Esprit Joaillerie meets Déborah Lombroso, creator of
Seijna Joaillerie. An online sales site dedicated to diamonds and showcases custom-made creations that celebrate the many facets of women's lives.
How did you become a jewelry designer?
Diamonds, White Gold.
© Seijna Joaillerie
«There are two reasons for this vocation: First of all, after a training as a gemmologist at
The United States, positions at major houses on Place Vendôme and the artistic direction of a French jewelry manufacturer—I felt the need to be free and to create jewelry that reflects who I am. I needed to breathe.
The second reason is familial. My great-grandmother was a great lover of jewelry and it is a passion she passed on to me. When I was a child, I would open the box where she kept her treasures with her and try them on; we would talk about it, she would tell me where the necklace came from, under what circumstances it had been acquired or had been given to her. I was amazed. My great-grandmother’s jewelry was my very own Barbie dolls!«
What does the jewel represent to you?
Diamonds, Rose Gold.
© Seijna Joaillerie
«It all depends on whether you are addressing the jewelry enthusiast or the designer.
As a collector, I would answer that a piece of jewelry is always tied to the moment it enters your life. And usually these are happy moments. That’s what we call sentimental value, and in my eyes it is far superior to financial value.
I would also like to tell you that a jewel is just one way of feeling beautiful, of having confidence in oneself, of radiating. It’s not for nothing that we talk about the sparkle of a jewel.
As a creator, I believe that a piece of jewelry is the product of an idea and inspiration, and that it is materialized through the unique craftsmanship of our artisans. We are right at the crossroads between pure conceptualism and pure manual labor. I love receiving the prototype of a piece of jewelry that I have designed and seeing my ideas come to life. Finally, I would like to emphasize the concept of pleasure.
A jewel is essentially a matter of pleasure: the pleasure of an object created and manufactured with care, and the necessity of loving what we see in the mirror.»
What does natural diamond represent in your eyes?
«I will give you an opposing answer: synthetic diamonds, or so-called laboratory-grown diamonds, are industrial products created by man. Their perfection is duplicable infinitely.”.
Natural diamonds are a miracle of nature, of our planet’s geological history. This is what makes them rare, beautiful, and unique.
I understand the ecological and ethical arguments in favor of synthetic diamonds, but since the Kimberley Process and the traceability it has established, nothing replaces in my eyes the value and uniqueness of a natural diamond.»
Is there a diamond that makes you dream?
Diamonds, White Gold.
© Seijna Joaillerie
«The diamond that makes me dream is the one that will please my next client! I don’t believe in the perfect diamond. Or rather, I think the perfect diamond is the one that suits you. I regularly see clients who ask me for a «D flawless» because they spent a quarter of an hour on Google and leave enchanted with a stone.
«less perfect» but which meets their expectations and tastes.
The good diamond is the one that pleases you, that's all that matters!«
How do you buy your diamonds?
« I regularly travel to Antwerp to acquire exceptional stones for custom-made rings. I also buy lots from Parisian diamond dealers whom I know and have worked with for years. For the smaller stones used in the settings, I am the one who requests the specific quality of stones from my manufacturers.»
Do you have any anecdotes related to one of your creations?
I made preliminary sketches, a wax model, and the new ring was born; they were delighted. But the amazing thing is that the young man’s family, who had so much feared the reaction, was also enchanted. For them, it’s a bit like the ring of the aunt knew a second life. That’s how I love my job, too. »
Black Diamonds, Black Gold. Rhodium-plated
© Seijna Joaillerie
«In completely different styles, my two favorite creations are the Dangerous Kiss and Daisy 1925 rings.
The first because I have a passion for snake-patterned jewelry, used in jewelry for centuries. The Dangerous Kiss is my personal interpretation of it, rock and chic, presented in black diamonds and colored stones. I confess I have a soft spot for the black diamond version on black rhodium-plated gold.,
It’s a classic from Seijna.
Diamonds, Yellow Gold
© Seijna Joaillerie
The Daisy 1925 is a vintage-modern ring, even though these two terms seem contradictory. I wanted a ring that looked old – with the central diamond being a rose cut – and that was at the same time contemporary in its proportions and finish.
In rose gold, it’s a great success from Seijna and I wear it regularly myself.»
Thank you Déborah for sharing your passion for diamonds with us.
