With expertise in several jewellery-making and sculpting techniques honed in Germany, Australia, and Greece, SABINE ROEMER has built a career that transcends borders. Her work has been crafted for or adorned by some of the world’s most revered public figures, including Nelson Mandela, Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman.
With nearly 30 years of experience, Roemer attributes her success to a deep commitment to creating meaningful, wearable art. In an interview from London, Roemer tells Shilpa Dhamija, how jewellery has become more than ornamentation for her – a form of storytelling, blending masterful techniques with profound artistic expressions.
What drew your interest in expressing your creativity through goldsmithing and other jewellery making techniques?
As a child I did not have much exposure to jewellery making because we didn’t have any jewellers in our family. However, from an early age, I knew I wanted to pursue something creative. Growing up in a small town on the outskirts of the Black Forest in Germany, there were few opportunities to express and utilise my creativity.
At that time, fashion seemed like the most accessible creative outlet, so I began making clothes for my grandmother. However, working with fabrics didn’t feel natural to me. I even considered costume making, but it didn’t feel like the right fit.
My mother, an architect, often took me along to exhibitions and work trips, introducing me to the world of design.
Then one day as part of a school project, I enrolled in a project with a jeweller in Pforzheim, a German town known for its jewellery manufacturing. The jeweller assigned me a project to complete a piece in seven days, but I finished it within a few hours. Delighted at the result, I realised that goldsmithing was my true calling. Thereafter, I studied various courses related to jewellery making and earned several scholarships at an early age because I loved what I was doing.
Sabine Roemer’s Tale of Land and Sea ring from the latest Superwoman collection.
Of the many accolades that you have earned, which has been the most defining one for you?
The period in my career when I started to establish myself as an independent jewellery maker and artist was the most defining time for me, when I realised that I didn’t want to become a brand or jeweller who makes 10,000 pieces of the same thing in a year. Instead, even if I do 10 pieces in a year, they should mean something to the people for whom I make them, or they should mean something to me.
It was also around this time that I had the privilege of meeting and working with Nelson Mandela. He, in a way, brought me back to my real craft and showed me that I can really make a difference with it. He was very calm and kind, interested in listening to what younger people had to say.
One of the most personal pieces I created for him was a miniature sculpture of the Nguni cattle, an African breed with which he had a deep, mystical attachment. To him, this cow symbolised safety and home. I crafted a small sculpture of it in white gold, adorned with black and white diamonds, and framed it as an art piece.
Another significant creation was a bracelet inspired by Mandela’s prison number 46664, which actor Morgan Freeman later wore on the Oscars red carpet. I wanted the piece to tell Mandela’s story, so we used African gold and gemstones, including Zambian emeralds and diamonds. It was later auctioned during the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
One of my most meaningful exhibitions, displayed at Bergdorf Goodman in New York, features another piece I created inspired by my time spent with Mandela. It is a bust of his face crafted in bronze and shaped like the African continent. I sought to illustrate his long walk to freedom through the details in his facial features. Black diamonds were carefully placed around the map, marking key locations in his life, such as Robben Island, his birthplace, and the sites of his peace agreements.
Your Superwoman jewellery collection has garnered significant interest. What inspired you to design it?
I started the Superwoman collection, inspired by my own life experiences as a daily reminder of the strength and superpowers we possess as women. It all began with a sheer diamond that I got from South Africa. I knew I wanted to create something meaningful with it. Then, I came across another stone shaped like a rounded triangle, which sparked the idea for my first small collection, 10 years ago.
As I continued designing, I created a few more pieces, all of which sold out. Over time, as I collected more stones, I decided to craft a set of seven rings, carefully considering the energy profiles of each gem and how their energies interact when combined. My latest collection, a set of five rings, is showcased at Bergdorf Goodman.
You design fine and high jewellery pieces for clients from around the world. How do you think the consumption of high jewellery has evolved over time?
The distinction between fine and high jewellery is gradually blurring because now high jewellery does not have a fixed definition. It can sometimes be about a jewellery piece with a rare, exceptional gemstone or it can be about the craftsmanship involved in creating a piece that takes months to complete.
Also, the purpose of high jewellery has evolved. Today, many women purchase these pieces for themselves rather than waiting for someone else to gift them. They celebrate their own achievements through jewellery that empowers them. They seek and commission unique designs that reflect their individuality.
What’s your favourite piece of jewellery that you have designed?
My favourite pieces have been those that can be worn in multiple ways and feature beautiful natural diamonds. One was a necklace that could be worn as a necklace and a bracelet, and the other was a long earpiece made to match the trimming of a dress of my client. The piece also converted into a small ear-pin.