Exotic spice bazaars, majestic mosques, fairy tale like minarets and imposing Sultans. Istanbul, the only city in the world which has reigned as capital of three different empires, is without a doubt the greatest muse for the man known in the fine jewelry industry as “Lord of the Rings.” This particular artist stands in a league of his own. I came across his work while helping my girlfriend do some research for a Turkish-inspired shoot for Bazaar. Sevan Bicacki, THE Turkish jewelry designer, blew my hair back.
His jewelry designs and mostly the rings are like pieces of architectural masterpieces coming from the past. Every single piece will make you feel like you are wearing the miniature of a monument. History combined with stones; perfectly handcrafted designs make Sevan's rings unique and precious.
Sevan was born 1972 in Istanbul and grown up in a district called Samatya, which has been home to many Istanbul-born Armenians for centuries. He was 13 when he left school to start working with his hands in a trade. With the help of his father, Sevan started to work at the workshop of goldsmith-master Hovsep Chatak at the Grand Bazaar where is a huge complex which carries more than 500 years of traditional jewelry making within its walls.
There was so much motivation surrounding him to increase his knowledge of jewelry design and craftsmanship. After his master passed away, when Sevan was just 18, he had to make a choice between shifting to another workshop and going on his own. And even though he was young in comparison, Sevan started to work all alone in a tiny workshop space.
Byzantine and Ottoman palaces, churches, mosques, fountains, mausoleums and bazaars have been his every day environment for at least 20 years. His biggest wish was to convert his dreams shaped by the magical influence of Istanbul's history, which have been there for more than two thousand years.
Sevan says that there's no way to be isolated from the past and his surroundings. Istanbul's spirit inevitably fills its people and as just one of them, Sevan wanted to reflect it with his works. That's when he decided it was time for him to come up with his own collection. It took Sevan approximately a year to prepare the first part of it, which he debuted to the Turkish public in March, 2002. Sevan's first international debut took place in 2005, which is when he was selected one of 2005's five "Rising Stars" by the jury of JCK - Las Vegas Show's Design Center.
Sevan Bicakci's 2006 Design Atelier participation within the "Couture Jewelry Conference and Collection" was crowned by his winning of the "Town & Country Couture Award" for gemstone jewelry design. By August 2006, he was selected one of Tanzanite Foundation's five award winning independent designers.
Credit: fashiontrendsetter.com, Senay Gokcen
