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[ Article appeared in
The Jewelry Book, Summer 2005]
 Zoltan David | 2005
Jewelry Designer of the Year
Zoltan David is an
astonishing artist of remarkable talent. His medium is
precious metals and jewels; his canvas the human form. From a brief
boyhood in his native Hungary, to an exile's life in Canada, then
California and eventually Austin, Texas, life has brought this man
through many changes and stages. But in all of them, he has carried
precious jewels, exquisite pieces of diminutive art in the pockets of
his soul. From time to time he pulls one out and gives it visible form,
shaping the finest quality gold and platinum with gemstones and
diamonds, creating between his hands "what is bold, beautiful, and
brave."
"Everything we do at a
given moment has reverberations," says Zoltan David,
recipient of the Contemporary Design Group's 2005 Designer of the year
award. "When I make a piece of jewelry, it's like dropping a pebble in a
pond.
We do our work with sincerity and pride and these things have an
effect." No doubt that's precisely the attitude of dedication to excellence
that
earned Zoltan his honor; he is understandably pleased with the
recognition. "It's very cool," he says. "These are my peers, they understand
jewelry
in depth." It's safe to say, so does Zoltan David. Zoltan has made it his life's work to understand design, pouring as
much
energy into his creations as he puts into pondering the art of design
itself.
But in addition to his technical wizardry, Zoltan brings an abiding
spirituality to the creation of his work. His Dancing Metals studio in
Austin,
Texas-known for its quiet, meditative atmosphere-celebrates and honors
the Zen of the
art of jewelry design. Each artist is mindful of the joy of creation
and the
thrill in the achievement of producing unique and gorgeous jewelry. "No piece is worth making unless it is made right," says Zoltan.
"Nobody
ever said that to me while I was studying design in general, but as an
accomplished designer, I came to an understanding of what I'm doing." Subsequently, when you slip on a Zoltan David platinum and diamond
piece,
not only do you get a slice of the serenity and care that went into the
making of it, you also receive the benefits of his dedication to his
craft. Every
piece his studio makes is infused not only with positivity, but with his
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cornerstones of design in mind: durability, wearability, originality and
beauty. "If it's something you wear on a daily basis, it has to stand up to
daily
wear-that's durability," he explains. "Wearability pertains to the
ergonomics of the piece. Rings should have a maximum thickness, not
just so you can
put it on and off your finger but so it's comfortable. It shouldn't
weigh more
than a certain amount." He continues with his four-pronged explanation of good design.
"Originality is extremely important. When people see fresh, new ideas,
it speaks to them
and reminds them of their own originality. And beauty ties in with
originality. Jewelry is meant to magnify the wearer's natural beauty.
That's where
matters of proportion, balance, color, shape and texture fit in." So when did this obsession with jewelry and design begin? "My first experience with a piece of jewelry was when I was 12
years-old. I saw a piece of Indian jewelry-it was a pendant depicting the Hindu
goddess
Kali," he says. Rendered in polished silver with a black stone, it was
an
inexpensive piece mimicking the look of inlay; upon reflection Zoltan
realizes
that couldn't have been the case. "It just fascinated me...how it was
made.
And then I pretty much forgot about it."
Growing up in Canada (his family emigrated there from Hungary in
1957),
he studied art at school "I knew I was going to be an artist-I felt it
in my
hands and heart." When the time came for him to choose a specialty, he
turned
to jewelry. Beginning in 1972 as a goldsmith's apprentice, Zoltan calls his
first
designs "goofy." "I took four blood-red garnets and made a man's ring
that had
flames along the side. My early creations were gifts to people. I knew
the
level of design and goldsmithing was going to take time."
Working in bohemian havens like Vancouver and Laguna Beach
California
(and currently in Austin, Texas), Zoltan eventually developed his own
style, a
marriage of East meets West, though not the East/West blend of Asian and
Anglo
you might suspect. "I combine Eastern European style with Western European,
Scandinavian,
Germanic and Swiss-design aesthetics-architectural and non-organic
forms-juxtaposed with ornate ornamentation." The embellishments are
inspired by the
Byzantine and Ottoman Empire periods of his native Hungary. "It's a
combination of
the old and the new world," he says, and the fusion of styles makes for
some
strikingly unique designs.
Zoltan says he feels a connection to the people he designs for; he
thinks
of them as "Spiritual friends" and as particularly discriminating
individuals. "It has been said that artists don't follow trends, they
liberate people
from them. Our clients decide for themselves their own style and what
they'll
wear. They are confident enough to wear a strong design." Talk to Zoltan long enough and you'll hear the words strong and
strength
used often; they apply equally to the boldness of the designs as well as
to
the wearability and durability factors that are so important to his
practice.
"A strong piece is one that 50 years down the road has stood the
test of
time. We always keep that in mind," he says. So where does he get his inspiration? "From my mind," he says
matter of
factly. "It's an evolutionary process and it builds on itself. When
inspiration hits, I take the design idea and assign it categories. I
think, 'Let's make
it work...how do we make it durable, wearable, original and
beautiful.'" The
internal process has served him well and he's used it to engineer a
couple of
inventions, like his patented inlay process, an idea that yielded his
platinum hoop earrings inlaid with 22-karat gold. The execution was
tricky because
the receiving metal had to be strong enough to withstand the inlay and
yet, in
keeping with Zoltan's wearability principle, it had to be
featherweight. He
managed to bring in each earring at a comfortable 7.4 grams. He also
developed the placement of a low-positioned clamp on a bangle that
resulted in a much
"hidden clasp." Coming up with innovations like these is Zoltan's
particular
joy. "Everyday I look at the work and I enjoy it but I need to be
better. I'm
always looking to innovate and improve. I design to inspire-that is my
prime
directive-not to make money. The financial aspect follows."
This year Zoltan David will mark his years in business with a
special
25th Anniversary Limited Collection of all new designs; he's also
throwing a
Texas-sized party in Austin to celebrate. So what does he think is the
secret to
his success? "Craftmanship. That is the unspoken cornerstone to
design," he
says. " The most common feedback I get from our clients is, 'I can't
believe
how many compliments I get,'" though Zoltan David is quick to take the
focus off
himself and give the credit where it is due. "The real key to jewelry
design
is that the piece serve the wearer and makes the wearer look more
beautiful." And who can argue with that?
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