Designer Natalie Dissel's wearable sculptures

If art mounted on a wall doesn’t excite you, trying wearing these rock sculptures instead. Designer Natalie Dissel, whose sculpted jewellery has won fans like Claudia Schiffer and Danni Minogue, debuts collection in India.

If art mounted on a wall doesn’t excite you, trying wearing these rock sculptures instead. International designer Natalie Dissel, with her background in sculpture, literally creates one-of-a-kind miniature sculptures that you can show off at a party. “I usually do private shows in art galleries because I come from an art background and my jewellery is very large and artistic. So it makes a good match,” Dissel explains, adding, “My design process starts with sourcing the stones, and then I decide what kind of jewellery to create. I sculpt the pieces with wax directly onto the stone, and then it’s cast in precious metal.”

Claudia Schiffer

In the city to showcase her collection at the annual charity designer bazaar Araaish, Dissel reveals that she travels the world over in search of her abstract gemstones, and usually sources them from Africa, Europe and Thailand. “To find some of the rarer stones, I actually have to go to collectors. The cost of the basic stone is always very high, add to that the cost of travel and you’ll see why my overheads are so high,” she says with a laugh.