Insights into my diving jewelry and jewelry workshop
The production of diving jewelry or jewelry by hand is a rather complex and often underestimated process that includes many different work steps. Each one consists of various steps that require experience and careful handling of the material, so that in the end we have a perfectly manufactured gem in front of us, which we can hand over to you, the customer, with a clear conscience. In contrast to many other producers, however, we have the possibility of being able to implement all production stages, whether silver jewelery or gold jewellery, in our own manufactory.
In the beginning, of course, there is the idea. In order to turn the idea into reality, many individual considerations are necessary in advance. What size should the new piece be? In which position, shape and material does the motif come into its own? What is necessary to make it as similar as possible to the natural template? Once these decisions have been made, the new piece is modeled in wax by hand. There are almost no limits to the design. Each model is shaped, modified and perfected until every desired detail meets our requirements. So it is possible that the development period of a certain piece lasts several weeks before we are actually satisfied with the result. Once the wax model has been optimally prepared, it is then embedded in its mold and cast in metal. Designing and casting the model are just two, albeit very important, steps on the way to the finished piece of jewellery. The cast blank initially bears little resemblance to the end result. Working out jewelry under a magnifying glass, grinding and working out tiny details with the finest cutters are further steps to the finished piece of jewelry. Only when all areas of the model have been optimally worked out does the manufacturing process come to an end. Various techniques are used to achieve the desired surface finish.
We believe that this effort is worth it, because it is important to us that you enjoy your personal piece of jewelry for as long as possible.
scuba collection - diving jewelry and diving
Diving - It all started with a diving holiday in the Maldives in 1995. I was so fascinated by the underwater world there that I had the desire to design my favorite animals as jewelry. The collection initially consisted of only a few motifs, such as dolphins, whales and some tropical fish and I called it "Little Fish" at the time. Soon the "little fish" were presented in the then still new diving magazine unterwasser (Today diving) and more and more divers quickly became aware of this special jewellery. From the beginning, the whale fluke (whale fin) was the most popular motif among our customers.
It has remained so to this day and has become a figurehead and logo in equal measure.
Since 1995 we have been working on our diving jewelery collection in our own jewelery workshop, which is constantly growing and has been known worldwide as the “scuba collection” for many years. To this day, our clientele still includes many people from our “founding days”. We are particularly pleased about this and it is the source of our daily motivation to approach our work with energy and creativity. We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you again for the loyalty of our customers!
scuba collection is a registered trademark of STEFAN WIESSMEYER - jewelry | scuba collection | diver jewellery
Philosophy of my scuba collection
In a way we are traditionalists. For example, when it comes to our principles regarding the quality of our work or the principle of everything from a single source. We have been loyal to him from the start and will remain so. From the first idea, through the draft and the first wax model, to the finished piece of jewelry, every single part of my diving jewelry collection is created in our own workshop. In accordance with our worldview, which is characterized by the appreciation of all living beings, every piece of jewelry in the scuba collection receives the attention and care it deserves.
Most of the models are true-to-detail miniatures of a living model and the implementation of the filigree details requires exclusively manual processing. This complex manufacturing process gives you the certainty that you are holding an actual one-off piece in your hands.
Jewelry materials - silver jewelry and gold jewelry
Beautiful jewelry is seldom a spontaneous purchase, and the purchase is usually preceded by lengthy considerations. Once the choice has been made, the piece of jewelery itself often has a symbolic character. Choosing a piece from our scuba collection is associated with quality and perfection. So that you can enjoy your piece of jewelry for a long time, we only use materials of the highest quality. We use 925 silver (sterling silver) as the standard alloy for the production of silver and gold jewelry. Of course, we can also make your piece of jewelery from other materials on request, such as yellow gold 585 (14 kt gold), palladium-white gold or yellow gold 750 or platinum.
We do not use 333 gold because the proportion of inferior metals in this alloy is too high. We offer our pieces with different surface structures. They are optionally available with a glossy finish or a soft matt finish.
Some parts of my diving jewelry collection get a special touch through the additional processing of gemstones. Above all, we prefer solitary diamonds, aquamarines or sapphires and only use gemstones of exceptional quality and beauty.
Diving - underwater and the sea
Even as a child, I loved to spend my free time in the water with a mask, fins and snorkel to explore this strange world. The moments under water were of course very limited despite training. Inspired by a good friend, I decided to do my first diving course in 1989 so that I could finally stay under water longer and explore everything there more extensively. I was surprised by the calm and lightness that gives you the feeling of disappearing into another world with so much to discover.
At that time it was initially the local lakes and the Mediterranean Sea that I got to know underwater. In the years that followed I also chose more remote diving destinations and found a particular liking for the dive sites in the Maldives. It was there in 1995 that the idea for our diving jewelery collection came about. Even today I like to spend some of my free time under water diving. Interestingly enough, it's also the little things here that particularly fascinate me. It still gives me great pleasure to go in search of the wonderful creatures of the sea with my camera, to photograph them and bring them to the surface. Diving is not just a wonderful hobby for me today, but also a source of my inspiration and creativity to design new models for our collection.
My wildlife conservation activities
We need the sea - the sea needs us
In 1995 I made the decision to get actively involved in nature conservation. I wanted to make my small contribution to preserving the beauty and diversity of the oceans for future generations. Possibly I never wanted to be asked the question later: "Why didn't you actually do anything at the time?"
So I went looking for a nature conservation organization that I wanted to support and spontaneously joined a small species conservation society that hardly anyone knew at the time and whose name very few could pronounce correctly right away. Yaqu Pacha eV [Jaku patscha] I liked the working methods and goals of this small organization. It is about the protection of aquatic mammal species in South America. It quickly became clear to me that volunteer work in wildlife conservation is a lengthy and difficult process, but I was on board and still am. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear what a central role the interconnected marine ecosystem plays in the conservation and protection of species. If this ecosystem gets out of balance, the basis of life for all marine life is destroyed and any form of species protection is called into question because the basis is missing. It is not too late. You too can help and make your personal contribution to the protection of nature, no matter which animal species you are enthusiastic about. It doesn't matter whether turtles, sharks, dolphins or whales make your heart beat faster. It is important that you do something, because each individual can make a contribution to preserving our earth for future generations.
It's our little world - we only have one.
It is up to us to preserve them for our children.
Your Stefan Wiessmeyer
If you are interested, take a look at the Yaqu Pacha eV website www.yaqupacha.de
