Madame Butterfly comes as a chain bracelet, a necklace and a ring. There is also Madame Peacock, Astra, Chromata, Little Helios and my favorites: the Infinity, Kimata, Anemos and Eros rings. Not to mention the Geometry T and C earrings, which resemble a child’s loving attempts to draw shapes on paper.

When I met Danai Giannelli for the first time, I couldn’t tell she was a jewelry designer. Not the flamboyant type, she prefers minimalism and hidden luxury as a way of expression. She grew up in Greece, loves art, nature, bygone eras and haute aesthetic. Her pieces of art, mainly gold and silver combined with precious and semi-precious stones, are quite fragile, and follow the sun in Greece, Cyprus, Miami and Fiji.

The minimalist designs borrow from nature and turn imperfections into charming touches.Where did you learn how to design and make jewelry?

I attended a year-long course in jewelry-making techniques in Athens, taught by master jeweler Dimitris Nikolaidis, whose creations were exhibited at the Benaki Museum in 2011. He strongly influenced the way I observe things and draw inspiration from nature, even though the course was not about design. This influence triggered my creativity and I feel it has grown and matured with me. Before that, I had majored in international business and worked mostly in marketing and communications.

Do you design everything on paper or on your computer?

Most of my designs I initially draw on paper and then I create and work on the prototype in wax. They evolve and are finalized after the metal is cast and the detail is added (precious stones, texture, cords and threads, etc.). Up to now, I haven’t used a computer to design a model, so I guess I am rather traditional.

From sketch to the final item, Danai designs entirely by hand.What is the price range of your creations?

They start from €50 and go up to about €800 for fine jewelry. I mainly use sterling silver with different kinds of plating and 14-carat gold.

Which jewelry maker do you most admire?

If I were to choose one it would be Minas, mainly because of the sculpturing forms of his jewelry and also the timeless elegance of his designs. I got to know his work 20 years ago and would still wear it.

What does Made in Greece mean to you?

Something that is actually made in Greece and reflects its light.

And what is your favorite place?

Molyvos and the little street where my father grew up. Both are on Lesvos island, from where I have lots of summer memories.

A modern take on the Greek eye motif and rings from the Madame Butterfly collection.Why handmade? How big do you aim to be?

My aim is to expand internationally but through small and more exclusive shops or art galleries. In my mind, big doesn’t necessarily mean massive. The quality and personal attention I pay to every piece of work is not something I am willing to compromise.

How do you deal with imperfection?

I learned to appreciate the beauty of imperfection at a more mature stage of my life, when I realized that it is a strong part of reality. And now I really believe that it is what makes things, objects and people more interesting and more real.

Eva Papadopoulou is still inspired by myths and legends. Any piece of jewelry that the Paris-based Greek designer creates could have been worn by Hecuba, Helen, Ariadne or Olympia. All the pieces from her first collection are handcrafted in Greece, cast out of sterling silver, then plated in 24 carat gold. Only 50 copies of each piece are made. Eva Papadopoulou worked for many years in her family’s art foundry and has met with, and observed the work of, many Greek and foreign sculptors.

For your first collection you were inspired by ancient myths. How about the perfect muse of today?

She is a woman in love with timeless beauty beyond what is in fashion, the aristocratic woman, feminine and spontaneous, the woman with poise and balance.

You were fortunate enough to grow up in an artistic environment. What did it teach you?

I grew up honing my tactile and visual skills on forms that were sometimes modern and at other times strictly academic. By working in the foundry I had the good fortune to meet some acclaimed contemporary artists, both French and Greek. I heard them talk about their work, watched them create art right before my eyes, visited their workshops filled with beautiful items, often a lifetime’s worth of work. This experience shaped my aesthetics and triggered my imagination. The only thing I had to do was translate this experience into an integrated concept.

What are the similarities and differences between sculpting and jewelry making?

For some conventional jewelry designers there might be a big difference, but not for me. Pieces of jewelry are forms that are part of a series and constitute a history, much like any other object an artist might create.

You became a jewelry-designer because wanted to tell your own story. What is it about?

Initially I started to design jewelry just for myself, because I always wanted to wear something unusual and unique. I liked to imagine that I had ancient and precious pieces that had been found at an excavation site. I always admired and was jealous of the portrait of Sophia Schliemann wearing the original dazzling jewels of the treasure of Troy.

How personal can you be through your work?

