2_0_DiscoverGermany_Sept2014_Issue18:Scan Magazine 1
2/9/14
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Goldsmith Nikl Individuality, art and tremendous skill Do you ever dream of an individual piece of jewellery, something that no one else has, something made just for you? Established Viennese goldsmith Nikl is the answer! With fine craftsmanship, decades of experience and a great sense for design, Nikl’s goldsmiths meet virtually any creative challenge. TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE | PHOTOS: NIKL
For goldsmith Karl Nikl it was not the 1920s that were golden but the late 1930s,
when he opened his own jewellery store and workshop in Vienna. From generation to generation, this successful business has remained in Nikl family hands and expanded in 1980 with a second store and workshop at 79 Taborstreet.
Stefan Nikl and Siegfried Baumgartner
44 | Issue 18 | September 2014
Today, Karl Nikl’s grandson Stefan Nikl runs the third generation family business. Having never planned on taking over his parents’ business, he eventually returned to his roots.“For a long time, it was not my intention to work as a goldsmith. After
graduating from high school, I studied medicine for three semesters and trained with the military for a year. It was only after that, when I was 20 years old, that I started the apprenticeship at my father’s workshop. I am grateful that my parents granted me complete freedom in my career choice,”Nikl says. After gaining his Master’s certificate as a goldsmith, Nikl continued his education and trained as a gemstone specialist. He also successfully finished his studies in business management at the Viennese University for Applied Science. Becoming a goldsmith certainly proved to be the right choice for Nikl as he adds with a smile: “To bring joy to our customers or eternalise a special moment in time through designing a piece of jewellery is our daily motivation.” The philosophy of goldsmith Nikl is to merge craftsmanship