Thierry Baenteli, a bold and independent jeweler

The Swiss jeweler made a name for himself with a very avant-garde rubber and diamond jewelry collection in the late 1980s. Since then, the brand has grown internationally, creating sober yet elegant collections and carefully studying how the pieces are worn. The Baenteli Maison has surprised its public yet again with its new collection of interchangeable gemstones – so easy to wear. We’ve interviewed the brand founder to get a better grasp of the essence of the Baenteli style.

An independent jeweler with a bold style

After training as a jeweler at the School of Applied Arts in Chaux-de-Fonds, you took over your father's workshop a few years later. Were your already dreaming of independence, at such an early stage of your career?

Indeed! After my training and a first professional experience, I quickly took over my father's workshop – he was also a jeweler – to create my own collection. I didn't want to work for big Swiss watch brands. I really wanted the freedom to create my own jewelry and express my own vision, which is what I did for about 30 years.

As the years went on, I decided to dedicate myself to design only, and I sold my Swiss workshop to friends who took it over and renamed it Pradoren.

You presented your « black » collection made of rubber and diamonds at the opening of your store in 1987 – a very bold choice, why these materials?

Choosing rubber was initially the solution to a financial constraint. I had a small capital of 60,000 francs I had borrowed from the bank and used to create a collection. Small 18k gold pieces set with small colored stones and diamonds, entirely mounted on matte black rubber, which really made the gems stand out. It must be noted that in the 1980s, Pavé stone setting was relatively unexplored in fine jewelry and was more associated with watches. I still haven't found a better material than soft matte black rubber to emphasize the beauty of hard brilliant cut diamonds. It's an astounding contrast!

You then presented it at Baselworld in 1992, how was the collection received?

The collection was well received by the general public from its launch, however professionals had a different opinion! They almost kicked me out when I introduced them to the collection. "Diamonds set in rubber? Mr. Baenteli, you’re going to hit a brick wall! [laugh]". Even though we had been awarded the 1^st prize at the De Beers competition in 1991 with a cubic ring design made of rubber, gold and a square princess cut diamond.

Then one day, a fashionable and quite avant-garde jewelry store in Berne decided to distribute our brand. From that day forth, the collection has been incredibly popular with consumers. The shop was selling dozens of pieces every day. Other retailers quickly followed, and this allowed us to grow internationally.

How has the collection evolved since then?

In the mid-90s, we expanded the rubber collection with more spectacular, higher-end jewelry pieces. I wanted to stand out from competitors with original pieces.

The Baenteli style: sober and elegant collections for daily wear

Many collections were launched since the rubber and diamond collection, how would you define your style?

I’m from Switzerland, therefore my influences are both Germanic and Latin. I tend to opt for sober, simple shapes. I don’t like unnecessary decoration and frills. I don’t design rococo jewelry. For me, a piece of jewelry is an extension of the body, of a hand, a shoulder. It must adapt to the body. Consequently, I quickly became interested in the comfort of jewelry: one needs to be able to wear it every day, to work with it, live with it! Even though some pieces are more voluminous, they’re still very comfortable and ergonomically designed so they can fit the customer like a glove.

You will never see a butterfly or a swallow in my collections, but rather an elegant, sober, always pure shape, a surface which has a purpose, an origin and isn’t simply decorative.

For the last collection we created with Pradoren, we started with simple, sober lines, not too extravagant and always very comfortable.

What are your favorite materials?

I’m currently making a triple finger ring out of copper, it's kind of like a snake passing between the fingers. I like natural materials like wood and gemstones. At the moment I’m very pleased to see that a few big brands dare to use materials like titanium, aluminum, bronze and colored gems. Finally, we’re stepping away from the eternal gold and diamond routine!

Which pieces best represent your world?

Probably my Montgolfière ring. I designed it 30 years ago and it's still very modern. It's a classic round ring, but with a spike at the bottom. Sober and neutral, it sits quite high on the finger, but it’s also very soft and comfortable. We’ve modernized it with the Sphere collection more recently.

The Cascades collection, a sort of rhythmic gem cascade, regular like a water jet, a gem water jet, also represents my work quite well. The Cascade collection is a little more dynamic, more rock’n’roll.

For those with more conventional tastes, the Royales collection is timeless, more natural, romantic and easy to wear on a daily basis. Not to mention the Disco collection, with concave ellipses assembled together to give the impression of gold stains on the finger.

Tell us about your latest collection Guillotine, which was very successful in Vegas...

The Guillotine collection consists of very sober pieces, with a colored gem enhanced by a thin line of diamonds. It's very playful, with a system of interchangeable gemstones. The idea was to secure a gem with as little material as possible, which is actually the very essence of fine jewelry – to enhance a gemstone. But since the stones are semi-precious stones, such as onyx, lapis lazuli, or moonstones, I had to find another solution, which I called Guillotine, to secure the stone very simply. I also wanted the customer to be able to switch colors depending on their mood. One day she might wear her white gold setting paved with diamonds with a lapis lazuli, and the next day she could swap it for pink coral, for example! We wanted a playful and affordable collection.

How’s your collaboration with Pradoren going?

It's a profitable collaboration: I focus on designs and I have a lot of freedom! Pradoren manages sourcing and production, alongside their collaborations with other major brands.

What are your future plans for the brand?

I will pursue my research work and continue to develop, among other things, the Guillotine collection, with the same ambition as always: to create a piece of jewelry that will last 30 years...

Interview by Isis Eutrope