Doris Hangartner, you’re a Graduate Gemologist and private jeweler in Zurich, specializing in colored stones. First of all, how was this passion for gems born?
Doris Hangartner: My fascination and love for stones was sparked at a young age by a rock found in the Swiss mountains. On the outside, it looked like a plain gray rock. Cracked open, I
was mesmerized by its sparkling and shimmering insides, revealing its inner life.
In 1992, I completed my graduate gemologist degree at the GIA and have been in love with gems ever since. I opened my gem room in 2014 in the heart of picturesque Zurich. It’s from here that I help clients find their perfect gem match, work towards creating a unique piece of jewelry and integrate brilliant gem finds into personalized Gem Portfolios.
It is especially the more recently discovered colored stones which fascinate me the most. These joyful and juicy colors are such a pleasure to work with.
This interview will be published under the rubric “NFT (non fungible tokens) Gems”. Totally unexpected! Is it a first? Are you a pioneer in the gemstone space?
A new world is here. I am very excitied to have launched my first NFT gem collection called ‘Gem Personalities’ on opensea.io: https://www.dorishangartner.com/nft.
The NFT collection has been created in collaboration with photographer Leo Bieber, who brought these “new” gems to life with innovative and inspiring imagery.
How did you come up with the idea of combining gems and thevirtual world, with the market of NFT?
The first time I was inspired to explore and create Gem Personalitieswas in my gorgeous coffee table book PURELY PARAIBA.This is dedicated to my favorite gem, the aquatic and luminousParaiba Tourmaline. Continuing my wish to share the stories ofgems and their personalities, I started the creative process onhow to best honor these gems.
I feel that these new era gems should be presented in the new era of NFT’s. The possibilities in this virtual space are infinite, often just like the glow of a gem.
What correlation (or decorrelation) can you observe between the NFT market and the cryptocurrency market, or even between NFTs and the physical gem market?
Recent developments show a correlation between the NFT and the cryptocurrency market, as do our NFT’s. Yet the real gems are uncorrelated since they are physical, scarce and rare.
Tell us more about the NFT gem collection and their concept. Can we say that they are artwork?
Yes, my ‘Gem Personalities’ NFT collection can be seen as artwork. Each gemstone is captured in a very inspiring and unique way and the collection is made up of three different views on how to dive into each stone.
• Gem Personality – How do you perceive the personality of this gem?
• Gem Reflection – Detailed view of this gem, inviting you to bathe in its presence.
• Gem Dive – Detailed, zoomed in view of this gem, where you immerse yourself in its essence.
Imagine you arrive at the ocean and feel the essence of the place. When your toes almost touch the water, you can see the light reflected from the body of water and can sense the salination in the air. And then you dive in and feel the water surrounding you.
