Challenging yet conservative, EK Thongprasert’s jewelry studiously follows one philosophical truth: preciousness is in the eye of the beholder. Created in collaboration with long time friend Noon Passama, Thongprasert’s work focuses on carefully crafted details and unexpected, unusual materials. The result is a re-examination of the notion of value, a study conducted outside the context of glittery and showy.

Employing the easily identifiable shapes of traditional accessories, think the British crown jewels, Thongprasert completely reworks the icons, incorporating geometric shapes and peculiar angles in oxidized brass, which is occasionally gold or copper-plated. Covered with laser-cut pony, the handmade designs recall a fine jewelry altier. But that’s where the conventional ends. Instead of culling high art for inspiration, Thongprasert looks to simple, everyday items, questioning the ordinary or banal. Combined with a background in architectural studies from his hometown of Bangkok and a degree from the renowned Antwerp Royal Academy, the designer’s distinct approach has already seduced industry leaders like Maria Luisa Paris, and his graduate collection won best menswear collection in the 2008 ITS Trieste contest, proving that discarding the rules, but not the craftsmanship is an attention-getting equation.

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