Incollect Magazine - Issue 8

68 www.incollect.com HAPPENINGS Yvel Creates Wearable Art Founded by Orna and Isaac Levy in 1986, Yvel is a luxury jewelry brand recognized worldwide for its distinctive creations featuring nature’s most treasured resources. Rare organic pearls are Yvel’s signature design motif with select natural diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and other gems featuring prominently. Incollect spoke with Isaac Levy about the rich history of the company and its future. What makes Yvel jewelry so different and distinctive? While most jewelry designers design a piece of jewelry and then look for a pearl or stone, at Yvel we first look for the pearl, our signature, or gemstone and then we fashion the jewelry around it. This is the way to give full respect to nature, by designing the entire piece of jewelry around the gem and not the other way around. What are some of the most interesting and unique gems you have acquired lately? The Purple Orchid collection features an extraordinary array of pearls, distinguished by their unique characteristics and rarity. This collection emerged from a remarkable encounter last March when we visited pearl farmers as part of an annual tradition spanning four decades. During this visit, Orna pointed out an intriguing display of unusually large, dark pink and purple pearls. The farmer explained that these pearls were indeed natural, attributing their unique coloration to the unprecedented purity of the waters during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of human activity during this period allowed the water to become exceptionally clear, resulting in pearls that exhibited a spectrum of colors from light pink to dark purple, alongside an unparalleled luster. Furthermore, the farmer revealed that these pearls had grown significantly larger than usual because they remained in the oysters for an additional four years. The pandemic's impact meant there was no one available to harvest them at the time. This extended period allowed the pearls to develop to an extraordinary size, making them some of the most exceptional pearls ever seen. Are you branching out into using new and other gems? Yvel will be launching a new collection at the upcoming Hamptons Fine Art Fair in New York, featuring pieces crafted with yellow gold and rough multicolor Paraiba. This collection will be exceptionally fine, rare, and distinguished, unlike anything seen before. To read the complete interview with Yvel founders Orna and Isaac Levy visit incollect.com/magazine. Left: Puprle Orchid: Introducing once-in-a-lifetime, unique size and color pearls from the fresh waters of the Orient. Top Center: Fantasia Brooch: A vibrant celebration of color, featuring multicolored freshwater pearls and a radiant red tourmaline, embraced by the gleam of 18K yellow gold. Bottom Center: The Yvel Design Center is home to Israel's prestigious award-winning jewelry company. Visitors from around the globe are invited to explore its enchanting grounds and witness the magic of Yvel's creations firsthand. Right: Paraiba Ocean: 18K yellow gold necklace set with a unique 188 ct. Paraiba tourmaline. Orna and Isaac Levy, Yvel founders and designers.