Travelling the World Through Jewellery: The Inspirations Behind Our Designs
Jewellery has become more than just a piece you wear to express your style or enhance your appearance. It reflects who you are, much like the clothes you wear. Each piece of jewellery you wear tells a story and your values. Whether you wear jewellery because of its sentimental value or cultural heritage, it becomes a meaningful extension of yourself. Zoaje, a handmade French jewellery brand, echoes this, and they invite you to experience their unique jewellery designs.
Story Behind the Zoaje Brand
Every brand has a story to tell, and Zoaje is no different.
This story started with a couple – Camille and Clement – who share a passion that enabled them to form this brand.
Camille’s passion for jewellery design started at a young age. Her love for crafting unique and beautiful pieces was her fuel to build her own brand. This passion encouraged her to pursue a degree in fashion and luxury management, which helped her gain experience in the fashion industry. Her degree and experience in the fashion industry provided the foundation for her to build this jewellery brand. Camille also worked in the fashion and cosmetics field, broadening her industry knowledge and allowing her to expand her artistic vision.
On the other hand, Clement’s journey circled around a different passion: arts and photography. Clement had a background in music and drawing. He found joy in various forms of artistic expression until he expanded his creativity toward branding and photography. This multifaceted artistic passion and creativity fitted very well into Camille’s vision of creating her own jewellery brand. Therefore, they form a dynamic duo that stands out in the jewellery industry.
While Camille and Clement focused differently on building their jewellery brands, they were united by a shared passion for travelling the world. Their sense of wanderlust inspired their designs and brands. Camille knew each country had a unique story, and she wanted to tap into that to create beautiful and compelling designs that reflected the heritage of each country.
The couple’s aim for creating the Zoaje brand was to enable the wearer to travel the world through their designs. It became the unique selling point of the brand.
Travelling as Design Inspiration and Material Sourcing
Driven by a sense of wanderlust, Zoaje jewellery designs are beautiful and culturally rich. Browsing through the different collections at Zoaje feels like travelling. Each piece reflects the culture that inspired it and the materials that were used to make it.
Camille and Clement enjoyed travelling because it influenced their design ideas for the brand. The collection and pieces are named after a specific country or region. The jewellery pieces are made using materials sourced from or known to be derived from the country with which they were named.
For example, Zoaje jewellery pieces use materials like white turquoise, labradorite, amazonite, moonstones, and lapis lazuli. These materials are sourced from various parts of the world. Incorporating these gemstones into their jewellery design creates inspiration for the designers. They aim to encapsulate the essence of the beauty of the gemstone while also preserving the symbolic and cultural significance of these gemstones to their country of origin. It ensures a connection with the land from where these gemstones are sourced, honouring and showcasing their beauty through their jewellery pieces.
Infusing cultural and natural elements into Zoaje's designs makes the brand one of global exploration. The wearers of the jewellery items can travel the world and gain insight into the artistry of the country.
Zoaje Featured Collections and Designs
Zoaje offers various jewellery collections and designs, such as bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and rings. Let’s look at some designs that showcase the world's beauty and the founders’ sense of wanderlust.
Jolie Parisian
The Jolie Parisian collection is for the fall/winter season. This jewellery collection features pieces that are inspired by the timeless French look. Since the founders are French and Zoaje is a French brand, the pieces are close to their hearts because they know this style and culture.
The first example is this Deauville Necklace, which uses a 14K gold-filled material from the USA and features the natural Dalmatian Jasper gemstone. The necklace design is heavily influenced by French aesthetics: timeless and elegant with a touch of sophistication. However, the gemstone is sourced from Mexico, a microcrystalline quartz with minerals for a speckled look. It is a semi-precious gemstone but not extremely rare. This gemstone is also used in a few other pieces from the collection, such as the Paris Earrings and Paris Ring.
Yin Reflection
The jewellery pieces from the Yin Reflection collection have a different cultural inspiration and offer a different aesthetic look. These designs are about calm introspection, so the designers utilised gemstones from different cultures that reflected that same philosophy.
First, there is the Nepal collection, which includes earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces. The cultural heritage and unique craftsmanship inspire the pieces the country is known for. The floral engravings on the necklace pay homage to the Asian aesthetics and the use of a central rotating tube is consistent in the series, inspired by the Nepal turning wheels. Consistent through the Nepal designs are the dotted engravings and the textured surface.
The Philippines is another country that inspired the jewellery designers. The Philippine ring features a moon, representing the vibrant culture of the country and the natural beauty of its landscapes. Meanwhile, the Philippine necklace and bracelet feature a similar design approach, as they are adorned by four-star pendants, which are part of the country’s symbol and flag. The use of sparkling zircons adds elegance and sophistication to these designs.
Other countries that inspired the Yin Reflection collection from Zoaje are Bhutan, Mongolia, Thailand, Singapore, and Cambodia. Each jewellery collection is reminiscent of the country that inspired it, honouring its beauty and cultural heritage through symbolism and precious gemstones.
