Are you looking for a unique and engaging experience to enjoy with your clients or colleagues?
Kozminsky Studio offers a variety of engaging and interactive presentations on the history and future of jewellery. Groups of up to twenty are invited to join Kirsten and the Kozminsky team, either in-store or at your place of business, for an evening of champagne, canapés, and visually stunning stories that bring jewels to life.
Stories include:
1851: Simon Kozminsky and the Australian Dream
The years is 1851 and a young jeweller by the name of Simon Kozminsky steps off a boat in Port Melbourne, hoping to make his riches on top of what would become known as the great Victorian Gold Rush. A fun and largely fictional origin story for our store, featuring exquisite gold jewellery from the era, and all paying tribute to this great city.
Art Deco
Join a Frenchman on one curious afternoon in prohibition era New York City as he witnesses the last great cultural movement through the lens of its magnificent jewellery. Perhaps our most popular presentation – stunning jewellery set against a sensational backdrop.
All that Glitters is not Diamonds: A Celebration of the New Precious
As times change, so do tastes. And nowhere more can this be seen than in the world’s changing taste for gemstones. We explore four previously dismissed gemstones which now fetch top dollar and command a colour and clarity that often surpasses their more famous kin.
Art Nouveau
The absinth is flowing for one lucky Englishman as he takes an enchanting trip to Prague in 1906 to witness history and art colliding and forming what came to be known as Art Nouveau, a movement defined by natural curves and fantastic designs. For lovers of this most divine cultural moment, this talk is a must.
In Honour of Coloured Diamonds
For much of history, pure white diamonds were not as treasured as their colourful kin. Blues, pinks, yellows and greens, diamonds can do them all. This is a celebration of four of the most famous coloured diamonds and their always thrilling stories from the earth itself to the stuff of legend.
Isidore Kozminsky: A Fairy Tale in Gems
Join Isidore Kozminsky, one of our store’s most enigmatic, and visionary owners as he embarks on a very fictional but utterly wonderful journey into the molten core of the earth in search of its most magnificent gems and learns that such beauty can only be forged by the exertion of great pressure. One of our more conceptual talks but also our most evocative.
Mughal Jewellery: Am Empire in Honour of Stones
Step back in time to the 17th century as French Explorer, Jean-Baptise Tavernier, journeys to Mughal era India at its most magnificent, as he dines with kings, and deals in the finest gems. A delightful historical romp that features the origins of some of the most famous gems in history.
The house of Cartier, Part One: Three brother, one global empire.
Follow the three Cartier brother, Jacque; Pierre; and Louis, as they combine their respective skills in design, business, and gemmology into building the world’s first global brand defined by the very peak of sophistication. Somewhat more business focussed, this talk follows the brothers’ stunning successes alongside their exceptional designs.
The House of Cartier, Part 2: Inventing an Aesthetic
They had done it; the three Cartier brothers had laid the foundations, but the work had only just begun. A more design focussed account of the second half of their success, and featuring some of the brand’s true masterpieces, we see how Louis and Jacque’s astonishing eye for aesthetics would propel the brand to the very apex of the craft.
Diamonds: The Once and Future King of Gemstones
White diamonds may be central to jewellery, but their history is often overlooked. From indestructible marvels to the ultra-faceted diamonds we know today, they are not just singularly shiny but they tell the story of humanity itself. One of our most popular presentations, it is beloved by newcomers and enthusiasts alike.
Note: This presentation can include an optional addendum discussing the state and future of synthetic diamonds.
Emeralds: The Jewel of Kings
Go back in time to 1911 as a youthful Jacque Cartier visits India in search of the very finest emeralds and, in the process, witnesses their central role in art-deco design. Emeralds are perhaps the signature gem of Kozminsky, and this presentation reflects our deep love for the great green gem.
René Lalique and the Insects
It is 1875 and a 15-year-old René Lalique is taking a walk in the French countryside in search of inspiration from the myriad crawling insects that populate the meadow - though only young, his genius is already quite apparent. In part a tribute to the glass-master Lalique and a celebration of insects in jewellery – one of our favourites – this is one of our best.
Rubies: The Jewel in the Crown
A sort of unofficial sequel to the emeralds story, we now follow a Parisian ruby dealer as he travels to far off Burma in 1912 to source the very finest of the crimson gem so as to build some of the twentieth century’s most impressive pieces.
Suzanne Belperron: My Design is my Signature
Few designers are revered like Suzanne Belperron, an artist so confident in the distinctiveness of her design she would forego any maker’s mark. A woman of astounding elegance and character, her pieces have a distinctly feminine strength and form. A love letter to one of the greats.
Tokens of Love: Jewellery as the Expression of Affection
Love remains the greatest motivation when jewellery is given. Since the beginning of time, beautiful things have been given as an expression of that very emotion. Join us we chart the history of tokens of love all while we celebrate some of the greatest gifts in history.
Elizabeth Taylor and the House of BVLGARI
International playboy, Gianni Bulgari woos Elizabeth Taylor into his store just as her notorious affair with Richard Burton captures the world’s attention and, in the process, sells her some of their greatest pieces and launches the brand on to the world stage. It’s La Dolce Vita at Kozminsky for what is perhaps our most fun presentation.
Georg Jensen & the Danish Master
Follow Georg Jensen’s son Søren as he reflects on his father’s tumultuous career that would go from lavish silver creations to sublime forms and become what the world would come to know as Scandinavian minimalism. For fans of the brand or simply of great design, this remains one of our most popular stories.
JAR: Joel Arthur Rosenthal
Though mostly only known by jewellery aficionados, Joel Arthur Rosenthal is undoubtedly the twentieth century’s most celebrated Jewellers, whose skill and vision is without equal. Don’t be scared away, this is one of our most visually dazzling presentations and appeals to specialists and enthusiasts alike.
And, in November or December:
Miracle on Collins Street
You are invited to a very silly and largely fictional Christmas fantasy set in the Melbourne of the late 1960s at the Kozminsky of decades past. Less informative than previous talks but much for fun, it is ideal for a more festive and frivolous evening.
However, if there’s a subject you love that we haven’t covered, don’t hesitate to ask and we would be happy to build an original presentation.