I am convinced that for people to like something I make it has got to be authentic. A piece of jewelry that is the culmination of experiences is by its very nature very personal and that is what I like. I express myself through my work.

Your family comes from Skyros and Macedonia. Which are the sounds, movements and colors that you can remember?

The history and culture of my country is a source of inspiration for me; the language, music, dance. Both my parents are from places that have a rich heritage. From my father’s side I cherish the warrior sounds of the Pontos, the dances of the fearless black-clad men who make the earth tremble, the sturdy physiques of Macedonian warriors, and then the aristocratic women of the Pontos with their intricate jewelry. My mother taught me folklore art and tradition. I learned to appreciate that customs, sounds, music, folkloric ceramics and embroidery go way back in time. The blending of past and present is what appeals to me and inspires me. I would have nothing to tell if there were no past.

Why did you choose to live and work in Paris for five years?

My choice to live in France was for personal reasons. I met my husband in Paris and started a family, so I stayed. I always miss the light and the sea of my country and so I hope that one day I will return.

What’s the best compliment so far about your work? “I haven’t seen anything like this”. That was what I always wanted to hear.

Even if you haven’t heard of Tatiana Choremi, you’ve almost certainly seen her most iconic design. It’s the diamond-shaped traditional Greek eye motif, the mati, woven out of colorful threads; it became a huge hit and has since been copied by everyone. When she first created the woven design back in May 2010 for her toddler daughter to wear, she says she had no idea that it would become such a fad both in Greece and beyond.

A photographer before venturing into jewelry, Tatiana creates what she calls “pieces that have a story to tell,”pieces that combine with a card that has a story to tell, a poem that might trigger or remind them what they already know. She combines her pieces with different materials and textures, such as precious stones and simple threads. She began her adventure in the world of jewelry in 2008. Her motivation for going in this direction was not only to discover another outlet for her artistic side, but also to find the perfect way of putting together her aesthetic creativity and art together with fashion.

“Jewelry was a means of freedom, something that gave me a measure of flexibility,” Tatiana says. “I could live and work on an island if I wanted, I didn’t need to be in the city. It was a way to have a different life, a freer life.”

Since 1999 she lives on the island of Aegina, and finds creative stimulation comes easily here. As for her iconic matibracelet, there was in fact no single flash of commercial insight behind it. “I’d call it a need more than anything else. I’m inspired by everything around me, everything I see. What drove me to make these designs, at least in the case of the matibracelet, was my desire to make something for my daughter.”

Greeks, like many other Mediterranean people, believe in the protective powers of the eye amulet, so it’s often pinned onto the clothes of small children and frequently worn by adults, too. Therefore, when Tatiana wanted to create something special for her daughter (who was two at the time), her thoughts turned to the mati. “It started from an instinct of love, of protection, to take care of my daughter. I never imagined then that this design would go as far as it did, or that so many people would enjoy it.” Today, several years down the line, the mati bracelet remains her favorite piece, and she still wears it often.

Tatiana’s carefully crafted pieces can be found at specialist stores in Greece, France and Portugal, and through several online stores. As for the profile of a typical fan of her work, she doesn’t believe there is one. Every age group buys her design and, with prices starting at €30 and ranging to €500 for her larger statement pieces, her jewelry is within reach of nearly everyone.

Her website is replete with examples of her creations, and she puts her talents as a photographer to excellent use both on the site and on her Instagram feed. Necklaces, earrings and rings, as well as woven bracelets in many colors, are all on offer. Thread is the basic material for her jewelry. “I like that I have the choice of so many colors,” she says. “On the other hand, I also like to use prescious stones, such as diamonds. I love the contrast of having something as expensive as a diamond paired with something as simple as thread.”

It’s been an exciting journey for someone whose most recognizable work to date started out as a trinket for her daughter. What advice would she give someone who’s thinking of following in her footsteps? “Don’t copy others,” she advises. “It’s an amazing journey, as long as you find your own way. You can uncover pieces of your soul through this journey of creativity. To anyone thinking of doing the same thing, I’d say ‘Bon Voyage!’”

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Brand name:

Yannis Sergakis Adornments. The name of a luxury product should bear the name of the person who creates and constructs it so it acts as a guarantee to the consumer. The name was found by Efthimi Filippou and the brand identity was designed by design firm ΜNP – and awarded in 2014.

