OLIJO, a jewelry brand by designer Priscilla de Gastines

We love the astonishing and rich career path of designer Priscilla de Gastines, whom we met a few years ago when she was retraining at the Académie des Métiers d’Art – a school which allows people to pursue a career in jewelry at any age. Talent, an atypical career in jewelry and a growing brand, OLIJO, featuring new creations with dainty curved lines.

Priscilla de Gastines’s atypical jewelry career

Originally working in marketing for a big cosmetics company, Priscilla fulfilled her dream by moving behind the workbench. Passionate about jewelry craftsmanship as well as designer creativity, she trained to acquire fine jewelry-making skills and savoir-faire at the Académie des Métiers d’Art – she is among the school’s first graduates. Founded by Frédérique Hagège Ubaldi and Johnny Walter, this establishment focuses on retraining and offers high-quality education. We honor this initiative which contributes to the continuity and durability of French jewelry know-how.

Priscilla has always created bespoke jewelry pieces long before her career change, first for her friends and later professionally. She had this passion for jewelry, design and creation.

She has excellent 3D drawing skills, which allows her to present an accomplished virtual model that will later be molded in wax. Trained in gemology and jewelry-making techniques, Priscilla offers both classic and innovative jewelry pieces to her clients.

Not only does Priscilla know how to turn old jewelry into modern and chic pieces with a lot of creativity, she also designs bespoke engagement rings with natural gemstones and diamonds.

Inspired by Parisian architecture, she reinterprets vanishing points in urban scenes and light reflections on buildings to create elegant, graphic and contemporary jewelry. She works with Parisian workshops and will guide you with benevolence and confidence, carefully controlling each step of the process, from the design to the making of the jewelry piece.

OLIJO, a semi-bespoke and customizable collection

Driven by the enthusiasm of her clients in actively contributing to the creative process, Priscilla has redefined bespoke jewelry and launched in 2018 her brand OLIJO. Using a digital creation module, it offers the possibility to create your own unique ring, starting from a simple model. The pieces are bold, innovative and can be customized in endless ways!

In keeping with the times, Priscilla offers basic models that are customizable, in a similar way to semi-bespoke perfumes. For her first collection, she has imagined a series of rings that can be worn on their own for a minimalist look or stacked together as desired to keep up with trends.

The concept gives free rein to creativity – you choose the base (rings and links) and are free to go crazy on the rest, depending on your budget and your desires, by combining different models to create a multiple ring and by mixing gold and gemstone colors. For example, you can start with a simple ring from the LIENS collection and add a double ring, a twisted ring, a beaded ring, a gemstone or a natural diamond.

OLIJO rings are divided into three collections: the ring becomes a pendant, an earring or a bracelet with SOLANO, the MULTIPLE collection offers the possibility to combine several rings and the MAILLON collection allows you to start from a Maillon ring and build up on it.

OLIJO pieces are made in Paris, in RJC (Responsible Jewellery Council) certified jewelry workshops renowned for their technique and their savoir-faire – a guarantee of quality. Crafted from 18k gold and set with carefully selected quality gemstones, all pieces are numbered, stamped with the maker’s mark, and come with a certificate of authenticity.

Congratulations, Priscilla, for creating this innovative concept and these brilliant jewelry pieces. Head over to OLIJO’s website to design your own unique ring!