Danai’s Delightful Designs

Sandy Tsantaki | November 19th, 2015

Delicate Madame Butterfly bracelets with rhodium and gold plating.

Greece IsMade In GreeceGREEK DESIGNERSJewelry

Athenian jewelry designer Danai Giannelli talks about her major creative influences and her plans for expansion

Madame Butterfly comes as a chain bracelet, a necklace and a ring. There is also Madame Peacock, Astra, Chromata, Little Helios and my favorites: the Infinity, Kimata, Anemos and Eros rings. Not to mention the Geometry T and C earrings, which resemble a child’s loving attempts to draw shapes on paper.

When I met Danai Giannelli for the first time, I couldn’t tell she was a jewelry designer. Not the flamboyant type, she prefers minimalism and hidden luxury as a way of expression. She grew up in Greece, loves art, nature, bygone eras and haute aesthetic. Her pieces of art, mainly gold and silver combined with precious and semi-precious stones, are quite fragile, and follow the sun in Greece, Cyprus, Miami and Fiji.

The minimalist designs borrow from nature and turn imperfections into charming touches.

Where did you learn how to design and make jewelry?
I attended a year-long course in jewelry-making techniques in Athens, taught by master jeweler Dimitris Nikolaidis, whose creations were exhibited at the Benaki Museum in 2011. He strongly influenced the way I observe things and draw inspiration from nature, even though the course was not about design. This influence triggered my creativity and I feel it has grown and matured with me. Before that, I had majored in international business and worked mostly in marketing and communications.

Do you design everything on paper or on your computer?
Most of my designs I initially draw on paper and then I create and work on the prototype in wax. They evolve and are finalized after the metal is cast and the detail is added (precious stones, texture, cords and threads, etc.). Up to now, I haven’t used a computer to design a model, so I guess I am rather traditional.

From sketch to the final item, Danai designs entirely by hand.

What is the price range of your creations?
They start from €50 and go up to about €800 for fine jewelry. I mainly use sterling silver with different kinds of plating and 14-carat gold.

Which jewelry maker do you most admire?
If I were to choose one it would be Minas, mainly because of the sculpturing forms of his jewelry and also the timeless elegance of his designs. I got to know his work 20 years ago and would still wear it.

What does Made in Greece mean to you?
Something that is actually made in Greece and reflects its light.

And what is your favorite place?
Molyvos and the little street where my father grew up. Both are on Lesvos island, from where I have lots of summer memories.

A modern take on the Greek eye motif and rings from the Madame Butterfly collection.

Why handmade? How big do you aim to be?
My aim is to expand internationally but through small and more exclusive shops or art galleries. In my mind, big doesn’t necessarily mean massive. The quality and personal attention I pay to every piece of work is not something I am willing to compromise.

How do you deal with imperfection?
I learned to appreciate the beauty of imperfection at a more mature stage of my life, when I realized that it is a strong part of reality. And now I really believe that it is what makes things, objects and people more interesting and more real.