We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Eric van Limpt ("EVL").

Eric is designing jewellery for over 30 years now for both top jewellers and costumers in and outside the Netherlands. Next to that Eric has designed and manufactered The Chain of Arms of for the mayor of The Haarlemmermeer and The Chain of Arms for the mayor of Noordwijk. Enjoying making new designs with prescious metals and stones, Eric is continously looking for design challenges in participating and competing in jewellery contests around the world. The challenge of creating is lived by the fullest. Eric loves to make poetry, play golf and travel the world.

Eric van Limpt Designs

We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Eric van Limpt.

Designer Interview of Eric van Limpt:

DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?

EVL : I never really thought about becoming a jewelry designer, it kind of happened as an ongoing proces with manufacturing jewelry for many years

DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?

EVL : In the design studio is a wide variety of costumers and demands, this results in very lifely working area.For nearly twentyfive years costumers work together with me

DI: What is "design" for you?

EVL : Designing for me is nothing more than translating thoughts and vision into a wearable piece of jewelry.

DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?

EVL : I do not have a particular preference in what kind of jewelry I design, whether it is a necklace, bracelet, earring, engagement or wedding rings, everything has its own challenges and for me the variation is a very welcome and pleasurable experience.

DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?

EVL : My most favorite design is a ring in yellow gold with a massive and wide body, a setting which has opened up from the side and the stone held with claws. The side of the ring is completely set with one line of pave set diamonds. This line of stones is continuing on top of the ring.

DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?

EVL : The very first item was a ring I designed some thirty years ago for a jewelry company in the Netherlands, simple, tight lines, only one small brilliant cut diamond. Set in yellow gold.

DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?

EVL : My favorite material is platina and 18 carat palladium whit gold, love working these white materials with their distinguished color and reflection.

DI: When do you feel the most creative?

EVL : I do feel the most creative in the evening and night when the phones are out and the mail has stopped, this is the time where time doesn’t matter.

DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?

EVL : During my designing I focus most on proportions and how the stones are set in the jewelry.

DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?

EVL : The emotions I feel when designing is a complete lack of time, it’s an amazing experience to find yourself in a state where every line seems to appear effortless. To be able to draw and think lines and vision is a joyful time which doesn’t deserve the name “work”.

DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?

EVL : The emotions I feel when I hold a finished piece of jewelry is sometimes doubtful, what will someone else think of it. Sometimes empty, because you work on it with every energy you have. But most of all, always proud.

DI: What makes a design successful?

EVL : In my point of view what makes a design successful is the feeling it causes to the people who see, notice, and judge the design. If remembered you’ve touched a string. All people will see your design by their own eyes and judge by their standard. This makes drawing and designing a very open and exposed field of business which I love very much.

DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?

EVL : When judging a design, I consider proportions the most valued aspect, jewelry wise, is the centerpiece clearly visible and is your eye not distracted. When the design lines amplify one another, and you are attracted within seconds after you see it for the first time that’s when your design succeeds.

DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?

EVL : From my point of view the responsibilities of a designer are to educate and show what you do, be transparent in what raw materials you use and use diamonds which do not involve conflicts. As a designer and Goldsmith I feel the need to do things somewhat different, per example all my white gold is not rhodinated but pure by alloy and color.

DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?

EVL : The future of design is in the hands of our children, teach them well and feed them with possibilities, I do hope they will surprise us with breathtaking new designs and until that time has come I will give my very best to challenge myself and outshine.

DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?

EVL : My last exhibition was a small one, only a few people on a good location with some wine and finger food, so there is plenty of time to answer questions or explain how my designs are meant and how the jewelry is manufactured. My next exhibition will be towards the end of the year and is accompanied by music on a welcoming location, it is an annual festivity, of which we are right now in the middle of the organizing process.

DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?

EVL : My design inspiration first comes from the stones, how they are cut, the fire in the stone. My interest and therefor creativity probably comes with constructions and elements of structures because of my long last education in engineering.

DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?

EVL : I don’t know if my style has a description and if so maybe someone else can tell you better than i can. I never thought about creating my own Eric style, it just is the way it is and probably evolves over the years as it will in the future. My approach to designing is to stay with myself, as life is, and enjoy and work. Our motto is: Do it yourselves and live

DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?

