Report by Renata Petkute

 “A piece of jewellery is like a work of art to which a goldsmith devotes all his soul, all his skills, all his experience and artistic intuition, in other words, the artist devotes oneself” – says Viktoras Sitalo.

Viktor, you are an experienced jeweller – jewellery designer. Please, tell me how and when did your way of creation begin?

In 1989, I entered the then Telsiai School of Applied Art to study the speciality of artistic metalworking. Upon finishing my studies, I realized that I wanted to continue broadening my knowledge of jewellery, therefore, already then, in 1994, I started to look for information on foreign schools with a similar profile. I came across an article on the Pforzheim Goldsmith School, the oldest vocational school in the world, having deep-rooted traditions of vocational training of goldsmiths, in one of issues of the German GZ Magazine for jewellers. Having read that article I realized that I wanted to study at that school. However, that wish was destined to come true only in 2000, after I had already gained some experience as a creator of small plastic art and a blacksmith. Those two years spent in Germany were highly intensive in terms of study, perception of local culture and communication with other jewellers. I would call this period of time a starting-point of my career as a jeweller. I am really glad that I had an opportunity to gain experience in the workshop of Munich Jewellery House “Juwelenschmiede Jirgens” (www.juwelenschmiede.de) where I familiarized myself with technologies for designing classic jewellery. A year after my return from Germany I undertook studies in the Klaipeda Department of Visual Design of Vilnius Academy of Art, which I successfully completed in 2008.

 At first you studied at the Telsiai Training School of Applied Art, then you continued your studies in Germany and after them came back to study in Klaipeda. Do you have your followers calling you their teacher yet? Prestigious professional experience does not, probably, remain unnoticed in Lithuania and not only here? 

I cannot say anything about followers – I guess I still have to work hard in this field… (laughing). I do not have apprentices either – no-one has applied so far, although I would be pleased to share secrets of the craft of gold smithery with students of this speciality.

Do you have your benchmark for jewellery? Which acknowledged works of artists do you admire?

Jewellery is a too wide field to distinguish any single benchmark. Jewellery, like every area of applied art is subject to changes in the society and the change of styles of art. Therefore, jewellery of different epochs can be evaluated only being aware of prevailing trends in the fine arts at that time. By the way, designer jewellery appeared only in the New Times when masters became obliged to put name marks on their articles after the control of precious metals was tightened. I would distinguish the Jamnitzer family of German jewellers from “old” masters. Rene Lalique distinguishes himself from “young” jewellers by his creativity and productivity. I would call a Frenchman JAR and a German Otto Jacob contemporary classics.

Each artist has his/her own style and touch, how would you describe yours?

It is very difficult to evaluate by yourself what you are doing. I am still looking for my own style, I experiment a lot. However, the fruits of those experiments usually stay within the boundaries of the workshop. An experiment is a driving force of all creative work. Sometimes creative searches produce highly interesting results.

Please, tell me about the “Gold Smithery” (“Aukso kalve“). 

I set up the “Gold Smithery” together with my two good friends and fellow jewellers in Klaipeda Old Town two years ago. We are an affinity group, each with his own experience, perception of beauty and artistic taste. We are united by a passion for gold smithery and a deep conviction that a goldsmith is not a profession, but a vocation. As it was usual in good old times, we share not only tools, but also our unique experience, which is very important, since working with our customers we try to achieve only the best result each time and sometimes your colleague’s good advice considerably facilitates the work.

Usually we work for a particular customer, therefore, we have an opportunity to handle each order very individually. Each time we seek only the highest quality both of composition and technical performance, which often takes time. Perhaps this way of creating unitary works is not highly productive – we try to “release” works of the highest quality from the workshop. I think that it is possible to offer a customer a really luxurious piece of jewellery only by sticking to this principle.

Jewels prevail in the jewellery that you design: is it linked to a time-tested idea of luxury and exclusiveness relating to diamonds? Are there any motives significant only to you for choosing namely this “material” to make a piece of jewellery?

Diamond is indeed a special material setting special requirements for the jeweller’s qualification and artistic taste. Diamonds have been a symbol of the ultimate luxury since the old times. Despite the fact that smaller diamonds are used quite widely for designing jewellery, large diamonds have always been and, I believe, will remain for a long time a luxury affordable to just few people.

