In the mid-1990s, Munich jeweller Stefan Hemmerle, then the third generation of his family to run the house, received an unusual commission. His client, an art collector who “detested flashy gems”, admired early 19th-century Berlin iron jewellery – neoclassical cast-iron ornaments worn by Germans who donated their gold to support the war effort against Napoleon.Inspired by her preference for historic iron jewellery over traditional opulence, Stefan set a diamond in textured iron. The dark metal made the stone appear all the more brilliant while challenging one of jewellery’s longstanding assumptions: that a precious gemstone should be surrounded by equally precious materials. The ring would go on to set the family business on a new course.Today, Hemmerle is known for pairing exceptional gemstones with unconventional materials such as iron, bronze, aluminium, copper and wood. Emeralds are set against textured bronze, purple amethysts framed in violet aluminium and pink tourmalines paired with copper. Ancient Egyptian artefacts, 18th-century cameos, micromosaics and Japanese curios have also found their way into its creations.From Sep 10 to Sep 12, a selection of Hemmerle’s one-of-a-kind jewels will be presented at an appointment-only trunk show at The Singapore Edition. The showcase is held in partnership with Revival Jewels, the Singapore jewellery business founded by Brenda Kang, which specialises in historic and contemporary pieces. Kang first presented Hemmerle in Singapore in 2021.