“I have always found the damask to be wonderful. Its unique look, the tangible differences in height. All of that excites me.”
Marcel Gorzawski and Joachim Bartz are goldsmiths with a passion. In a joint conversation, the two talked about their daily work in the ring workshop, their love of new things and, of course, Damascus steel.
Marcel Gorzawski and Joachim Bartz are goldsmiths with a passion. In a joint conversation, the two talked about their daily work in the ring workshop, their love of new things and, of course, Damascus steel.
Sitting here with the two of you in the workshop, one quickly gets a sense of how much you appreciate this place and with what passion and dedication the Damascus rings are created here. What is it about working as goldsmiths that fascinates you so much?
JB: We basically work with very simple materials. Just as nature gives them to us. Fine gold, metals, precious stones, so we always start with very simple materials.
MG: We put in everything we want and can. Every time we create special, great, individual pieces.
If you take a closer look at your rings, you will notice that Damascus steel plays a particularly important role. What is so special about it?
JB: I have always found Damascus steel to be wonderful. It has a unique look, the tangible differences in height, all that excites me.
MG: We didn’t invent damascus, we just perfected it. We use a very long tradition here. It’s exactly this fact that always makes me feel very reverent about the material.
You have already mentioned the very special grain of Damascus steel. Does that also mean that every ring looks different and what do you do differently?
MG: Yes, exactly. The grain of the Damascus steel ensures that each ring is unique and will always remain unique. You won’t find two rings that are the same, and that in particular is super nice when you’re looking for individual wedding rings.
JB: We work in a dense environment of very similar wedding ring manufacturers. We deliberately placed ourselves next to it. With a slightly different image of the couples we want to appeal to, our way of making and understanding our work.
What does this understanding do to you?
JB: I’m always surprised at how much of my personality my job plays. About how much I define myself as a person through this profession, or the other way around, I sometimes think to myself, what would be left of me without this profession. Then I realize that it is already quite important for me.
MG: You’re constantly reinventing yourself and your profession, and you’re always drawing new energy from it. It’s a very small-scale job in which you can break a lot very quickly. Nevertheless, and this is actually the special thing, I know…
JB: …that I can start all over again at any time. Getting creative in situations, thinking about something, building a tool, that’s really great fun.
Of course, that requires new ideas all the time. Where do these inspirations come from?
MG: Inspiration often comes from nature in those moments when it’s not so dynamic and changeable, but just when nature is somewhere amazingly constant and geometric.
JB: There is something superfluous about jewelry making. No one really needs jewelry, and jewelry has no real purpose. Except for the one of simply being beautiful.
There is often a lot of personal contact with couples before new wedding rings are wrapped. What does this knowledge do to you?
MG: Besides working on the workbench, it’s always a wonderful moment when rings are finished, wrapping them up, and then closing the box and sending the rings on their way.
JB: I am most satisfied when I am reminded again of who I made this ring for. That personal contact challenges and fulfills me.
Is there some sort of ritual that ends your day in the workshop?
JB: I get the most satisfaction from the moment when I finish my day at the workshop and take in again what I did that day.
“I have always found the damask to be wonderful. Its unique look, the tangible differences in height. All of that excites me.”
Marcel Gorzawski and Joachim Bartz are goldsmiths with a passion. In a joint conversation, the two talked about their daily work in the ring workshop, their love of new things and, of course, Damascus steel.
Marcel Gorzawski and Joachim Bartz are goldsmiths with a passion. In a joint conversation, the two talked about their daily work in the ring workshop, their love of new things and, of course, Damascus steel.
Sitting here with the two of you in the workshop, one quickly gets a sense of how much you appreciate this place and with what passion and dedication the Damascus rings are created here. What is it about working as goldsmiths that fascinates you so much?
JB: We basically work with very simple materials. Just as nature gives them to us. Fine gold, metals, precious stones, so we always start with very simple materials.
MG: We put in everything we want and can. Every time we create special, great, individual pieces.
If you take a closer look at your rings, you will notice that Damascus steel plays a particularly important role. What is so special about it?
JB: I have always found Damascus steel to be wonderful. It has a unique look, the tangible differences in height, all that excites me.
MG: We didn’t invent damascus, we just perfected it. We use a very long tradition here. It’s exactly this fact that always makes me feel very reverent about the material.
You have already mentioned the very special grain of Damascus steel. Does that also mean that every ring looks different and what do you do differently?
MG: Yes, exactly. The grain of the Damascus steel ensures that each ring is unique and will always remain unique. You won’t find two rings that are the same, and that in particular is super nice when you’re looking for individual wedding rings.
JB: We work in a dense environment of very similar wedding ring manufacturers. We deliberately placed ourselves next to it. With a slightly different image of the couples we want to appeal to, our way of making and understanding our work.
What does this understanding do to you?
JB: I’m always surprised at how much of my personality my job plays. About how much I define myself as a person through this profession, or the other way around, I sometimes think to myself, what would be left of me without this profession. Then I realize that it is already quite important for me.
MG: You’re constantly reinventing yourself and your profession, and you’re always drawing new energy from it. It’s a very small-scale job in which you can break a lot very quickly. Nevertheless, and this is actually the special thing, I know…
JB: …that I can start all over again at any time. Getting creative in situations, thinking about something, building a tool, that’s really great fun.
Of course, that requires new ideas all the time. Where do these inspirations come from?
MG: Inspiration often comes from nature in those moments when it’s not so dynamic and changeable, but just when nature is somewhere amazingly constant and geometric.
JB: There is something superfluous about jewelry making. No one really needs jewelry, and jewelry has no real purpose. Except for the one of simply being beautiful.
There is often a lot of personal contact with couples before new wedding rings are wrapped. What does this knowledge do to you?
MG: Besides working on the workbench, it’s always a wonderful moment when rings are finished, wrapping them up, and then closing the box and sending the rings on their way.
JB: I am most satisfied when I am reminded again of who I made this ring for. That personal contact challenges and fulfills me.
Is there some sort of ritual that ends your day in the workshop?
JB: I get the most satisfaction from the moment when I finish my day at the workshop and take in again what I did that day.
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The interview was conducted by Ruben Lorenz.