Janni Peltonen
How do you get your inspiration?
We have reserves space creativity in our workshop, the drafting table itself arises ideas. I have collected all the information relating to design byt this table. Inspiration requires complete silence for it to flow, but it doesn't require any bigger unsual manouvers or sleepless nights.
What is the importance of materials in your design and what is characteristic to your jewellery?
The products designed by me are all typically timeless pieces. Materials used are always main part of the designs and I try to bring the best out of them without too much crack of it. Principally I design jewellery that resists time. The selection of material affects everything in jewellery design. Not all fits to every purpose. For example gold and diamond jewellert needs to shine and blink, whereas what comes to silver, it is a more complicated matter. They can have larger surfaces. The alternation of shiny and matt surface creates wonderfull interlocking views depending on where you look at them. It is important to use silver plates, instead of casting, because only that way you can create a surface that lasts and is of right colour and it will wear out nicely. As a contrast to that you can think of silver plated or chromed surface, which can hide a nasty looking or coloured surface that will show up later. A plated product is also more difficult to clean later. When a customer receives a product which is made of silver plate, he will know he has received just what he has ordered, a product made of quality materials and there are no worries later. PlatinOro jewellery is mostly made of silver, but also the demand for golden products is growing. Golden products are always made to order.
How do you see silver as a material for a Finnish woman?
As a material silver is cold, light and natural. It sits well in to the Skandinavian scenery. It fits well to rocky islands of Lapland or from a verdant forest to a beach.
How is it like to produce jewellery these days in Finland?
It is profitable to produce jewellery in Finland and the industry is also well respected. We have realised that jewellery designed by Pekka Piekäinen are meant to be produced by a proper goldsmith, and not by machinery. These days there is a lot of talk about local food and traceability. It is also a positive thing to produce jewellery locally. There is no need to produce and import jewellery in far away countries and some stages can be forgotten. And we can also react very quickly to production needs. It is totally traceable where the jewellery has been made and who has made them. We have created a very good relationship with PlatinOro and this also creates a sense of community amongst us. When you manufacture jewellery by hand, you can always identify the handprint of the smith who has made it. Little small details vary between different smiths.
What kind of designs attracts finnish women?
Angular, simple, no nonsense designs. White gold is more popular than yellow gold. You need to see the and feel the quality and customers also respect that highly. A good sign of quality is the standard of polishing, the last touch which brings everything together. In design the basis for everything is the customer and his or her wishes. If a finished product has got some disturbing details, you know that they were too much in the design.