A conversation with the Jewellery Designer Benedict Haener

A conversation with the Jewellery Designer Benedict Haener

The jewellery designer who broke the traditional values of jewellery, Benedict Haener approaches adornment not as decoration, but as a radical form of expression. His work challenges the conventions of luxury and permanence through experimental materials, raw textures, and sculptural forms that exist somewhere between wearable object and contemporary art.

One of his most distinctive gestures is the use of crushed diamonds — reducing one of the world’s most prized symbols of perfection into fragmented matter that is scattered across his pieces like dust or debris. Through this act, Haener deliberately subverts the traditional value system of jewellery, transforming diamonds from status symbols into raw material.

Rather than celebrating flawless beauty, his work embraces tension, erosion, and transformation, redefining jewellery as a medium for concept, identity, and cultural commentary.

The conversation with Benedict Haener

From Goldsmith to Conceptual Artist

Q: You originally trained as a goldsmith before moving into conceptual jewellery — what pushed you to move beyond traditional craftsmanship into a more experimental artistic practice?

Benedict Haener: I’ve always been fascinated by unusual and beautiful designs. I first discovered this artistic practice during my bachelor’s degree in XS Jewelry and immediately took a liking to it. Exploring ideas beyond traditional craftsmanship felt like a natural progression and opened up new possibilities for creative expression.

Questioning Luxury and Value

Q: Your work constantly challenges ideas of luxury and value. What first inspired you to question these systems through jewellery?

Benedict Haener: Jewellery always raises the question of value because, for me, jewellery and value are inseparable. After many years of working with gold and gemstones, breaking with traditional values was a natural step for me.

Q: Many of your pieces imitate sweets, sugar, crushed paper, or everyday materials. Why are you drawn to visual illusion and deception?

Benedict Haener: I recreate everyday objects because people are familiar with them and therefore have an emotional connection to them. As a result, my work resonates with as many people as possible.

Benedict Haener on the Origins of Kill Your Darling

Q: The Kill Your Darling collection became widely recognised for transforming diamonds into something that looks playful and almost disposable. What was the starting point for that project?

Benedict Haener: Originally, I wanted to repurpose industrial diamond tools into jewellery. Due to various circumstances, I was forced to produce the diamond powder coating for the tools myself. From this necessity to create a diamond coating on my own, the pieces in the Kill Your Darling collection eventually emerged.

Q: Your ‘crashed diamonds’ pieces are especially powerful because they take one of the world’s most precious materials and deliberately damage it. What does destroying a diamond mean to you artistically?

Benedict Haener: At first, I thought it wouldn’t bother me because you lose your awe of diamonds and gold when you work with them every day. In reality, it does hurt a little to destroy the diamonds because their sparkle still captivates me.

Experimentation and Discovery

Q: In some works, the crushed diamonds become sugar-like textures or leave imprints in metal surfaces. How did you technically develop those processes?

Benedict Haener: The technique involving diamond impressions was developed by chance during the design and production of the Sugar-Free Apple Necklace.

To mimic the sugar crystals on the apple rings, I used crushed diamonds. To break up the diamonds—which are notoriously hard—I welded them between two sheets of steel and then hammered them. After opening the sheet and removing the crushed diamonds, I saw how the shapes of the diamonds had been perfectly imprinted into the steel and were sparkling at me.

At that moment, it was clear that I wanted to continue working with this discovery. I wanted to preserve that sparkle and perfect the technique required to achieve it.

Q: There’s humour in your work, but also criticism of consumer culture and luxury symbolism. How do you balance irony with serious commentary?

Benedict Haener: I actually have two different types of work. There are pieces that seem humorous at first glance but reveal their serious side upon closer inspection, and pieces that look very traditional but reveal their humorous side when viewed more carefully.

Q: Your jewellery often creates an ‘aha moment’ when viewers realise the material is not what they first assumed. How important is surprise in your creative language?

Benedict Haener: It’s very important. I like to fool people in a world where everyone thinks they know everything.

Jewellery, Art and Perception

Q: You combine precious and inexpensive-looking materials in unexpected ways. What interests you about reversing traditional hierarchies of value?

Benedict Haener: I really love expensive materials; it’s probably a form of self-therapy.

Q: Many viewers describe your work as existing somewhere between jewellery, sculpture, and conceptual art. How do you personally define your practice?

Benedict Haener: I can’t really put my finger on it myself. Maybe it’s art that you can take with you, share with others, and show to the world.

Q: Your pieces evoke childhood memories through candy-like forms and textures. Are nostalgia and sensory memory important themes in your work?

Benedict Haener: For me, it’s more about familiarity, but of course nostalgia and sensory experience play a role as well.

Process, Recognition and Future Ideas

Q: Technically, your pieces are incredibly refined despite appearing accidental or crushed. How much experimentation goes into achieving that balance?

Benedict Haener: A whole lot—I have tons of failed experiments at home. The goldsmith is still deep inside me; in the end, it always has to be perfect.

Q: Since receiving international recognition and awards, has your relationship to making work changed, or do you still approach the studio with the same curiosity and instinct?

Benedict Haener: Things have changed in the sense that I unfortunately no longer have as much time as I’d like for new developments and experimentation. I still have many projects waiting to be carried out.

Q: Looking ahead, what ideas, materials, or cultural themes are you most excited to explore next?

Benedict Haener: I still have a few ideas relating to monetary values, but I also think we should talk more about the growing number of people with too much money—and, as a result, too much power.

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