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Handmade and light as paper: Antonio Atienza's one-of-a-kind jewelry
Jewelry designer Antonio Atienza and his line of chunky but light-as-paper creations.
If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, then so must be the sapphires, rubies, gold, silver and other precious minerals that jewelry designer Antonio “Boy” Atienza Jr. uses to create beautiful, intricate pieces for that special person in your life.
Atienza, owner of Goldenhills Jewelry and one of the country’s premiere designers, is known for one-of-a-kind pieces like his “Secret Promise” wedding ring.
On the outside it looks like a plain gold wedding band, but on the inner side are embedded a jaw-dropping 56 diamonds, equivalent to one carat and 26 points.
Atienza, who has been in the jewelry industry for almost 40 years, explains that some people don’t want others to notice the kind of jewelry they are wearing.
“May tao na ayaw niyang napapansin siya masyado pero gusto niya elegante yung suot niya. Sa sarili niya, alam niya maganda ang suot niya pero hindi ko na kailangan ipakita sa iba. Sa sarili ko, I know I'm wearing something elegant, something very expensive,” he told GMA News Online during the Wedding Expo at the SMX Mall of Asia last month.
During the fair, Atienza also launched his “Heritage Collection” of chunky but lightweight jewelry—the first of its kind anywhere, he said.
“I termed it as a heritage collection because it's an 'anthology' of lightweight jewelry. Each piece is handmade, it's antique-looking yet modern in theme. Every single one is unique. Talagang iba siya—walang kapareho kahit ano,” he said.
“Dahil handmade siya, kahit may design siya na magkahawig, yung pag-iistamp lang namin na ginagawa bukod-bukod, hindi siya magkakapareho,” he explained.
Atienza’s mind is always creating new, artistic jewelry pieces. Whether on paper or through an app on his smartphone, he is always drawing new jewelry designs.
Most of the designs in Atienza’s latest collection were inspired by spirals, flowers, leaves, and waves.
He said he is inspired by his surroundings and his experiences from his travels around the world.
Mix and match
Another unique character of Atienza’s Heritage Collection is the manner by which the jewelry pieces can be taken apart and mixed and matched.
Parts of an earring, for instance, can be detached and reattached to another pair. It’s up to the owner’s creativity to come up with designs or combinations she prefers.
The Heritage Collection, made of gold and precious gems, were created using a new technology developed by Goldenhills.
“This is all gold,” he pointed out. “Meron kaming technique to make it hard. Nagkaroon siya ng tensile strength tapos wala pa siyang matalim sa gilid. Normally makakahiwa na 'yan. Ang nipis nito, parang papel.”
Tough challenges for the local industry
Atienza, owner of Goldenhills Jewelry and one of the country’s premiere designers, is known for one-of-a-kind pieces like his “Secret Promise” wedding ring.
On the outside it looks like a plain gold wedding band, but on the inner side are embedded a jaw-dropping 56 diamonds, equivalent to one carat and 26 points.
Atienza, who has been in the jewelry industry for almost 40 years, explains that some people don’t want others to notice the kind of jewelry they are wearing.
“May tao na ayaw niyang napapansin siya masyado pero gusto niya elegante yung suot niya. Sa sarili niya, alam niya maganda ang suot niya pero hindi ko na kailangan ipakita sa iba. Sa sarili ko, I know I'm wearing something elegant, something very expensive,” he told GMA News Online during the Wedding Expo at the SMX Mall of Asia last month.
During the fair, Atienza also launched his “Heritage Collection” of chunky but lightweight jewelry—the first of its kind anywhere, he said.
“I termed it as a heritage collection because it's an 'anthology' of lightweight jewelry. Each piece is handmade, it's antique-looking yet modern in theme. Every single one is unique. Talagang iba siya—walang kapareho kahit ano,” he said.
“Dahil handmade siya, kahit may design siya na magkahawig, yung pag-iistamp lang namin na ginagawa bukod-bukod, hindi siya magkakapareho,” he explained.
Atienza’s mind is always creating new, artistic jewelry pieces. Whether on paper or through an app on his smartphone, he is always drawing new jewelry designs.
Most of the designs in Atienza’s latest collection were inspired by spirals, flowers, leaves, and waves.
He said he is inspired by his surroundings and his experiences from his travels around the world.
Mix and match
Another unique character of Atienza’s Heritage Collection is the manner by which the jewelry pieces can be taken apart and mixed and matched.
Parts of an earring, for instance, can be detached and reattached to another pair. It’s up to the owner’s creativity to come up with designs or combinations she prefers.
The Heritage Collection, made of gold and precious gems, were created using a new technology developed by Goldenhills.
“This is all gold,” he pointed out. “Meron kaming technique to make it hard. Nagkaroon siya ng tensile strength tapos wala pa siyang matalim sa gilid. Normally makakahiwa na 'yan. Ang nipis nito, parang papel.”
Tough challenges for the local industry
Each piece in Atienza's Heritage Collection is hand-made and therefore unique.
Atienza explained that he created the Heritage Collection as a way of uplifting the Philippine jewelry industry, which is facing tough economic challenges from the onslaught of cheaper jewelry from other countries.
