As with most things we do on a daily basis, our choice of accessories gives people around us a sense of who and what we are. Wearing plastic jewelry or a cheap looking watch, although fun and affordable, probably doesn’t color you as successful or classy.

Similarly, wear too much bling and you may have gone to the other extreme of campiness. In order to perfectly balance your appearance, your accessories must complement your wardrobe, and always keep a kind of class and subtlety.

H.Stern jewelry lines are the perfect balance between noticeable and recognizable on the one hand and subtle and elegant on the other. In order to understand what H.Stern Jewelers stands for, here’s a short overview of the company and their ideals.

Background

H.Stern was founded in Brazil in 1945 by Hans Stern, a German Jew fleeing Nazi Germany. The company was first opened in Rio de Janeiro and is still owned by the Stern family, with the founder’s eldest son Roberto as the CEO. The name Stern means “star,” a symbol which is incorporated in a variety of their designs in one way or another. They currently have 160 stores all over the world and offer to take care of your H.Stern jewelry wherever your travel.

The Shift

The original idea of the company was to sell gems and other precious stones, as Hans Stern was fascinated with them. The jewelry these precious stones were encased in came almost as an afterthought. However, this all changed in the 1990s, when the current CEO, Roberto Stern, took over the creative department. His vision was to create intricate designs of jewelry which would be masterpieces in their own right.

Designs

As with many famous brands, the inspiration for H.Stern jewelry comes from a variety of sources. Collections such as Stars, Moonlight and Sunrise draw their inspiration from the natural world, whereas Copernicus, Ancient America and Oscar Niemeyer look up to human achievements of the past and interpret them anew.

Oscar Niemeyer

This collection was inspired by the famous Brazilian architect who spearheaded the modern architecture. The inspiration is evident in the slender, elongated curved lines which adorn both Oscar’s buildings and the pieces of jewelry they inspired.

Moonlight/Sunrise

These two collections complement each other in style and design. Large stones of pale and transparent gems of the Moonlight collection are mirrored by large stones of radiant yellow color in the Sunrise collection. Both of these collections are largely focused on the stones themselves, whereas goldsmithing takes the backseat.

Fluid Gold

This collection consists of only one item; a versatile necklace (of varying lengths) comprised of dozens of individual gold tubes which can be worn in a myriad of ways on a variety of occasions.

Materials

Every great jewelry designer has a favorite material to work with. Staying true to the company’s tradition, gems have remained the staple of the collections, as well as 18K gold. In fact, the specific kind of gold used by the company is another thing which makes H.Stern unique in the world of high-end jewelry.

Noble Gold

Known as “ouro nobre,” or noble gold, this particular gold alloy was designed and perfected by the company over a period of several years. The color of the finished product is between yellow and white gold, similar to old heirloom pieces of jewelry. The method of creating ouro nobre is a closely guarded secret, known only by company insiders.

H.Stern may not be as instantly recognizable a name as Cartier of Tiffany’s, but the quality and the design of their pieces compensates for this drawback. In fact, some people may not even consider the relative obscurity of the brand a drawback. It may be viewed as an advantage, as a kind of exclusive club of people with great taste and an eye for design.

For an opportunity to buy a vintage piece by H.Stern Jewelers, visit Leo Hamel’s jewelry store on San Diego Avenue where you’ll find the best prices on a wide selection of the top brands of vintage designer jewelry.