The Enamel Master: Ilgiz Fazulzyanov

When Ilgiz Fazulzyanov exhibited 150 of his enamelled jewellery pieces at the Moscow Kremlin Museums in 2016, the Russian jeweller candidly recalls that many people told him he had reached his peak. The remarks prompted him to reflect on mountainous peaks, inspiring him to create a series of stunning rings.

 “The five peaks characterize the moments of my life: Vesuvius, when I was rising from the ashes after (my) workshop was robbed. Kilimanjaro, when I worked in the heat. Ararat, which has two tops, for when I was at a crossroads and did not know what to choose. The Himalayas represent difficulties in life as it includes one of the most difficult-to-conquer mountains. And Fujiyama, as my favourite eastern destination is Japan,” he says.

The self-taught jeweller, who studied painting and operates under the brand Ilgiz F., is a master of grand-feu enamelling and is equally at ease using enamelling on gold as any artist would be using paint on a canvas. He describes his creative process as “mostly spontaneous!”

“I am an emotional person when I see beauty, and this is the moment that is always decisive in the appearance of a new product.” He then notes that beauty, its emotional pull and inspiration, can be found anywhere: “Rain and swallows in the rain; koi carp in the lake; clouds; flowers in the morning with dew, trees at sunset; even the music and the people around me! My wife's smile, children's laughter, my garden!”