He is saddened by the local industry's state, especially as he believes Filipino jewellers are some of the world’s best.
“Honestly we have laid off so many workers recently. Napakabigat,” he said.
“First, the price of gold is so high. Nag-skyrocket ang price ng gold. Nung magstart ako mag-business P30 per gram. It went to as high as P2,500 per gram so ang laki ng diperensiya,” he says.
“The diamond is so expensive, ang kita ng tao limited lang naman, so hindi nila kayang basta bilhin ang alahas. At ang pinagibibli pa ngayon puro gadget, cellphone, ipad, computers. So naapektuhan kami,” he added.
Atienza said China is one of the biggest competitors of the Philippine jewelry industry.
“That's why I conceptualized this [Heritage Collection]. Ito walang ganyan ang China. Hindi nila kayang gayahin kasi handmade talaga. Sa kanila ginagawa ng machine, mass production. They cannot mass-produce my designs, these pieces,” he said.
“This is a new collection, I just started it two to three months ago nung ma-conceptualize ko,” he said. “This one is totally new, walang gumagawa nito kahit saang lupalop ng mundo.”
Wedding rings
The multi-awarded Goldenhills is also one of the biggest manufacturers of wedding rings in the Philippines.
“Normally sa wedding rings ang pinakamabili pa rin ngayon yung white gold pero marami rin yung kumukuha ng mga combinations, naka two-tone,” said Atienza.
“Pana-panahon yan. There was once upon a time na yellow gold lang ang bibilhin ng tao. Tapos puro naging white gold ang gusto ng tao. Ngayon white and a combination of yellow gold with a little or a few diamonds,” he added.
However, he foresees classic wedding rings to be the top choice of couples in the years to come.
“Yung general public they still go for the classic designs na hindi kumukupas. Like this one that I'm wearing, it's a very simple band ring. Ito 100 years ago ganyan na 'yan hanggang ngayon may bumibili pa rin ng ganito,” Atienza said.
To maintain the beauty of wedding rings and other jewelry, he urged people to care for them.
“Ingatan mo, alagaan mo, sasabunin mo,” he advised. “Tapos pag may mga diamonds dapat dalhin mo sa jeweller mo to check kung gumagalaw na yung bato.”
“Dapat at least once a year you bring it to your jeweller, have it checked kung okay pa yung hold ng prongs sa bato, kung mahigpit pa siya,” he said, adding that if properly cared for, jewelry can last even for a hundred years or more.
And indeed, photographs may fade and wedding gowns cannot be worn after the wedding, but wedding rings will always be there to remind the couple that they united in marriage, for better or for worse. — BM, GMA News
He is saddened by the local industry's state, especially as he believes Filipino jewellers are some of the world’s best.
“Honestly we have laid off so many workers recently. Napakabigat,” he said.
“First, the price of gold is so high. Nag-skyrocket ang price ng gold. Nung magstart ako mag-business P30 per gram. It went to as high as P2,500 per gram so ang laki ng diperensiya,” he says.
“The diamond is so expensive, ang kita ng tao limited lang naman, so hindi nila kayang basta bilhin ang alahas. At ang pinagibibli pa ngayon puro gadget, cellphone, ipad, computers. So naapektuhan kami,” he added.
Atienza said China is one of the biggest competitors of the Philippine jewelry industry.
“That's why I conceptualized this [Heritage Collection]. Ito walang ganyan ang China. Hindi nila kayang gayahin kasi handmade talaga. Sa kanila ginagawa ng machine, mass production. They cannot mass-produce my designs, these pieces,” he said.
“This is a new collection, I just started it two to three months ago nung ma-conceptualize ko,” he said. “This one is totally new, walang gumagawa nito kahit saang lupalop ng mundo.”
Wedding rings
The multi-awarded Goldenhills is also one of the biggest manufacturers of wedding rings in the Philippines.
“Normally sa wedding rings ang pinakamabili pa rin ngayon yung white gold pero marami rin yung kumukuha ng mga combinations, naka two-tone,” said Atienza.
“Pana-panahon yan. There was once upon a time na yellow gold lang ang bibilhin ng tao. Tapos puro naging white gold ang gusto ng tao. Ngayon white and a combination of yellow gold with a little or a few diamonds,” he added.
However, he foresees classic wedding rings to be the top choice of couples in the years to come.
“Yung general public they still go for the classic designs na hindi kumukupas. Like this one that I'm wearing, it's a very simple band ring. Ito 100 years ago ganyan na 'yan hanggang ngayon may bumibili pa rin ng ganito,” Atienza said.
To maintain the beauty of wedding rings and other jewelry, he urged people to care for them.
“Ingatan mo, alagaan mo, sasabunin mo,” he advised. “Tapos pag may mga diamonds dapat dalhin mo sa jeweller mo to check kung gumagalaw na yung bato.”
“Dapat at least once a year you bring it to your jeweller, have it checked kung okay pa yung hold ng prongs sa bato, kung mahigpit pa siya,” he said, adding that if properly cared for, jewelry can last even for a hundred years or more.
And indeed, photographs may fade and wedding gowns cannot be worn after the wedding, but wedding rings will always be there to remind the couple that they united in marriage, for better or for worse. — BM, GMA News
