Nick Klarwill
There’s something intriguing about an artist whose personal vibe is badass rock ‘n’ roll, whose work is undeniably edgy and attention-grabbing, and whose current focus is around intricate delicate gold jewellery, Pounamu, and precious stones.
This mesmerising contrast of styles is the very essence of the evolution of Nick Von K the artist. His ever-unpredictable collection of jewellery has adorned the likes of Lady Gaga, Keith Richards, Taika Waititi, Adam Lambert, Gin Wigmore, Florence Welch – the list goes on.
Yet for all of his global success, Nick is remarkably understated about his carefully honed talent. He remains driven purely by the passion to create, transferring the kaleidoscope of images from his mind into exceptional pieces of jewellery, most of which are one-off pieces with their own unique story and inspiration.
Nick’s K Rd showroom is a treasure trove of his designs, enticingly displayed among his personal quirky collectables and curios. From taxidermy birds to octopus sculptures, it’s an eye-watering fascinating collection, offering a revealing glimpse into the Willy Wonka mind of the craftsman.
Early days
Left: This Colosseum masterpiece is set around a celestial ruby in nine carat gold
Right: This huge seven carat emerald inspired this epic piece with a golden staircase
leading to an emerald-green dance floor
This emporium of delights is a far cry from Nick’s early days designing and hand-making jewellery. While he acknowledges that he always had an artistic mind, he originally wanted to pursue life as a working artist but detoured into jewellery and unexpectedly found his niche.
Having started off working out of his bedroom as his studio when he was just 18, with a $20 soldering iron, even Nick’s early pieces showed his originality and flair. While he gradually worked his way up to a ramshackle shed out of the back of his flat, he admits those times were pretty humbling.
“I was selling at weekend markets and not making much money at all. Looking back, it was all very rudimentary but also, it’s part of the learning process.
“Everyone thought I was going nowhere when I was ‘mucking around’ with jewellery as a teenager – just getting tattoos and seemingly doing nothing with my life.”
However, Nick continued exploring jewellery making, everything from custom jewellery and fashion jewellery to ‘touristy’ jewellery.
Left: Pounamu Marquis Rose Cut Diamond Halo Ring 18 carat Gold, $3150
Right: Space Odyssey Cognac Diamond Ring, $1750
“Sometimes it was a matter of designing around something I thought might be commercial enough to sell so I could pay rent that week.”
While music, sculpture, art and writing also called to his creativity, jewellery remained Nick’s central focus.
“After a while of split focus, I decided: ‘okay, I’m never going be a rockstar or write a book, so why don’t I just focus on one thing and put all my energy, creativity, and dreams into that one thing?’ So I did.”
Turns out he made the right decision.
It was a fortuitous meeting with the highly creative Ricochet team in the late ’90s, which earned Nick a role as the brand freelance jewellery designer and producer – and a successful 10-year collaboration. This helped put him firmly on the map, while also affording the opportunity to learn about the business side of things, admittedly not his natural forte.
“As well as being part of a really amazing team of people, I also learned about numbers, costs, retail prices, events, deadlines – so much else that’s essential to a successful business. It was all extremely valuable, like doing a business degree in marketing and design, but just in the real world.”
Focus forward
Left: Candyland Cluster Ring nine carat Gold $3400
Right: Flashfire Opal Ring with Diamonds in nine carat Gold $2750
These days Nick’s own name, Nick Klarwill is frequently lost in the legacy of the Nick Von K brand he has created – named after and dedicated to his grandfather, a Baron in Austria who, as a Jew, had to flee to New Zealand when the Nazis invaded.
“He encapsulated a fabled air of old European aristocratic art and culture that has always inspired me.”
This vein of influence is threaded through Nick’s work, from soaring architectural arches and pyramids to Fleur de Lis, the Roman Colosseum, temples, and other fantastical imaginings – there’s a clear fascination and deep respect for both history and fable.
Nick’s collections have seen him travel the globe, and he’s wildly inspired by the places he visits. He’s also got an avid appreciation for clothing, with a huge wardrobe of pieces collected on his travels.
Highlights include time spent in New York, launching into international designer Nicole Miller’s American stores, as well as Iceland and Bali where he travels frequently to look at various stones and jewels.
Nick’s first foray to Bali was more than a decade ago when he set about finding local artisans who could cast their own metal, fabricate, and finish pieces. He has established a close-knit team there, who he relies on to help source beautiful stones, which in themselves are often inspiration enough for special pieces.
