ABOUT
“When I started seeing jewellery through three-dimensional lens and I realized that the principles and processes in jewelry and architectural design are quite similar, the transition from designing buildings to designing small scale ornaments, became something unavoidable”.
THE DESIGNER
I was born in the city of Thessaloniki in north Greece and since I remember myself, my colour pencils were the extension of my fingers. I grew up dreaming of becoming an architect and so did I. In 2006, I graduated with a M.arch. from Thessaloniki School of Architecture (AUTH) and in 2009 I followed a M.sc. in Urban Planning in National Technical University of Athens. In 2012 and as a consequence of the global economical crisis that hit Greece, I shifted my focus from big scale design to small scale one and decided to enroll in the Silver & Goldsmithing School of Stemnitsa from where I graduated in 2014.
After my graduation I founded my own studio/showroom in my hometown Thessaloniki, Greece and in 2015 I won the 1st place at the "Young Designers Corner" Design Competition in Munich right after launching my first collection "The Floating Pearl". My passion for pearls started after a personal challenge to 'renovate' pearl jewellery and transform them into design pieces.
Since 2016 I live in The Netherlands where I work as an interior & jewellery designer, creating collections and custom, one-of-a kind jewellery pieces.
THE BRAND
KATERINA PIMENIDU Jewellery is a slow jewellery brand that values quality over fast and mass production processes. My designs are characterized by bold architectural lines and a lot of experimentation with different pearl types and pearl placements. Most of the pieces are handcrafted by me in my studio in The Netherlands or in collaboration - under my instructions - with a small family run workshop in my hometown Thessaloniki in Greece. The metals used for the jewellry are either recycled or Certified Fairtrade. All the pearls from my collections come either from farms that follow sustainable ways of production or from small, family run ones. More specifically, the round Tahitian pearls come from an organic farm in Tahaa island in French Polynesia, the keshis and baroques come from a small family run pearl farm in the amazing island Manihiki, in The Cook Islands and the freshwater ones fly to me directly from a family farm that has been in the pearl business for more than 20 years and they are located the city of Shanxziahu in China. I strongly believe that ethical processes and slow methods will soon become the only way we approach production, consumption and life. Only by respecting each other and by supporting the small and local we can grow a bigger future.
Education
2012 - 2014
Gold & Silversmith School, Stemnitsa, Greece
2007 - 2009
M.sc. Urban Planning, NTUA, Greece
2000 - 2006
M.arch. Scool of Architecture, AUTH, Greece
Awards
2020
2015
2014
2nd place, A Jewel Made in Greece , Athens
1st place, Young Designers' Corner, Munich
1st honor, Kosmima National Jewelry Design Competition, Thessaloniki
2013
3rd place, Kosmima National Jewelry Design Competition, Thessaloniki
Exhibitions
2021
2020
Re-inventing the pearl, Pistachios Gallery, Chicago
A Jewel Made in Greece, Zappeion Megaron, Athens
2018
2016
Meesterlijk Design & Crafts, Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam
New Territories, Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum, Athens
2016
Inhorgenta Munich, Messe Munich, Munich
2015
The Munich Show, Messe Munich, Munich
2013
The Munich Show, Messe Munich, Munich