Angelina Kafka - Austria - Growing Gems Section
Angelina Kafka
Designer biography
2008 Graduate at School of Arts and Crafts, Diploma in Metalsmithing, Vienna
2008-2011 Education of Goldsmithing, Vienna
Since 2011 Working as Designer and Goldsmith, Vienna
2015 - 2019 One of the founder and owner of alja&friends, Vienna
Since 2019 One of the founder and owner of Atelier im Ersten, Vienna
Since 2026 One of the founder and owner of Vienna Ceylon Gem House, Vienna
Collection concept
Angelina Kafka's jewellery is created at the intersection of nature, material, and craftsmanship. Each collection follows its own artistic concept, yet all are united by the same vision: to create timeless one-of-a-kind pieces that celebrate the beauty and individuality of gemstones and minerals.
Unique pieces are at the heart of her work. Angelina has a deep passion for exceptional gemstones, carefully selected for their remarkable colours, character, and rarity. Through close collaborations with gem experts and her travels around the world, she continuously searches for stones with distinctive personalities. She is equally fascinated by naturally grown mineral crystals, formed over millions of years beneath the earth's surface. Their untouched beauty often requires no alteration. With delicate, understated settings, she transforms these natural treasures into wearable works of art while preserving their original character and allowing nature to remain the true protagonist.
This fascination with crystalline structures is also reflected in the Light Mineral Series. For this collection, natural crystals were reproduced as highly detailed replicas, cast in lightweight resin and finished with a metallic surface through electroforming. The result is a series of sculptural yet lightweight jewellery pieces that translate the fascinating geometry of mineral crystals into a contemporary design language. The collection explores the dialogue between nature, innovation, and experimental material techniques.
One of Angelina Kafka's signature collections is the Fan Collection, based on her self-developed Fan Cut, an original gemstone cut that has become her artistic hallmark. Unlike the traditional jewellery design process, the gemstone cut came first, while the jewellery was designed afterwards to enhance and showcase its unique geometry. The fan-shaped arrangement of facets creates an extraordinary interplay of light, movement, and depth, giving each gemstone a distinctive architectural appearance. The Fan Cut combines traditional lapidary craftsmanship with contemporary design and represents Angelina's ongoing exploration of innovation within the world of gemstones.
The Branch Collection is a tribute to the organic forms found in nature. Real branch textures are transformed into precious metal and combined with carefully selected gemstones. Organic surfaces meet the brilliance of fine sapphires, tourmalines, and diamonds, creating a harmonious balance between natural structures and refined goldsmithing. Fairly sourced Sri Lankan sapphires play a particularly important role in the collection, adding their unique colour and elegance to these sculptural pieces.