His Auckland studio is also home to a team of in-house jewellers and a vital part of the lifeblood of the business.
Left: A luscious 11.57-carat citrine held in by four bevelled claws and decorated with sets of kissing
swallows around the basket, set in a double-headed snake band, in solid nine carat yellow gold
Right: a 7.6 carat checkerboard cut amethyst oval held in with 8 Fleur De Lis claws
set between two golden owls, all in solid nine carat yellow gold
A quick stroll through Nick’s display cases, most laden with Game of Thrones-worthy pieces of jewellery, reveals that there’s no denying the eclectic collection speaks to a diverse array of personalities.
The devil really is in the detail though. While many of the pieces are attention-grabbing through sheer size, there’s a beguiling added dimension in the intricate details, which slowly reveal themselves on closer inspection. Think elaborate feathers, scales, and almost unimaginable concepts that somehow manage to inhabit fairy tale landscapes and mysterious universes.
In his decades of designing jewellery, Nick’s passion has never waned and it’s obvious why – his imagination clearly knows no boundaries. With collections spanning sea creatures and pirates to goddesses, mermaids, and insects, viewing the world through the lens of Nick is a journey in itself.
And in an interesting twist, these days, Nick’s newest passion is exploring the world of gold jewellery and precious stones, from which he’s creating highly refined pieces.
“It’s almost a different realm,” he muses. “It’s a bit of a creative tightrope, still infusing this maelstrom of ideas but also having an awareness that working with gold and precious stones means working with materials that are 20 times more expensive (and more) than a lot of the materials I traditionally work with.”
Custom wedding, engagement, and special occasion pieces also present him with creative opportunities he thrives on. It’s more than deciding on a stone and shape; it’s about getting to know the personalities of those he’s designing for and infusing something unique into each piece.
“It’s been a couple of years now of exploring beautiful high-quality gemstones and gold, combining these elements with my own style of creative expression. Clients reach out wanting something truly special, and as part of this, they’re sharing their own ideas and heartfelt desires. It’s actually an immense honour to translate that into a forever, bespoke, one-of-a-kind piece of unique jewellery, especially for them,” explains Nick.
Left: This ombre Pounamu piece is one of Nick’s favourites, set in a heart claw in nine carat yellow gold, $2000
Right: That distinctive Nick von K style in this Pounamu Lion Crest Signet Ring in nine carat gold, $3000
While sapphires hold a special place in his heart because of their complexity of colour and depth, he’s also enamoured of Pounamu, the stone of New Zealand, entranced with the way each piece of Pounamu is different.
“Jewellery should connect to the unique individual who wears it, and I like to think that there is a slightly different piece of Pounamu just for each person who loves and appreciates it.”
When asked about his favourite Pounamu creation to date, Nick doesn’t hesitate to describe the Ombre Pounamu Heart Claw ring (pictured).
“I loved taking Pounamu out of a traditional context and cutting the stones in the shape of brilliant cut diamonds to create a piece that is really quite modern and interesting, as well as showcasing the different colours of Pounamu by finding five different coloured stones, and cutting a piece from each, for an ombre effect.
“It was difficult to find five stones that gave the flowing ombre of colour, but the rather breathtaking result was worth the effort; it’s such a special piece. Plus, I love the subtle detailing of the heart-shaped claws. It really gives this piece a special uniqueness and even a sacredness to it.”
Left: Salt and Pepper Diamond Mirror Image Set Twin Geo Ring $5700
Right: Silver Pounamu Icicle Earrings $165
Nick has been travelling to Hokitika for many years to purchase locally found quality Pounamu river stones. This connection is important to Nick, as it ensures that every stone he buys is genuine New Zealand jade and not imported from elsewhere.
Nick has also fallen in love with the combination of Pounamu and diamond which, inspired him to create his first collection using the two, The Blossom Collection, along with a number of custom and bespoke Pounamu pieces that don’t sit in his studio or online store for long.
“We often use diamonds to accent and enhance the beauty of other coloured stones; they go with everything and always add elegance, so the combination of diamonds and Pounamu is simply perfect. I think that perhaps these two stones are New Zealand’s two favourite gemstones and that they haven’t really been explored much together until now, which is why they are proving to be so popular.
Nick has also seen a change in the way people shop for jewellery.
“Jewellery used to be something that was traditionally gifted. However, it’s also now something that people gift to themselves to mark special events and occasions. And I love that people are using jewellery to express facets of themselves in a true and special way that is meaningful to them and them alone. There’s something powerful in that.”
Images supplied