Intrinsic by Petra Class

Artist list

Petra Class

From her atelier, she makes and imagines a melody of wearable treasures, born between her passion for gems and precious metals. Petra Class is a jewelry designer whose work merges fine art with innovative jewelry design, blending her deep European craftsmanship with the natural beauty of gemstones. Traditionally trained as a goldsmith in Germany, Class began her life's work constructing modern, crafted tableware. The artist later adopted a trajectory in jewelry and built a successful career in one-of-a-kind works of adornment.

Intrinsic explores themes such as transformation, fragility, and the interplay between nature and craftsmanship. Class composes pieces with a unique balance of organic and geometric forms and incorporates rare gemstones paired with high karat gold bezels to form compositions that evoke both antiquity and the contemporary. For Class, jewelry is not simply an adornment but an art form that holds deeper significance and invites personal interpretation.

Now, with my son and daughter-in-law working with me, I am feeling very inspired by their fresh eyes, ideas, and enthusiasm. We get to design things together and am loving it! Some of the pieces are now duets and trios instead of the one solo instrument.

Class views her jewelry-making akin to music composition, where elements like gemstones and metals harmonize or create intentional dissonance, reflecting her sensitivity to the qualities of each material. Her works are described as impressionistic, rhythmic, and full of unexpected contrasts, where raw, uncut stones meet delicate craftsmanship, offering a balance of organic elegance and refined beauty.

I feel I can, through my choice of colors and textures, communicate a certain mood, an attitude towards life that in turn will be, I hope, sensed by whoever is looking at the piece, like an improvisational jazz melody, like an abstract landscape.

Class's pieces are frequently exhibited in prestigious galleries and are sought after by collectors for their unique fusion of modern elegance and timeless artistry. Each piece of jewelry is a unique creation, capturing the depth of color, texture, and emotion that stir the soul.