Turkish jeweller Sevan Bıçakçı carves his own way through art and faith
He may not be a household name, but to the discerning few in the know, Sevan Bıçakçı’s high jewellery creations are almost priceless works of art. Take an unnamed American hip hop star, for example: he fell in love with the Turkish jeweller’s iconic octopus hand bracelet, a statement piece comprising an oversized baroque pearl as the octopus’ head and tentacles set with brown diamonds that curl around the hand. He offered an undisclosed, but undoubtedly high sum for it but was refused by Bıçakçı. He doubled the offer, only to be turned down once again.
To the designer, the hand bracelet is a piece that deserves a place in his private collection, as he will never be able to remake it due to the baroque pearl, which is unique in size and shape. This disinterest in commercial gain is certainly refreshing. Bıçakçı’s long-time creative director, Emre Dilaver, describes his working style: “He doesn’t have an understanding of what borders mean, which can make life very difficult, but I respect his boldness. His indifference makes me admire him because (I feel that) the jewellery industry does too much market research. He works by instinct.”
This natural instinct has led the award-winning jeweller to create his stunning signature micro-masterpieces, which cleverly depict worlds and universes contained within enormous gems. His studio near Istanbul’s famous Grand Bazaar puts him a stone’s throw away from the historic Hagia Sophia – the 6th century Byzantine icon that inspired Bıçakçı’s emblematic dome-shaped rings. Turkish cultural icons often serve as inspiration for Bıçakçı, who was born in Istanbul in 1978. He had humble beginnings as a school dropout, choosing instead to become an apprentice under the esteemed Armenian jeweller Hovsep Chatak, before starting his own workshop at the age of 18.
Choosing the path less taken has certainly paid off. The accomplished artisan has received the prestigious Couture Design Awards six times and could even afford to take himself out of the running to make room for younger designers. The inverse itaglio carving technique he’s revered for is a result of the experimental designer’s penchant for boundary-pushing. Unsatisfied with the “blankness” of gemstones, he decided to carve various renowned Turkish monuments into the center of the stones. He refined the technique which each piece, carving deeper and deeper. Each experiment led to new discoveries, such as “inverse layer painting”. The technique, used to depict migratory birds such as seagulls flying over the majestic buildings of Istanbul, lent unusual depth to the intaglio carvings, making the world within the precious gems even more realistic.
His biggest gamble to date is probably the carving of a breathtaking 150-carat emerald. The inclusions in the gem made the carving immensely tricky – a wrong hit of the chisel would have caused the stone to crack into smaller, less valuable pieces. Because carving essentially turns almost half of the emerald to dust, the stakes were sky-high. The tireless 43-year-old is also set to launch a collection of unique wristwatches. The timepieces, a result of over five years of intensive work, will no doubt be another jewel in Sevan Bıçakçı’s crown.
