ramona stelzer design

Anyone who sees the shiny, brightly coloured and artistically patterned ‘fabric panels’ that Ramona Stelzer has hung on her studio walls, can hardly believe that the raw material for her jewellery design is made of fish leather. “Every fish has its own character,” says the qualified designer. “I like to work with ray leather: The ray carries fine beads of horn on the skin, which are honed and polished to create a particularly glossy glow. These beads are then used to craft rings, earrings and even pendants in silver. For my men's collection, on the other hand, I use sturgeon leather which is a very strong and distinctive type of leather, almost like a reptile. Each piece is unique, because every fish has an individual pattern on the skin.”

For the ray to become a piece of jewellery, the fish has a long way to travel. One of Ramona Stelzer’s suppliers is located in the Bavarian Forest: Anatol Donkan, a Siberian artist, descended from the indigenous people of the Nanai. In search of his cultural roots, he began to study and perfect the traditional methods of tanning. The raw fish skin is delivered by a fish factory. With tara nuts from Peru, chestnuts and the bark of mimosa trees, he tans the leather until it has softened, and dyes it with natural colours. The scale structure is retained.

“My jewellery design professor Andrea Wippermann at the University of Wismar showed me this unique material, which I was immediately excited about. It is very elegant while also being tear-resistant and hard-wearing. You can craft bags or clothes out of it as well. However, I was especially interested in combining it with precious metals,” enthuses the trained goldsmith.
 

‘Fishing for compliments’ it says at the entrance to her show workshop in Wismar, which she shares with porcelain jewellery designer Annett Oberländer. “Here on the coast, people have a greater affinity for fish than in Swabia, where I grew up. Often tourists come to my studio looking for a unique souvenir.”

Opening hours:

April - September:

Tue – Fri: 11 am – 6 pm

Sat: 11 am – 3 pm

October – March:

Tue – Fri: 11 am – 6 pm + Sundays in Advent