jewelry

Hugo Jamain is a talented jeweler, making handmade pieces in his shop out of sustainable materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Check out our blog from a few weeks ago on his brand, STYX. For this week’s blog, Hugo decided to get a little more involved in the details on the jewelry making process for a 101-tutorial guide for anyone that wants to try their hand at making their own jewelry.

Step 1: Finding the Materials

Firstly, Hugo goes through boxes of scrap metals and searches for materials that he can use, such as stainless steel and brass. He mainly uses stainless steel because it’s high-quality and is one of the strongest metals.

Stainless steel is a very common metal used to make products like sink faucets, home appliances, and furniture. For this reason, there is a lot of stainless-steel pieces that end up in the garbage as scrap metal.

Step 2: Analyzing the Materials

Once Hugo chooses the good pieces of scrap metal, he brings them back to his shop to be transformed. He first cleans each piece by hand and then analyzes the best way to move forward with each piece. He tries to maintain the true shape so that there is as little waste as possible. Since the jewelry turnout depends on the shape of the material at hand, each piece ends up unique. For example, rings are generally made with tubing and earrings are usually made with thick sheet metal.

Step 3: Designing

This is where it gets fun! Hugo sits down with his pen and paper and gets creative with some design ideas. He tries to make pieces that are bold and unique, stepping away from concepts that are too mainstream. He wants to create timeless pieces that can last a lifetime. Each piece is created to be one of a kind as he doesn’t follow any specific pattern.

Step 4: Getting to Work

Hugo uses four main tools – a hammer, saw, sander, and polisher. Once the materials are cleaned and the concepts and designs have been thought through, he gets to work in his shop. Firstly, Hugo uses an electric saw to cut the steel into the shapes he wants. Since jewelry is very small, he then uses pliers to cut the specific shape and go into more detail with the design. He will then add some texture using a hammer which creates ripples on the metal. Afterwards, Hugo uses three different types of electric sanding disks to sand down any imperfections. Lastly, he makes holes in pieces such as necklace pendants and earrings before attaching the chain or earring hooks. The last step is to polish and add a protective spray for the perfect shine!

If you’re interested in getting into the art of jewelry making, Hugo suggests starting simple and moving to more complex projects as you learn. This blog includes the steps Hugo takes to design jewelry with metals but there are many videos and tutorials out there as well to get you started! Along with metal jewelry, there are plenty of other types of jewelry you can make if you don’t have a shop or equipment!

STYX the Label.

Styx is a sustainable jewelry brand, handcrafted in the French alps in the small mountain village of Annecy. Annecy is recognized as the ‘Venice of the Alps’, known for the small cobblestone streets, winding canals, and charming French bakeries. Up-and-coming designer, Hugo Jamain, has a workshop in Annecy where he transforms materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

“Styx is a modern brand made to inspire the creatives, the explorers, and the adventurers of the world. It is for the bold, the people who push boundaries and aren’t scared to step outside of their comfort zones”

Philosophy

Hugo’s philosophy is deep rooted to his connection to nature, having always taken an interest in the preservation of the environment and ecosystems as well as the protection of the animals around him. He noticed a problem in his village and decided to create something positive from it that can also inspire people to care more about sustainability.

It all began when he noticed the amount of scrap metal and materials leftover from local businesses around the city. These materials would get loaded up in the back of a dump truck and taken to the landfill. Seeing this sparked the idea to make a second life for these materials and to create something much longer-lasting. Getting creative in his workshop, he made several prototypes before finalizing his first collection of jewelry.

With two parents that have inspired him to work with his hands in the realm of design – his mother has a background in architecture and his father is a craftsman, working for many top-level brands in France. When not in school, Hugo spent most of his childhood in a workshop by his father’s side, learning from and eventually making his own products. Watching his dad work, he grew up with the idea that everything was manufacturable or transformable.

Hugo has always taken an interest in learning and reading about ancient cultures and mythologies from around the world, taking a special interest in ancient Greece. As the Greek mythology states, ‘Styx’ is the connection of worlds, the continuation of life from one world to the other. With this in mind, the idea of transforming used materials into new jewelry is giving another life to something that would otherwise end up discarded.

Process

Hugo is happy to spend hours on end in his workshop, using his hands to craft beautiful, polished, one-of-a-kind pieces. It began as a pastime to keep busy during the times of Covid and turned into a passion that he wishes to share with the world. He uses both stainless steel and brass to create different collections of bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, cufflinks, as well as a variety of other things. He mainly uses stainless steel because it is one of the strongest metals and will not change, rust, or weather over the years.

Along with creating his jewelry brand, Hugo shapes surfboards. He buys the stock board and has all the materials to cut, shape, and design new boards. He also has a background in marketing and business, obtaining a diploma over the course of three years. An entrepreneur at heart, he has a lot of ideas for art, design, and creative endeavors.

From beginning to end, Hugo wishes to keep the entire process as sustainable and low impact as possible. For shipping, he uses biodegradable materials, such as bamboo packaging. He hopes to always keep the production process small and give as much attention to detail as possible. He wants the brand to remain artisanal, with the belief that it provides the best quality and uniqueness to each piece.

Inspiration

His travels around the world have inspired him to create collections based on the landscapes and cultures he visits. Being a surfer has connected him to the ocean and has inspired his first collection to mirror the ripples of the water. Along with this, the materials he uses are not harmful to the ocean and vice versa. He wears his pieces surfing with the knowledge that they will not rust or be affected from the saltwater.

He has begun working on collections based on different countries, including Canada! Based on his travels and friendships in Canada, he has grown to love the country and hopes to be able to move to Canada once restrictions are lifted. He observes and uses features that resemble the landscapes in his art and creations. His Canadian collection takes the vast differences of provinces and territories from prairies to mountains to forests to the ocean coast. For Saskatchewan and the prairies, he is working on belt buckles as well as a variety of other pieces. He is thrilled to be a part of Maker Faire and wants to share within this supportive and uplifting community.

To see more designs, check out the STYX Instagram page here!

101 Tutorial: Jewelry Making