Fashion Publishing Plays With the Trades

Written by Fashion Publishing | May 04, 2011.

Fashion Publishing has been taking a close look at industry publications. Here’s a peek at a short piece by Alisha Newlander (AAS Fashion Marketing) that was written with “Lapidary Journal” in mind.

Arik Kastan, an emerging jewelry designer who hails from Tel Aviv, has taken traditional rose gold to a whole new level. Beginning his career at the age of fourteen as an apprentice to a goldsmith, Kastan began learning traditional techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. The art of crafting fine jewelry sparked his passion for creating traditional pieces influenced by periods such as the Victorian era, Parisian Art Deco and traditional Arabic art. Today Kastan, who is still based in Tel Aviv, collaborates on his namesake line with Los Angeles based designer Tamar Kelman to create truly beautiful pieces of jewelry that are a modern take on a traditional aesthetic. Known for bringing a “modern edge” to “vintage rose gold”, the Arik Kastan collection mixes precious and semi-precious stones with a unique blend of 14k rose or 18k yellow gold. While rose gold is generally known for its distinct pink hue, Kastan prides himself on creating a much warmer colored metal. Kastan, along with his small team in Tel Aviv, creates every piece of jewelry by hand. Moonstones, garnets and emeralds are set in filigree etching, giving the pieces their characteristic antique feel while still looking modern. Along with the unique blend of rose gold, Kastan has also favored rough cut diamonds, especially in engagement rings again giving pieces a contemporary take on old world glamour. ”Arik’s designs are timeless and exquisite,” says Ashleigh Cohen of Nina at Fred Segal. Despite the increased attention from celebrities and the media, Kastan still hopes to create traditional pieces with a modern twist that every woman can enjoy, whether for a special occasion or as part of her everyday wardrobe, because these are pieces that are just begging to be seen. And hey, living in New York, wearing his jewelry is a way to flirt with a vintage vibe without encountering the bedbugs that inevitably seem to turn up in other types of vintage pieces these days!