Designer:

The design and production part is both the most enjoyable and important. We don’t go in for the inspiration process because we believe that everything is the result of thought and evolution. We don’t believe in fashion in jewelry so we’re not always trying to keep up by creating a variation of what consumers have become used to. We definitely live in 2015 and try to interpret jewelry in our own way.

History:

I’ve been interested in jewelry ever since I can remember. I started my own company in 2004 and designed jewelry that I told at major outlets in Greece and abroad without putting my name to it. I can say without boasting that a lot of my jewelry was copied worldwide and I still see it different variations. I launched my own brand in 2014. Why? I guess I felt ready to tell the entire story. I framed it as I believe that my jewelry should be presented.

Brand philosophy:

A woman needs to wear our jewelry, not be worn by it. She must carry it rather than be carried by it. So, I would say I mean a sophisticated woman. The choice of Ariane Labed is a clear message. Paloma Picasso would be another.

Best sellers:

We don’t have any best sellers because our expansion happened very quickly after the launch at Le Bon Marche. We have observed that one things sells well in France, another on Tokyo and yet another in the US.

Inspiration:

Deliberation and observation.

The best souvenir I’ve brought home recently:

My favorite Comté and Gruyère cheeses from Paris.

Quote behind the label: My team and just my team. Work is done by people.

Where to find it:

• Paris: Le Bon Marche | White Bird | Montaigne Market

• London: Muki Μoo | US: YLANG23 | Bergdorf Goodman

• Portugal | Beirut | Dubai | Hong Kong: Lane Crawford

• Tokyo: Barneys, Land of Tomorrow

• Greece: Link Salonika | Mati art gallery in Santorini | Dew in Myconos and Speak Out in Hydra. We also opened our first boutique, at 5 Valaoritou in Kolonaki in Athens, designed by Aris Zampikos, hailed by French Vogue as one of the most interesting jewelry stores in Europe.

| www.yannissergakis.com

“I get inspired by the timeless beauty of Greece, the contrasts of nature gathered in a small, authentic and sunny country, everything from its ancient civilization and arts to its people of today, who just won’t give up and are becoming increasingly creative,” says Xenia Nefeli Vlahou, aged 32, who studied fashion in Italy but returned to Greece for all these reasons.

A year ago, she started her Marmarometry series, featuring highly original and tasteful geometrically designed necklaces, earrings, and rings. All are made using Greek marble harmoniously balanced with metals and silver for the creation of small works of art.

Asked about the difficulties of making jewelry with marble, Vlahou replied: “It is not a material that can be worked on easily, but the results make the effort worthwhile. The most magical thing is the resulting diversity. Even jewelry carved out of one marble slab ends up looking different. Each piece is unique.”

Her marble-based jewelry creations maintain the natural color of marble.They are sculpted using a water jet cutter, a tool capable of cutting a wide variety of materials using a high-pressure jet of water, as carving by hand is difficult. Finally, the resulting pieces are coated with a special liquid to block all surface pores and protect from soiling.

Vlahou orders her marble supplies from all over the country. Marble mining activity in Greece ranks among the most productive in the world. Large quantities of numerous different colors and qualities, stemming fromvarious marble quarries around Greece, are extracted. Most of the country’s marble mining activity is conducted in northern Greece, in the regions of Drama, Kavala, and Thasos. The marble deposits in these parts of the country are colored a white/semi-white blend and crystalline.

Marble extracted from the island Paros, whose marble was used to create many gems during antiquity, including Aphrodite of Milos and the Nike of Samothrace, is one of the country’s most renowned varieties. It is distinguished for its whiteness and transparent quality. Penteli and Dionysus, both in the northern part of Athens, rank as Greece’s most ancient marble mining locations. These sources produce a white-greyish-blue colored marble. Greece’s brightest colored marbles are extracted from the Argolida area in the Peloponnese.

Returning to Vlahou, she spends most of her time on Paros, which may have influenced her decision to start crafting marble-based jewlery. “I spent all of my childhood summers on Paros. It had been a dream of mine from when I was a young girl to be able to spend as much time as possible on the island, by the sea, at its whitewashed houses, cobblestone paths, and superb beaches,” Vlahou explained. “The place carries a calm, positive energy which you sense when you are there and miss while away,” she added.

Asked to comment on Greek style and the fashion sense of Greek women, Vlahou remarked: “Increasing attention is being paid to style and appearance. Greek designers, who are creating worthwhile things, are also responsible for this. Greek women are well-informed on fashion trends without becoming fashion victims. They know what suits them.”