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januka Bringing out the charm of natural stones BAND series 10th anniversary–Secret story of birth and ever-evolving design

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[januka] Bringing out the charm of natural stones [BAND series] 10th anniversary–Secret story of birth and ever-evolving design ​
Yanuka Co., Ltd. Press release: February 4, 2025 To those concerned [januka] Bringing out the charm of natural stones [BAND series] 10th anniversary–Secret story of birth and ever-evolving design The “Band” series will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025. Introducing this collection, which is the first time januka has handled natural stones in earnest and has become the brand’s signature work.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138146/2/138146-2-5ad31fc838eedb963ae93b302c772917-1024×450.jpg Opportunity for birth januka, which debuted in 2012 with ceramic jewelry, initially only used a small amount of precious metals and did not use natural stones. However, in order to expand the range of his collection, he became interested in natural stones. However, we were unable to find a fresh approach that fit the brand concept, and the project never came to fruition. Encounter with Takuma jewel carving At an exhibition held in Chelsea, New York in February 2014, We meet Koji Takuma, a carver. Immediately after returning to Japan, I visited a workshop in Kofu and witnessed the overwhelming processing technology that overturned my preconceptions about natural stone. This encounter was a major trigger for the birth of the “Band” series. Design features Challenge to a new way of fixing stones When januka took on the challenge of designing jewelry using natural stones, she focused on “Are we able to create new expressions without being bound by conventional frameworks?” Generally, natural stones are fixed with metal frames or nails, but this makes the stone too much of the center of attention and limits the design of the fastening method. What we focused on was the concept of “grooves” in woodworking technology. Applying woodworking techniques learned during his student days, the designer devised a unique fastening method that involves digging grooves directly into natural stone and fitting metal into them. In order to realize this innovative method, januka’s unique jewelry design was born through repeated trial and error with the craftsman, Mr. Takuma.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138146/2/138146-2-2c7ccba93d242283f55ad93101071d96-2525×1683.jpg Metal precisely caught in the groove dug on the side Taking advantage of the individuality of natural stone Each natural stone has its own unique properties, and the difficulty of processing varies greatly. For example, it may break easily if force is applied in a particular direction, or it may contain cracks or inclusions inside. It is necessary to process these materials carefully while keeping an eye on these characteristics. That is why the experience and skills of craftsmen are essential. In general, the method of digging grooves into natural stones tends to be avoided in the jewelry world because it risks damaging the value of the stone and may hide its beauty. However, at januka, we have reversed this idea. Utilizing the grooves as a “design” rather than a “restriction,” they created a new approach that is completely different from conventional natural stone jewelry. The “Band” series is truly januka’s style of jewelry, which removes unnecessary decorations and elevates the structure itself to beauty.
Changes in design The BAND series, which was born by combining technology and ideas, did not arrive at its current design from the beginning, and even after creating this design, it has been through trial and error until now.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138146/2/138146-2-1d733f1fba1e021e5555d28072e0ff74-2000×1000.jpg Metal shape different from current one Metal shape In the early designs, a single line cut was made on the front side of the stone (table surface). Furthermore, we also tried designing a curved line on the stone.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138146/2/138146-2-fd099676c1d4345f1ff83dd9c9c35b2e-3000×2000.jpg First collection Type of stone At the time of the first release, there were only a few types of stones: quartz, smoky quartz, and aquamarine. All use octangle cuts. Commitment and selection of stones As I started working with natural stones, my specialized knowledge deepened and my perspective on the selection of stones became more sophisticated. Currently, we have a diverse lineup including birthstones, bicolor tourmaline, Paraiba tourmaline, and rare stones with inclusions. Among them, we carefully select stones that are particularly beautiful, unique, and appealing, and carefully process them.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138146/2/138146-2-a7b23bd98d5f2e059cbc88de5a9684b5-2397×1598.jpg Evolution of design The evolution of BAND has extended not only to the stones used, but also to the shape of the arms and processing techniques. The original arm was straight, and we focused on a design that took advantage of BAND’s characteristic lines. However, they began to pursue beauty as jewelry, and by adding curves to the arms, they created a more graceful and elegant impression. Furthermore, the fit on the fingers has been improved, making it much more comfortable to wear.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138146/2/138146-2-1965f26a8048f6e84f1c5e971fc9f9d7-1000×667.jpg (Left) Old model / (Right) Current shape Previously, the bottom of tall stones were cut to make them fit better, but this process was discontinued as there were cases where the shine was impaired. Instead, we devised multiple ways to store the stone depending on its cut and shape. For example, if the tip is cut with a sharp point like a diamond, a hole is made in the arm to accommodate the culet. For stones with flat bottoms, we create grooves in the arms, and for stones with V-cuts, we cut notches in the arms. Enlarge item Not only has the design of the BAND itself been improved, but the surrounding design has also evolved. Because the BAND series is made of natural stones, there are many one-of-a-kind pieces, so I asked, “Do you have any recommendations for earrings on the other side?” ” or “What earrings would you like to wear with this necklace?” ”, etc., we sometimes receive consultations about concerns related to coordination when wearing them. It’s interesting to coordinate stones with strong individuality, but we also wanted to consider subtractive
combinations, so we released a series called “BESIDE,” which, as the name suggests, is designed specifically for cuddling.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138146/2/138146-2-109c7e763dd6cd0e4b6a27f7393632d2-1500×1000.jpg BAND BESIDE EARRING S [BESIDE EARRING] Earrings and necklaces are made with a bar of the same thickness and shape as the gold used in the line above the stone in the diamond-shaped design of the band. A simple item that brings out the main character
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138146/2/138146-2-d47d9b5a7d517b7a70314c687ac4bd33-1200×800.jpg BAND BESIDE HALF ETERNITY RING [HALF ETERNITY RING] We also created a half eternity ring with the same thickness and width so that it can be worn perfectly stacked with the ring. It is made with the maximum thickness that allows the diamond to be set, so it fits well and I think you can wear it without feeling too cramped. Regardless of whether it is layered with a band, it has become a popular item on its own.
The charm of BAND spreading through SNS The popularity of the BAND series has increased with each event, and the variety of stones we handle has expanded accordingly. As we continued to communicate primarily through SNS, we received an increasing number of people saying, “I came here because I wanted to see how it is fastened,” which became a major opportunity for BAND’s design to gain attention through SNS. . Image
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138146/2/138146-2-761b677216246f67cde11e08e7d3f7cd-3900×3900.jpg Celebrating 10 years The “Band” series, which was born by combining technology and ideas, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025. After creating this design, it took a lot of trial and error to arrive at its current form, but it will continue to be updated. As an example, I would like to make the cut of the stone itself from the raw stone and sublimate the band into a more architectural image. We would like to continue to evolve our products, so I would be happy if we could become something that people can continue to use for the next 10 to 20 years without getting tired of them.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138146/2/138146-2-1e62497d72f2fbd7c74debc8314b72c1-1800×2700.jpg januka “januka” is a jewelry brand started in 2012 by designer Jo Nakamura. The concept is to “deviate slightly from the model” without being bound by preconceptions about materials and techniques for jewelry. Company Yanuka Co., Ltd. 〒107-0062 4-23-4-1F Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo TEL: 03-6419-7704 MAIL: info@januka.jp HP:https://www.januka.jp/ Instagram: januka_jewelry Representative: Minoru Nakamura

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