, it consists of ornaments or figurines created in less shiny metals by folding of gold or silver. The precious metal is pressed into the recesses in the round metal which needs to be a little harder than the base metal – for example, bronze, iron, steel, copper or titanium. In the engraved ornament you add thin silver – or gold threads and forged with the hammer. If a large area with gold is coated, you can produce colour effects by incorporating silver into the gold, which provides opportunities for major variations.

Name: Bartlomeij Dziennik

Commerce: BD Jewellery Studio, since 2003 and with the store since 2014

Education: Goldsmiths’ School in Mjölby

Experience: Schalins ringar in Östersund 1.5 years

Apprenticeship Period of: Philip Artinian 3 years

Address: Sibyllegatan 26, 114 42 Stockholm