a fine jewelry collection by
CĂŠcile zu Hohenlohe
Azurite from CÊcile’s stone collection
Unique rings with extraordinary compositions of precious and semi-precious stones and other natural elements and wonders.
Many were drawn from the Hohenlohe family estate and grounds, Langenburg castle, as well as from holy places, special beaches, and personal encounters around the world. Executed meticulously in gold and silver by the Hohenlohe family’s master goldsmiths, with whom CÊcile, Princess zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg, continues the tradition. The rings seemingly float on the hand in the space between the fingers, the design embodying much of the artist’s studies in Eastern arts and philosophies, in particular a quote by the Tibetan sage Milarepa...
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“In the gap between thoughts, concept-free wisdom continuously shines forth.� - Milarepa
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CĂŠcile zu Hohenlohe
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About the Artist Cécile
zu Hohenlohe was born in Southern Germany at Langenburg castle, the ancient family seat of the princely House of Hohenlohe. Raised in what felt to her like being in the midst of a cabinet of curiosities, “Wunderkammer,” her early childhood years exposed her to antiques and art, including such nearfantasies as her great grandmother’s jewel casket, housing a dowry of rubies and diamonds gifted by the Tsar. Equally strong influences were the wondrous natural elements one constantly encounters when growing up in a spectacular countryside. Cécile, while acknowledging other influences and experiences, credits this pronounced juxtaposition of nature and art as her inspiration for her first collection, In the Space Between. Created using the vernacular of jewelry and of adornment, Cécile sculpts the rings through inspired compositions. They emerge through the filter of a childhood at Langenburg, where nature’s beauty was consistently experienced within a gilded setting.
Moving to London in her late teens to attend art school, Cécile soon after joined the workshop of the renowned British designer Tom Dixon, welding and working in metals in addition to a variety of other materials. Having then moved on to manage Dixon’s acclaimed gallery, Space, on All Saints Road, Notting Hill, her aesthetic sense and creativity profited from exposure to a multiplicity of artistic expression blossoming in London in the early Nineties. In 1995 Cécile moved to New York where she launched the art book program at TeNeues Publishing; it was during this time in New York that she also began working in an advisory capacity with contemporary designers, artisans and producers such as the renowned porcelain manufactory Nymphenburg. In 2000, Cécile relocated to Paris where she continued her design advisory. This included the restructuring and restoration of an estate in the South-West of France, further engaging her with history, art, and the natural beauty of the Dordogne region. Cécile’s life-long passion for investigating foreign cultures and philosophies, in particular those of India and the Himalayan lands, is an on-going process, which parallels her continuous explorations of the possibilities available to adorn the space in between.
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Langenburg castle
Cécile’s studio
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The Jewel Casket “The jewel casket is part of the wedding dowry of my great grandmother, Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg, granddaughter of both Tsar Alexander II and Queen Victoria. It contains three layers of trays that once held Alexandra’s ruby and diamond jewelry, including an exquisite lotusshaped tiara. The trays are lined with deep-blue velvet and silk, which hauntingly and most beautifully retains the deep, indelible impressions of the box‘s former contents. Ghost-like, the jewels appear to still occupy the treasure box. Contemplating the blue “emptiness,” I realized it wasn’t a void, but rather a fertile ground of inspiration and imagination from which my own work would emerge.” CZH
CÊcile’s great-grandmother, H.R.H. Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg, granddaughter of both Tsar Alexander II and Queen Victoria, received the jewels and their casket as part of her wedding dowry.
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Blue velvet-lined trays from the jewel casket, which retain the impressions of their original contents.
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The Lotus Ring “A fine piece of jewelry from my great grandmother’s original full parure has passed on to me – a ruby and diamond ring my father offered my mother for their engagement. Besides this ring, which is close to my heart, a large number of my great grandmother’s jewels were sold to support family members after the Russian revolution and two World Wars. Furthermore, in 1963 a ferocious fire devastated Langenburg castle and almost all the remaining jewels were lost to the flames. This history, which includes the destruction of what was perhaps the most beautiful and exuberant piece from the jewel collection - the Lotus tiara - led me to match the engagement ring to a molten piece of bronze found in the ashes after the fire - the residue of a lost artwork. Inspired by the blossoming lotus, as an eastern symbol for the awakened heart, the ruby and diamond Lotus Ring now rises from the molten bronze like an untainted lotus from the mud. As fate would have it, the Hohenlohe coat of arms shows a Phoenix rising from the flames, and our Motto reads ‘Ex flammis orior’ (‘Risen from the flames’).” CZH
The molten bronze found in the ashes after the Langenburg castle fire, of which a piece was used in the creation of the Lotus Ring
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CÊcile’s grandmother, H.R.H. Princess Margarita of Greece, wearing the Lotus Tiara, necklace, and other jewels originally housed in the aforementioned jewel casket.
CĂŠcile in the arms of her mother, H.S.H. Princess Charlotte zu HohenloheLangenburg, wearing the ruby and diamond engagement ring which CĂŠcile inherited and subsequently re-set, now transformed into the Lotus Ring, her personal keepsake.
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The Lotus Ring
Do not go to the garden of flowers! O friend! go not there; In your body is the garden of flowers. Take your seat on the thousand petals of the lotus, and there gaze on the infinite beauty. - Kabir
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The Collection
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CZH 005 Pink Tourmaline Black Tourmaline Pearl 23k gold and sterling silver Right hand
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CZH 004 Pyrite Citrine 23k gold and sterling silver Left hand
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CZH 013 Mother of Pearl Pearl Citrine 23k gold and sterling silver Left hand
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CZH 015 Ganges River Stone Citrine White Coral 23k gold and sterling silver Left hand
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CZH 014 Aquamarine Aragonite Crystal Cluster Grey Tahiti Pearl 23k gold and sterling silver Right hand
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CZH 022 Red Coral Turquoise Pearl 23k gold and sterling silver Right hand
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CZH 036 Pearl Black Lava Peridot 23k gold and sterling silver Left hand
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CZH 003 Carnelian Aquamarine Meteorite 23k gold and sterling silver Right hand
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CZH 009 Pink Tourmaline Agate 23k gold and sterling silver Left hand
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CZH 006 Pearl Lapis Lazuli Tanzanite 23k gold and sterling silver Right hand
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CZH 007 Pearl Agate Green Tourmaline 23k gold and sterling silver Left hand
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CZH 016 Rock Crystal Aquamarine Lava Stone Garnet 23k gold and sterling silver Right hand
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CZH 017 Raw Emerald Plate Pearl Citrine Red Tourmaline 23k gold and sterling silver Right hand
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CZH 018 Red Coral Tektite Aquamarine 23k gold and sterling silver Left hand
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CZH 019 Red Tourmaline Agate 23k gold and sterling silver Right hand
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CZH 020 Citrine Raw Emerald Plate Red Coral 23k gold and sterling silver Right hand
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CZH 030 Ganges River Stone Rock Crystal Rose Red Tourmaline 23k gold and sterling silver Right hand
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CZH 033 Pearl Black Tourmaline Amethyst 23k gold and sterling silver Left hand
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IN THE SP A C E B ET W EEN
Available through
MOSS BUREAU Please contact Murray Moss at info@mossbureau.com
design: Joseph Piorkowski with CĂŠcile zu Hohenlohe and Murray Moss
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