La joyera colombiana Mariana Shuk trabajando con precisión bajo una lámpara de aumento en su taller de joyería en Bogotá. Usa el collar de dos poliedros.

Mariana Shuk

The Workshop and Inspiration

Creating time and meaning
MATTER, FORM AND SOUL | ABOUT MARIANA

Inspiration and the Art of Making

I discovered immense joy in the act of making jewelry — in spending long hours at the bench, driven by an insatiable desire to learn, refine techniques, and solve every design challenge through skill and experimentation. I became completely absorbed in the process: training my hands, mastering tools, and exploring the possibilities of form.

Working in small scale captivated me. I imagined the construction of objects as if sculpting in miniature — I have always thought more as a sculptor than as a designer. My inspirations came from British sculptors such as Richard Deacon and Anish Kapoor, the industrial elegance of Bauhaus design, product designers like Robert Welch and Hans Wegner, and the poetic sensibility of artists such as Cornelia Parker, Gerhard Richter, and Doris Salcedo.

Studying at the Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork and Jewellery Department at the Royal College of Art (RCA) immersed me in the evolving European jewelry scene of the early 2000s. There, I witnessed the rise of CAD-CAM technology and the fusion between traditional craftsmanship and digital innovation. Surrounded by silversmiths and jewelers, I learned to elevate my ideas into refined pieces that met the highest standards of artistic and technical excellence.
Piezas en proceso de diseño de producto inspiradas en la geometría, el equilibrio y la forma. Broches acrílicos con patrones y simetrías que reflejan la precisión y la poesía en la joyería artesanal de Mariana Shuk.

Geometry, Balance and Form

The forms I create emerge from visual impressions — patterns in nature, architectural details, sacred geometry, and the harmony found in mirrored symmetry. These references guide my creative process, balancing geometry and poetry.

Precision is essential. I am meticulous about the proportions, lines, and weight of each piece, ensuring harmony between beauty and function. For me, a jewel must endure; it must carry meaning without ever becoming waste.
Primer plano de las manos de la joyera colombiana Mariana Shuk soldando una joya artesanal en su taller de Bogotá.

Sustainability and Conscious Craftsmanship

Sustainability is integral to my practice. I work on a small, human scale — recycling and reusing metals, sourcing responsibly, and minimizing environmental impact. Many materials come from clients who bring their old gold and silver to be transformed into new creations.

Most of the making happens in-house: soldering, stone setting, engraving, and hand-finishing. External processes such as casting and plating are outsourced to trusted local artisans.
Vista superior de la joyera colombiana Mariana Shuk trabajando en el diseño de joyas en su taller de Bogotá.

Technology and Tradition in Dialogue

Today, I combine traditional jewelry-making with contemporary technology. I prototype using CAD-CAM tools — precise instruments that allow me to visualize and refine designs quickly — but I also continue to model and finish pieces by hand. I find beauty in the traces left by machines: their texture, rhythm, and raw energy.

The dialogue between hand and machine fascinates me. I believe the machine has its own voice — a language that expands the boundaries of design through contrast, precision, and poetic imperfection.
Vista del taller y boutique de Mariana Shuk, un espacio luminoso dedicado al diseño de producto y la creación de joyería artesanal con enfoque contemporáneo.

At the Studio

In my Bogotá studio, we work with a wide range of artisanal techniques — from construction, soldering, and reticulation to hammering, stone setting, and necklace stringing. We create prototypes, transform heirloom jewelry into contemporary pieces, and carefully select high-quality Colombian emeralds and other stones — both natural and lab-grown.

Each jewel is made with the intention of lasting generations. Every piece is finished by hand and delivered with personal attention, because each client becomes part of the story that the jewel continues to tell.

"Working with calibrated stones from a trusted supplier in the United States allows me to maintain precision and consistency between collections, ensuring that each piece of jewelry—although unique—belongs to the same harmonious universe of shape, color, and proportion."

- Mariana Shuk -