Marianna Petridi
The name Marianna Petridi has been circulating through
Greece since the early 1980’s. She was and still is
a leader in the movement for Greek contemporary designers
that has only recently begun to gain the recognition it
deserves. For many years, Greek contemporary jewelry design
was unseen and had difficulty establishing it’s place
in the local Greek market. Against many odds, when most
galleries and shops in Greece were maintaining their tourist
appeal, Marianna Petridi introduced her own style of gallery
that promoted the creative works of local Greek designers
along with her own. This effort to phase in the latest ideas
in Greek jewelry design has kept her at the forefront of
her class where she remains an inspiration for the others
in her field.
Marianna graduated from the Scuola di Disegno e Contruire
di Joelle in Florence, Italy in 1982. Since then, she worked
in jewelry wholesale for 10 years, participated in exhibitions
throughout Greece, and was a member of one of the most exclusive
art organizations in Greece, AFI (pronounced “ah-fee”).
Inside her pristine shop in Kolonaki, I spoke with Marianna
regarding her personal designs and the materials used to
produce each piece. In the beginning, as most artists do,
Marianna began experimenting with silver. Her successes
eventually led her to new designs using with gold and precious
stones. She explained the importance of the quality, cut,
and shape of each stone. To ensure her refined quality,
Marianna resources her stones from countries recognized
for their high grade of stone selection, such as, Germany
and Italy. The settings and casting for each piece of jewelry
are created after she determines the best possible way to
expose the stone’s innate beauty.
Later, Marianna focused her interest on matte gold, discovering
the subtle impression it had that fell between the casual
look of everyday silver jewelry and the boldness the sparkling
gold ring. “Matte gold brought a whole new way of looking
at gold,” she explains. Besides stones and precious
metals, Marianna also uses silk, Keshii pearls, ivory, and
shells to bring her visions to life. Marianna’s own
style is best described minimal, elegant, and artistic.
You may visit Marianna personally in her gallery to view
her fine jewelry, along with the works of other talented
designers, or contact her via email or telephone for specific
orders and appointments. Her English is great, so don’t
be shy! A visit to this special shop is more than worth
your time!
