Xenia is a charming example of contradiction. Through her love and admiration for her father Jura, one of the world's finest diamond setters, and her passion for jewellery, she cannot stop talking about what his craftsmanship and quest for beauty is all about: the art of omission.

Xenia is happy with its reception space in the Passage, for her a perfect location to continue the 'family heritage'.

Leaving out 'all the unnecessary, until only the essentials remain'. Even the photographer must be Xenia (1982), who runs the family business and will be in the Hague Passage in 2021 'JURA Fine Jewelry Boutique' opened, slowing down. Her genuine smile knows no bounds as she poses stylishly and with unique jewellery in her luxurious reception area. "People always think they have to smile in a photograph," the winner of two Silver Cameras says with a laugh himself. He too leaves out unnecessary things, "until only the essence remains".

The art of diamond setting

Next to jewellery displayed on the table is suddenly a cup of jasmine tea with a colourful pastry from Hop & Stork. And Xenia talks radiantly on about her father, an engineer and former musician, who built an international career as an innovator of diamond setting. "JURA presents The art of diamond setting! My father's vision is to achieve the highest possible of his ability. It takes a lot of dedication and discipline to master this craft to perfection. He has trained my uncle and my husband to be worthy successors."

"Building and connecting are central to everything I undertake. My father prefers to sit and work out his inventive ideas, I'm actually the one who carries it out to the rest of the world. Art and beauty connect and that is valuable. I enjoy sharing our passion with our clientele and building a bridge between my father's genius mind and the outside world. Running this boutique is my contribution to his life's work. I may be the head of our wonderful company now, but my father is still the neck and my uncle and my husband are the shoulders. Each has his own quality."

"Our boutique in the Passage seems small, but it is the cream of the crop. Our jewellery is elegant and timeless, representing world-class grandeur and quality. Getting bigger has no added value for me. We are unique. I want to intrigue our clientele with exclusive jewellery and craftsmanship. Jewellery is an excellent symbol for beautiful and intangible moments in life that you want to keep with you forever! And it doesn't matter whether you have three thousand or a hundred thousand euros to spend: opt for authenticity, quality and substance. Why spend your hard earned money on some mass product with no soul?"

"Opening a boutique in these turbulent times was exciting though... It takes courage to see through all the uncertainty and focus on the future. But I am a builder and have tremendous faith in what my father has built. And also in the consumer who has only become more discerning due to the many unpleasant circumstances. That is a positive development.

Diamond bracelet

This one only needs to discover us now! Despite corona and the war, our first year has not been bad. Last semester, we had our hands full with a project for a jewellery collector. It was a challenge in which we were allowed to incorporate all our skills. For the second time in our career, we had the honour of realising a state-of-the-art, 4ct. diamond pear pendant, set on all sides with small brilliant. As well as a generous 2ct. pinkish-brown Marquise-cut diamond ring and an 11ct., three-sided set diamond bracelet with a whopping 354 stones. An order totalling 1308 stones at 17.3ct!"

"We like nothing better than making extraordinary jewellery that is passed on with love from generation to generation. Beauty naturally lies hidden in the balance of elements, proportions and simplicity. As a craftsman, you have to respect that. True beauty is timeless and only increases as you immerse yourself in it. Anything you subsequently add to it is trending, and therefore impermanent. For this reason, we do not follow fashions and trends. We also encourage our clients to zoom in on our work. Then the true beauty emerges. Even ónder the stone is polished. Beyond appearance and material, a world of craftsmanship and extraordinary precision opens up."

Masterly The Hague

A highlight in 2021 was JURA's participation in 'Masterly The Hague', the Dutch Design Biennale that connects old masters with contemporary artists and art lovers. Curator and initiator Nicole Uniquole was quickly convinced: 'JURA's jewellery is an asset for the city and for Masterly.'

Xenia: "It clicked tremendously with Nicole. Such a nice, sweet woman! And for the first time in all the years I have been attending fairs, people came along who were interested in the story and the craftsmanship behind it. Now it was not about the price, not about the stones. It is an honour when your work is recognised for the craftsmanship. Our first participation was a great success. I am therefore extremely looking forward to presenting a new masterpiece at the royal edition of Masterly The Hague in 2023 (21 to 24 September), inspired by a painting of Anna Pauwlona, wife of King Willem II, by painter Jean Baptiste van der Hulst. To this end, we have had a very unique garnet cut, called 'Bird's Eye View'. An ode to the House of Orange."

www.jurajewelry.com