EVL : I live in the Netherlands and yes feeling the cultural heritage of my country affects my designing. The Netherlands a beautiful low-lying piece of flat land, having a special bond with water as everyone will know. The waterways, lakes and land won by the water gives us a special environment, we live in Hoofddorp in the Haarlemmermeer which is five meter below sea-level. And for sure this influences my designs. No nonsense, effective and the centerpiece is the eye catcher, this you can see in my latest design “The Dunes” where water, air and dunes meet.

DI: How do you work with companies?

EVL : I do design mostly for individuals and only few for companies, and they ask me for a specific assignment. No long-term contracts, I love the freedom of designing and the freedom of my own company, and being as good as my latest design.

DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?

EVL : As a company you can select a designer on her’s or his portfolio which will give you a very good view on capabilities, but the most important way to select a designer is by feel, do you connect, do you speak the same language, and are you able to let the designer do his work. Confidence and trust.

DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?

EVL : My design process consists of two pieces, given the material I work with at that moment. This could be a cushion cut Emerald or a sugarleaf cut Safire or…., these stones take me away on their journey and then the second part of my process begins by inspiration and trying different kind of settings and forms.

DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?

EVL : My most favorite design items in our room are a somewhat massive wooden table I designed myself, accompanied by 6 black leathered chairs, a black fire place which gives us cozy and comforting evenings.

DI: Can you describe a day in your life?

EVL : A normal day in my life is taking breakfast with my son Justin, wave him off to school, enjoy the everyday bookkeeping ;-) and then depending on the assignments I work behind the goldsmiths table to weld, sand, finish and set diamonds in the jewelry, and when finished I get behind my screen and will design new pieces which most usual will take me to far in the evening to finish.

DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?

EVL : My pearl of wisdom is probably as simple as life it selves. Just do it, begin, enjoy the necessary mistakes and proceed.

DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?

EVL : Beginning with the negatives of being a designer which is the most positive at the same time: As a designer, your mind is not to steer and therefor never stops. My perspective on designing is that it is the most wonderful job in the world, thinking, creating and showing a part of yourself is marvelous to do.

DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?

EVL : My golden rule in design contains several lines :make it wearable, make it fit, make it one of a kind, let it speak.

DI: What skills are most important for a designer?

EVL : The skills I value the most in a designer is to be able to make a translation. To work with emotion, natural products and expectations and translate this into a piece of jewelry which fits the wearer.

DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?

EVL : Designing jewelry is made partly by hand, and for the most part with designing in 3d, I use Matrix 3d, which gives me lots and lots of possibilities to design from scratch with an extended library of stones and cuts. Of course, I make a lot of handmade models to inform and show costumers during the design process. My sources of inspiration are -people -architecture in steel, like bridges and constructions- nature, with its flower leafs and extraordinary simplicity.

DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?

EVL : Although designing can be a very time consuming task and deadlines are of the most important, it will never influence the result. For sure I like working under time pressure and the most beautiful drawings are made with tight schedules.

DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?

EVL : To design a piece of jewelry will take me at least two weeks, and the more intriguing the stone it could take me up to a month to finish the design.

DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?

EVL : The most frequently asked question is without a doubt “can you design me a ring which I can wear all day, every day” and for sure the answer is yes, I can. To be able to design together with the costumer, understanding what she or he wants and translating this into a wearable unique piece is second nature.

DI: What was your most important job experience?

EVL : The most important job experience in the past twenty-five years has been the designing and manufacturing of a necklace with a yellow Safire with custom cut diamonds around it. It took a very good team effort with the diamond cutter, diamond setter and myself to accomplish this piece.

DI: Who are some of your clients?

EVL : My clients are people who live in anonymity, respecting that I can only tell you about them in general. My clients are looking for craftsmanship and a piece of jewelry which harmonizes with there way of life.

DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?

EVL : The assignments I really love to do is designing with rare stones, whether it is with diamond or any other gem. I experience these assignments as a challenge and knowing and understanding the singularity makes me feel happy.

DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?

EVL : The next plan for me is to organize two different shows towards the end of the year and design and realize the next piece of jewelry, this will be a ring with a complete different design. Plan is to compete with this ring in the next design competition.

DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?

EVL : The designs I make myself and in the manufacturing process there is of course the help of 3d printing and casting involved.

DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?

EVL : At this very moment, I am busy with designing a ring with a 0.66 ct. brilliant cut diamond accompanied by 40 smaller one’s, this ring will be designed with three rings next to each other.

DI: How can people contact you?

EVL : By mail: goudsmid@ericvanlimpt.nl By telephone: 0031 (0) 23 56 32 480