NEWS

The contemplation of the Mediterranean setting in which Majoral is placed enables its creators, Enric and Roc, to design jewellery of high artistic value, emerging through a measured process dedicated to creating pieces with an expressive capacity that extends beyond the material itself. The closeness to the sea, the temperate climate and its fertile earth make the Mediterranean coast a singular place. Spanning hundreds of kilometres from the south of Europe and north of Africa, the seashores of the Mediterranean have been, for centuries, the home of many cultures and civilisations; also of generations of artists who have found in Mediterranean landscapes, with their natural and cultural richness, a source of inspiration.

In the sphere of signature jewellery, the artistic and creative work of Majoral has led to jewellery of a markedly Mediterranean character. What do we mean though, when we speak of Mediterranean-inspired jewellery? In this article, we provide some examples that enable us to delve into the creative process of Enric and Roc Majoral, and how the influence of the Mediterranean Sea becomes jewellery.

The Costa Brava (located in the Girona province) and the Côte Vermella (which continues it going north, in the region of Occitanie) outline the popular Coastal Path, which links different coastal towns from Blanes to Colliure. The abrupt hills that rise just a few metres from the sea offer its hikers landscapes full of nature and Mediterranean essence. It was in fact on this path, with the abundant pine trees that frame this zone of the Mediterranean, where Roc found the source of inspiration of one his latest creations: Pinassa. 

The Coastal Path is full of the small and stylised pine needles. Looking at the pine leaves carefully, Roc Majoral was surprised by the lightness of the leaves and the torsions that they made when dried. The discrete beauty of this element of nature led to the Catalan jeweller emulating the elemental form of the pine needles with metal, simplifying and stylising it, using strips of squared section with rounded and shiny edges. The first piece of the collection was a necklace, which later evolved into some earrings, imagining the pine leaves from side to side of the face. The pine needles curve and twist, joined by small rings, leading to light items of jewellery, with a lot of movement, which really sparkle hanging in the air or moving in rhythm with the body. Finally, he decided that the first pieces of the collection would be made joining the quality of gold with titanium, in its natural grey, untreated, creating an elegant and discrete combination. Meticulous observation, accompanied by experimentation, enabled Roc Majoral to extract the lightness and elegance of an natural element so nearby such as pine leaves, turning them into Mediterranean jewels.

Walking along the quiet and unspoilt beaches of Formentera at any time of the year is an experience that the locals of the island never tire of repeating. Accompanied by the everyday experience of strolling calmly and relaxed the shores of the beaches of the Mediterranean island, Enric Majoral found the element that would inspire one of the most iconic collections by Majoral: Posidonia 

The Catalan artist focused his attention on the strips of posidonia, which reached the seashore, and remained stretched out on the sand. On concentrating closely on them, Enric realised that the posidonia, still wet, gave off soft Golden reflections. At that moment, he imagined the posidonia enveloping wrists and fingers, resting flexibly over the body. The idea that emerged contemplating the Mediterranean shore reached the workshop, where, playing with the metal, tightening and undulating it, it emulates the form and movement of the characteristic marine plant of Formentera. With a tinged finish, Majoral created an evocative and minimalist collection that would become iconic.

The charm of the island of Formentera is also found on the seabed. Roc Majoral’s curiosity has led him to explore and reinterpret the marine landscape using a language of his own. Submerging himself in the salty water, where the sounds are muffled and everything seems far away, he began the creative process that culminated in the appearance of the Ones collection. Contemplating the seabed, the artist noticed that close to the shore small dunes are created, tiny parallel ridges that form a fascinating underwater landscape. In these small dunes produced by the sea current, sparkle discrete points of light. The contact with the sun on the underwater Mediterranean sand inspired Roc Majoral to create jewellery that emulates the small white dunes and their reflections.