We conducted an exclusive interview with jewelry designer Alexander Laut, whose works were chosen for “We Are Art. Who is John Goldsmith” exhibition organized by Asia’s first contemporary art Jewellery Gallery – Eurus. He spoke to GBM for the first time in Türkiye and discussed his lifelong journey from Russia to Hawaii, his path to the jewelry world, and other interests.

Mr. Alexander, first of all, welcome to Türkiye. We are honored to have you as our guest. You are a wellknown figure in the high jewelry industry, can you tell us a bit about yourself so that GBM readers can get to know you better?
I’m from Russia, born and raised in Moscow. I studied medicine and worked in music for a while. I was a manager of a rock band, and when the band moved to the U.S., it was an unexpected turn of events for me. I wasn’t prepared for such a change at all, so I expected it to be a short-term gap. I settled in Hawaii and discovered a lot of different things about myself, from tourism to running an art gallery. Then the group I was working with moved back to Russia, and I continued to live in Hawaii. I don’t really know the roots of my passion for jewelry, but I remember the moment very well: As a child, I had a microscope and loved to study the geometry of gemstones under the lens; my mother was a professional laboratory technician who used microscopes to study blood samples, and I studied stones to know their secrets, perhaps out of admiration for her.

Where and how did your journey into the jewelry industry begin?

I first created jewelry in Hawaii with Korean artisans, but I advanced to a professional level when I met Ronald Winston, the son of the famous jeweller Harry Winston. We had just opened a store in Hawaii, and Russia was an uncharted market for Harry Winston. We agreed to join forces in sales and marketing, and I started traveling to different countries around the world with a selection of fine jewelry to sell. I used to promote the products based on what the customers wanted, and sometimes I would offer my ideas on the design. Meeting jewelry lovers from all over the world made me realize that I wanted to create my own brand. Back when I was working for Harry Winston I noticed that when I offered customers several designs and among them was one I had come up with, many chose it.

Soon after, I left Harry Winston to fully focus on my own brand. In 2003, I founded Alexander Laut jewelry brand, and within 20 years, I was able to rub shoulders with the giants of the jewelry industry. Today, my signature high jewelry collection is sold at Neiman Marcus, a chain of luxury, fragrance, jewelry, and accessories department stores with more than 40 locations in the United States. I’ve been working with this store chain for over a decade, and to be honest, brands that don’t sell well don’t last long here.

I had the privilege of seeing some of your gorgeous designs at the Eurus Gallery exhibition. The first thing I noticed is that gemstones play a very important role in your designs. How do you source the gems?

Since I work with high jewelry, I prefer to use gold and high karat platinum. I’ll give you another secret: I start thinking about the design and working on it after I see the gems. It doesn’t work for me to design first and then choose the stones, because once I have a design, I’m not sure I’ll be able to find the perfect stone for the piece. Differences in color and cut between gems might cause problems in reaching the desired result.

We know that all your art pieces are created by Japanese jewelers. Is there a particular reason for this choice?

When I lived in Hawaii, the streets of Honolulu were populated by more Japanese than Americans, and I was able to establish good communication with them, but the story of working with Japanese artisans is different. For my first commission, I had to design a piece of jewelry with Burmese rubies, and I felt it would make a lot more sense to have it made in a workshop in that region than to bring the gems from Asia to the U.S. The company I bought the gems from introduced me to the best jewelry manufacture in Asia, and I’ve been working with their artisans for 20 years, and I’ve never felt like I needed to work with anyone else.
All of my jewelry pieces are unique. However, the necklace I named “Eve’s Strawberry” was crafted in an edition of 3. I can customize a piece that is similar, but I cannot promise it will be identical. Because I work with very precious and unique stones, it is impossible to replicate the color harmony and stone arrangement of the first piece on the next.

Mr. Alexander, please tell us, in which countries do you sell your jewelry outside of the US and Europe?

The only Alexander Routes store is located in Lisbon. Here you can see the unique architecture and grandeur of the historic building. However, not all of my collections are permanently located here. Again, my collections are being promoted in other countries. In such promotions, you get to have a personal interaction with customers, and to be honest, I like it better. I also showcase my creations at international jewelry fairs, such as Gem Geneva and Hong Kong. I am proud to be chosen as one of the artists by Eurus Gallery that represents and sells my art pieces.