Stone free
By Gabrielle Beran,
The favourite part of her job, says Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler, is when she sees her jewellery worn by other people. It’s the reward of her efforts to identify the traits of each stone she uses. “It’s not just a stone,” she says. “Each one needs to be cut personally.”
What sets this German-born goldsmith apart is her refusal to follow trends. “When you like something, it’s timeless,” she says. Her philosophy that her custom-made jewellery is made “by a woman, for a woman” has taken her works all over the world, and her signature double rings are identifiable wherever she and husband and business partner David Wheeler go. Her Vaka Moana-inspired jewellery was showcased in cabinets at the entrance of the Auckland Museum exhibition, and the same honour was awarded for her Egyptian-style pieces for the recent ‘Egypt: Beyond the Tomb’ exhibit.
A highlight for the couple was their first foray into Asia for the Taipei art fair, leading to an invite for Hafermalz-Wheeler to show her jewellery at Beijing’s Capital Museum.
A piece meets her standards when someone sees it and announces “This is for me,” says Hafermalz-Wheeler. “Each piece has to find an owner.”
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