Artist:    Elena Kriegner

Austrian jewelry designer Elena Kriegner decided that she wanted to be a "jewelry maker" when she was six years old and immediately began to create her first pieces. By the time she was twelve, schoolmates and neighbors were buying her irresistible necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.

She passed the entry exam to a prestigious European jewelry design school and trained there for four years, learning the craft of goldsmithing. After graduating with the rank of "Goldsmith," she went on to study for two more years, earning the prestigious degree of "Master Jewelry Maker."

Elena knew that that her work -- with its distinct style, technically challenging construction and built-in versatility -- would not find a home in most traditional jewelry businesses. So she started her own workshop in an Austrian village, creating one-of-a-kind signature pieces for private clientele. To further perfect her skills, she traveled to South Africa to work with a gemstone cutter, to Greece where she taught classes in jewelry design and finally to New York to integrate her style with fashion. What you see is the culmination of everything she has absorbed in her travels and studies.