Boheme Chic colection, Marianna Marolla.
Born in Corfu, a Greek Island in Greece, Marianna Marolla, founder of Peseli Jewels, a fourth generation jeweller has followed up her grandfather and father's legacy. After gaining her gemology and diamond grading degree, with a Glyptography skill from the school of Glyptic Art in Athens and jewellery design degrees from a private school called Mokume in Athens, Greece, Marianna has launched her line and rebranded the family jewellery heritage to Peseli Jewels.
Marianna has always dreamt of creating her own lines, own brand while she was earning her degrees and working and assisting in the family jewellery shop. Her passion has grown over the time and she has eventually laid the foundation to her brand and called it Peseli jewels. Marianna gets inspired from the colourful and breathtakingly beautiful underwater creatures and fauna for her unique, one-of-a-kind and very astonishing jewels. Intact with her roots and with respect to her family legacy she has created a line based on old Corfiot designs. Marianna jewels are meticulously crafted from 18-karat gold and set with a variety of colourful stones and shimmering diamonds that cascade down and elegantly encase. Today's interview with Marianna Marolla gives insight into how it all started. Here's what she said... :-)
Jewellery designs by Marianna Marolla.
Jewellery Pursuer: Can you tell me a little about yourself and your connection with the jewellery?
Marianna Marolla: I am a fourth generation jeweler. My great-grandfather was the supplier to the emperor of Austria Franz Joseph. We have a manuscript with his signature. Since then my grandfather and then my father continued the legacy of the shop. The shop eventually is 130 years old. It has opened in 1889. We also are the Rolex representatives.
JP: How did the jewellery making and designing started?
MM: I have studied gemology and diamond grading and earned a degree in both, with the glyptographer Mr Nicolas Kielty Lambrinides in his school in Athens of Glyptic Art. I have earned a degree in jewelry design and goldsmith in a private school in Athens Greece called MOKUME. And, also a degree in Gemology and diamond grading in Carlsbad from G.I .A. I have always been involved with jewellery due to the fact that my family owns a jewelery shop.
JP: What can you say about your collection? What’s your inspiration? What motivates Marianna Morolla to continue creating her unique, one-of-a-kind jewels?
MM: It has always been a dream to create my line of jewellery. My inspiration is basically the underwater creatures and flowers. I have a line based on old corfiot designs with some alterations and with respect to our legacy.
Underwater creatures and flowers, by Marianna Marolla.
JP: What has compelled you to continue creating new jewels for decades?
MM: Peseli is my newborn baby. It’s only been 2 years since I have started my brand. I have 2 children and since I was occupied with both the shop and my family, I never had enough time to be fully dedicated in creating something new and complete. Now it’s the time for a new start.
JP: Your jewels always feature extraordinary and often rare gemstones. What comes first - the stone or the design?
MM: Depends really on my inspiration. I would say design comes first due to the fact that I am a gemologist. I love, adore vivid colour and that is why I often use colourful gems. Sometime though the gem comes first.
Aeolus collection, Colourful and rare gemstone jewels, by Marianna Marolla.
Nereid collection, by Marianna Marolla.
JP: Whose work do you most admire?
MM: I adore and respect Austy Lee for his inspired designs, Silvia Furmanovich, Arunashi, Neha Dani, Hemmerle and Cindy Chao.
JP: What can we predict for Peseli jewellery in the near future?
MM: Trying to set up my brand and make it international recognised. My dream is for my daughter to continue the family business. She draws and has an artistic point of view.
Marianna Marolla earrings.