Turquoise Maisonneuve

TUKOA Jewellery Design

Jewellery maker

©TUKOA

A love of craft passed down

Turquoise comes from a family of artists
She developed her own casting technique
Her ability to listen to her clients' wishes is key

Turquoise Maisonneuve grew up surrounded by art and craft. Her grandfather and father are artists, one of her great-uncles was a watchmaker, running a watch and jewellery store. As a child, Turquoise spent a lot of time at the store, helping her aunt to organise the displays. At the age of 9, in a moment of boredom, she grabbed material from her father and made her first necklace. From then on, Turquoise has never stopped creating jewellery. Today, she uses tools from her uncle's workshop at her studio, connecting the past with the present. Reflecting on her work, this French craftswoman says she loves the balance of working alone in her studio while still meeting people like customers and suppliers. She loves holding a finished piece, realising that she created beauty.

Interview

©TUKOA

©TUKOA

Who influenced your work and career?: After years of working as an autodidact, I studied jewellery making at the KunstModeDesign Herbststrasse in Vienna. There, I met the renowned Austrian jewellery designer and artist Fritz Maierhofer. I learned a lot from him, which allowed me to start TUKOA in 2016.
Do you master special skills and techniques?: I developed a way to cast jewellery without using wax to create organic forms, as seen in my collections Coral Embrace or Stalagmit. As I mainly design objects which become a part of people’s bodies and celebrate essential moments in their lives, listening skills and patience are critical for success, too.
What does well made mean to you?: I want my jewellery to be sustainable and passed on from generation to generation. Hence, a great piece meets my and the clients' expectations regarding technique, precision and solidity. Aside from the jewellery piece, my work is well done when clients have had an excellent time at my studio.
What are your thoughts on AI?: No AI or robots can do what we goldsmiths do. After decades of mass consumption and globalisation, people return to the roots and search for craftsmanship, individual creations and local shops.

Turquoise Maisonneuve is a master artisan: she began her career in 2012 and she started teaching in 2018