The designer’s passion for jewelry-making is inspired by his birthland, his time in Hawaii and his travels around the world.
A chance encounter with Ronald Winston, the son of legendary jeweler Harry Winston, changed the professional path of Russia-born Alexander Laut. “Being acquainted with the house of Harry Winston is where my desire to create big, bold and one-of-a-kind pieces comes from,” says the designer, who currently resides in Lisbon, Portugal. Laut emigrated from his homeland to Hawaii in the early 1990s and embarked on a variety of jobs before taking Winston’s advice and dedicating himself to a full-time career in jewelry design. Informally-trained, the jeweler expresses himself outside of the realm of traditional design rules to create unconventional pieces set with extraordinary gemstones.
Which materials are you using currently?
In my recent pieces, I am focusing on rare, natural and untreated gems such as corundum. I’ve also stayed away from trendy materials, preferring traditional ones such as platinum and gold over titanium and aluminum.
What are your sources of inspiration?
I draw inspiration from my constant travels around the globe. From the glistening blue sea, for example, comes my love for exotic Paraiba tourmaline. The deep-green hues of the jungles of the Americas, meanwhile, have inspired my appreciation of emeralds and tsavorites.
Does your Russian heritage and time spent in Hawaii influence your creativity?
Being born and raised in the Soviet Union, I am greatly inspired by colorful Eurasian cultures and traditions. However, it was also a very closed and conservative society, where standing out was frowned upon. My constant pursuit for something bigger and brighter has certainly influenced my creativity and individuality. Moving to exotic Hawaii then opened up a new world, which is also reflected in my work.
Which item of jewelry do you find most challenging to design?
For a male jeweler that has never worn earrings, I find it difficult to create these pieces as the wearability differs for individual clients, in terms of both size and comfort. Another challenge I’ve faced when designing earrings is deciding whether to go for form or function.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on an exclusive piece for a special, long-time collector — a pearl and diamond necklace consisting of 27 pearls, each sized above 20 millimeters.
