Classic Rocks

The Greek islands have been inspiring artists for centuries. When Sami Zeira visited Santorini in the early '90s with camera in hand, he was bowled over by the aesthetics he saw through his lens. He was particularly inspired by the classic

"What they did was mesmerizing," says Zeira, whose namesake line features 22k gold, diamonds, and gemstones. He began turning his classical inspiration into jewelry.

Zeira has intensive training in classical techniques of jewelry making at the Jewelry Arts Institute in New York and later with renowned Dutch-born model maker Fred de Vos. Under de Vos' tutelage, Zeira learned how to create precise geometric shapes and organic wax forms that could be cast in gold and fused with granules.

"I love a challenge," says Zeira. "For me, it means combining techniques in jewelry making with newer methods and applying them to a timeless yet contemporary design."

After honing his craft selling to private clients and galleries, the result of Zeira's labor is his first wholesale jewelry collection, which barkens back to its classically inspired roots yet looks right at home in the 21st century. His granulation becomes a modern texture.

The tone of the collection, which retails for an average of $2,000 to $4,000, fits perfectly with the self-purchaser: quality and design authenticity with individualized looks that can be augmented with later styles. Just like the Greek goldsmiths who inspired his new career, Zeira pays close attention to the details of his designs, which are painstakingly finished.

His favorite gemstones are diamonds and sapphires. "I use brilliants, but I also use many rose cuts. They have a more ancient look. I also like natural colored sapphires."

While his line features classic 22k gold, Zeira also developed his own 21k white gold. "I kept getting requests from customers for white gold. But 18k wasn't appropriate for my techniques so I had to come up with my own white gold alloy." The richness of the 21k white gold appears almost like platinum in his pieces. - Jeff Prine

ALL JEWELRY BY ZEIRA, (212) 395-9707.