Behind the scenes at Honu Handmade Jewellery

In my workshop: the birth of a Honu jewel

Each Honu piece of jewelry is born at my workbench. No industrial production, no molds or casting. Just tools, my hands, and a constant passion for metal and its gradual transformation.

Each creation bears the imprint of the artisanal gesture and the DNA of my brand.

The selection of materials: a deliberate choice

Sterling silver, either 925 or 950, is my foundation. It's a noble material with which I spend hours working. 925 silver combines strength and beauty; it's the recognized standard. 950 silver is my favorite because it allows for greater malleability when working by hand. Each material reacts differently to the tools, and I need to understand how it behaves when I'm working with it.

The Tahitian pearls I use are genuine. They are chosen for their natural luster, their unique hues, and also for their high quality. I select them and spend time examining each one to sense how it will interact with the silver it will be set in. A peacock green pearl will not have the same presence as a gray pearl. I need to feel the harmony that will be created between it and its silver setting.

The natural stones that I sometimes incorporate into my creations follow the same process. Sapphires, emeralds, rubies, amethysts, and topaz: each one is selected for its quality, color, uniqueness, and preciousness.

Metalworking, a moment of emerging passion

Once the materials have been chosen, the real work begins.
Here, every step is done by hand, from the first saw cut to the last touch of polishing, without any shortcuts.
I let myself be guided by what I see, what I feel, and the possibilities that emerge as the creative process unfolds.

First, the cutting.

I select a sheet or wire of raw silver and begin sawing. This simple gesture is already a decision because every angle I create must be checked, reworked, modified, and adjusted until I am personally satisfied with it.

Next comes the shaping: this is where the forms become more defined.

Each stroke of the file is precise because the shape, angles, and curves must be clean and perfect. With other tools, such as the blowtorch, gravers, hammer, and chisels, I anneal, sculpt, twist, bend, fold, grain, smooth, and braze...

The metal responds, but sometimes it resists. It expresses what it accepts to become or not...but in all cases, I compose its future form with it.

Two pieces of jewelry inspired by the same design will follow completely different paths during this phase. The hands create variations that are precisely what makes each piece irreplaceable.

Intermediate step: Punching.

Once I am satisfied with the shape, details and robustness of my piece of jewelry, I then give it my silent blessing and affix my signature, my Master's hallmark .

It is a guarantee of authenticity and quality, but above all it is my commitment to you that I engrave in the metal : I made this piece of jewelry, I checked every detail and I am responsible for what I give you.

You will notice that your precious metal jewelry is marked with two hallmarks : the maker's mark (a symbol that corresponds to the artisan's mark) and the fineness mark (a symbol that authenticates and guarantees the type of metal your jewelry is primarily made of, and its purity level). The latter is legally required.

Since my maker's mark is already stamped, I then take the piece of jewelry to the Assay Office of the Contrastaria in Lisbon for authentication and the application of the hallmark. Your piece is therefore appraised, tested, and stamped by their services. Once the piece returns to my workshop, I proceed to the finishing stage.

The finishing touches: Time for polishing and buffing.

This is the stage where the raw metal reveals the softness of its surface and its true shine.

Massive money has its little drawbacks that have the power to make me groan:
Fire stains. These unsightly grey or brownish stains appear as you progress through the finishing stages. Sometimes even...on the very last pass.
It is then necessary to repeat a good part of the work and to constantly check, on a white surface, that these stains have disappeared.

Given that the mirror polished finish is the one I do most often, perfection is essential.

The hunt for the slightest micro-scratch and the smallest unsightly mark is on!

Ultimate Control

Each piece of jewelry is therefore inspected from all angles. I scrutinize it under natural light, under artificial light, I turn it, I feel it, I check every detail.
Macro photography is also a method of control: no imperfection escapes it.

When all test and inspection results are satisfactory, I consider your piece of jewelry finished. It is then carefully packaged in its case, ready to leave my workshop and be shipped to you.

It is this artisanal, demanding and honest approach that makes each piece a true work of art. Each of its curves bears the trace of a human intention, of a hand that shaped it, that of a happy creator.

If you would like a personalized piece of jewelry, I would be happy to create it.

Leave me your message via the " YOUR PERSONALIZED JEWELRY " section and we'll discuss your project together.

Isabelle B.
More than a jewel, it's part of our DNA.