Generally speaking about jewels, such as sapphire, ruby, emerald etc., I think that a piece of jewellery is designed following the creator’s vision and idea – in this case, a jewel becomes a means for expressing that idea. A large diamond, sapphire, ruby or any other jewel of particular quality can undoubtedly become by itself an excellent source of inspiration to design a piece of jewellery.

 It is the first time that a jeweller from Lithuania has become a laureate of the HRD Awards 2009, one of the most influential international diamond jewellery contests. It is probably an invaluable recognition for you as an artist, is it?

Yes, it is, it has been a considerable challenge to me both as a designer and a jeweller. Practically the vast majority of contest participants have created only design, entrusting the production of works themselves to larger jewellery-making companies. It has simply been a matter of principle for me as a jeweller to produce a piece of jewellery by myself, despite all technical and organizational difficulties encountered. By coincidence, I am both a designer and a goldsmith. Therefore, I have carried out all work on my own.

Ring "A Kiss Of The Sunbeam"

 Please, tell me in greater detail about this contest organized by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre.

“HRD Awards” is a biennial contest held by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. The aim of the contest is to promote the creation of diamond jewellery of innovative and original design, and its skilful production. The contest has existed for as many as 26 years.  Jewellers and designers not only from Belgium, but also from all over the world have been able to take part in the contest since 2003. 

The winner of the top prize and four finalists have been chosen by a high-profile international jury consisting of professors of academies and universities of arts, jewellery, design and fashion industry pundits, jewellery experts from the Sotheby’s and Christie’s Auction Houses, and representatives of the specialized media.

 What encouraged you to take part in this contest?

I decided to compete in the contest when I received an invitation from the Supplies Group “Su.Mi‘m” in summer 2008. The same team helped me to promptly settle all organizational issues.

For me, like for every creator, it was an excellent rare chance to implement my idea a hundred per cent, without reservation and the customer’s opinion.

 The selection of the contest and its participants. What countries participated in the contest?

This time 654 jewellery designers from 40 countries, such as Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, South Korea, the United States of America, Thailand etc., took part in the contest. 1,089 jewellery design sketches were submitted. Just 39 of them won a strict selection and qualified for the second round of the contest, in which jewellery had to be made from precious metals.

 Each contest has a theme. What was a theme of this contest?

A contest always has a particular theme. The theme of the last contest was “A Night at the Opera” and this year, the contest took as its theme “Once upon a time…my favourite fairy tale". This time designers had to interpret a chosen fairy-tale and design a piece of jewellery revealing a breathtaking beauty of diamonds in the best possible way.

What inspired you to design a piece of jewellery for this contest?

I had read plenty of fairy tales in childhood. However, when I was preparing for the contest, I had to re-read many of them. I read fairy tales of different nations of the world and I tried to make design sketches, yet, I knew somewhere deep down that I would recognize the right one at once. That is what happened with one little-known fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, called “The Conceited Apple-Branch”. The end of the fairy-tale contains a few wonderful lines about short-lived beauty of a fragile dandelion flower that will soon be blown away by the wind. I “saw” the flower full of tenderness, delicacy and love almost at once. That is how the “A Kiss Of The Sunbeam” was born.

Reading fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen, I re-discovered this brilliant taleteller and wonderful person who had loved people. I admire Andersen for his ability to discover a fairy tale everywhere, even looking at an ordinary everyday thing, let’s say, a street lamp.

Please, describe the piece of jewellery designed by you.

It is a ring that is to be worn on two fingers. It is made of white gold with the fineness of 750 and weighs as many as 199 grams. 181 round diamonds sparkle in the ring. Special construction allows rays of light to reach all diamonds from the outside and the inside, as a result, a lit ring intensively sparkles and seems to be revived by touches of the sun and the wind. I used hot enamel of two shades to convey the fragility of apple petals.

 What are your immediate plans?

I have plenty of ideas, yet, I am just catastrophically short of time to implement them… (laughing). I have a lot of plans, one of the most important of which now is to finish designing a small collection of jewellery which I will perhaps manage to present at the 2010 Exhibition “Amber Trip” in Vilnius next year.