The Power of Adornment: A Conversation
with Mumbaistockholm’s Cecilia Kores
text Ulrika Lindqvist
In this interview, Cecilia speaks about inspiration, the intimacy of her creative process, her collaboration with Valerie Aflalo, and why jewelry should never ask permission.
Ulrika Lindqvist: Hi Cecilia, can you share how long you’ve been working as a jewelry designer and what inspired you to start your career in this field?
Cecilia Kores: I have been working as a jewelry designer for 12 years. My inspiration came when I spent eight months in India. A big part I spent in the most rural parts, and I was absolutely mesmerized by the way the women there wore glittering jewelry all over their bodies! I felt that the way that the women took every chance to decorate themselves in colourful clothes and jewelry, even if they lived a very simple life and spent most of their time with their family, was such an inspiration. They took every chance to make life beautiful!
UL: What was the idea for founding Mumbaistockholm?
CK: I started to wear anklets and toerings in India and I absolutely loved it. But the anklets was made in stainless steel and kept on breaking. When my Indian journey was about to end, I went to a silver smith and asked him to make a very simple anklet for me in silver. And that was the start to Mumbaistockholm. I named the brand “Mumbaistockholm”, as I thought my anklet was the perfect mix between Eastern culture and Scandi minimalism.
UL: Has there been any particular projects or events in your career that stand out as especially memorable?
CK: Oh, so many… But one thing I will never forget was when an American lady that lay next to me on a sunbed in Tulum, Mexico asked to buy my diamond bracelet. I took it off and gave it to her, and sent her an invoice. It was the Belle Cuff.
UL: Can you walk us through your creative process? Do you have any specific routines or practices that help spark your creativity?
CK: Absolutely! One thing I always do is that I make sure to catch my ideas. If I forget to write up an idea, it will be lost. I always have either my phone or a little notebook with me, and I always immediately write up a sketch when I get a picture of a jewelry in my head. I can even stop on the side of the road when I drive my car, if an idea pop up. Then, when I am back home and sit at my desk, I can look at the note and it says “bracelet with a chain of marquise-cut diamonds” and I know exactly what to sketch.
If I need to get creative in a more structured way, I usually only have to open up a new box of shimmering gemstones to be inspired. Usually I immediately see if a gemstone is meant to be a ring, an earring or something else. If that doesn’t do it, I can simply look at our current collection of jewelry to be inspired. Customers can also say something about a piece that they try on that gets me inspired for a new one, with a little tweak.
UL: What does a typical day look like for you as a jewelry designer?
CK: If I’m having a showroom day, my PR agency has usually set up at least one meet-and-greet with an exciting person that they think I should meet – it could be a TV stylist, an influencer or a journalist. I love those kind of meetings as I get to meet so many interesting people! A bonus is that our jewelry is worn on so many special occasions, they really live their own fantastic life.
In the afternoon I have one to ones with clients that have booked a showroom visit. Since 2016, we have offered private showroom meetings, and it is still the only way to see and try on our jewelry. They get 45 minutes of private consultation, and during this time they can try on all the pieces they want, and ask questions and learn about gemstones. Thanks to these meetings we end up having a beautiful and close relationship to our customers which I love. Once you come here, you also realise how quickly 45 minutes goes by!
During the day I keep a close contact with our goldsmiths and stonesetters in the studio, as well as with our gemstone suppliers – we make all pieces as per your order, so there is always a decision to be made or a new beautiful gemstone to handpick.
UL: How do you source stones, gems and metal for your designs?
CK: I have worked with jewelry for 12 years now, so by now I have a fantastic team that I work with. I love coloured gemstones, such as sapphires, tourmalines, and morganites. Very early on in my business journey I got to know a young Swedish gemstone dealer. He was quite new at that time, and now he has become one of the most competent gemstone experts in Sweden. He can get hold of any gemstone that I ask about – he is fantastic. Diamonds are easier – the market for natural diamonds is so well-regulated and streamlined now that it is quite easy to get hold of exactly the stones my clients ask for. Antique-cut diamonds are a bit more tricky though – there you need the right contacts. I have started to build up my contact base also , and have obtained some really nice stones for customers!
UL: This is your first collaboration with Valerie Aflalo, how did this collaboration come about?
CK: Actually, the first time I met Valerie was during a regular meet-and-greet in the showroom. Fantastic Anja from Joos PR, the agency that I work with, invited Valerie to my showroom because she knew that Valerie absolutely loves jewelry. I had heard about her before – after all, she was Miss Sweden many years ago! But once she came to my showroom I also fell in love with her warm energy. Valerie has an eye for jewelry and already owns a fantastic jewelry wardrobe herself. She wears all the staple pieces: the diamond hoops, the tennis bracelet, a neck mess of thin gold chains and simple diamond necklaces, as well as her wedding rings. What she missed was a real statement piece. She told me that she had dreamt of owning a real cocktail ring with a large, glittering gemstone. That was all I needed to hear before my head went spinning with ideas! This has been such a fun project from the start.
UL: Please tell us about your relation to the cocktail ring? When do you wear them?
CK: I have always had a relationship with the power ring – I was single during my first six years of Mumbaistockholm, and during all these years women kept on coming to me saying that they wanted a ring so badly but they waited for their partner to propose to them. So eventually I made it Mumbaistockholm’s motto that women deserved to buy jewelry for themselves! You don’t need a partner to be able to wear fine jewelry. The power ring became one of my signature pieces. A power ring could be both large or more minimalistic – the important thing was what it meant to you. Many clients also engrave something in the ring that means a lot to them.
Now, when I’ve learnt the history of the cocktail ring, I know that in fact, the cocktail ring was the first power ring for women. The history of the cocktail ring is fantastic – it was born during the prohibition period in the US when it was not socially accepted that women were seen drinking and partying in public. The private cocktail events became a sanctuary for women to get dressed in their most fabulous outfits, wear beautiful jewelry and gather with their friends. The cocktail ring was big, often with a colourful gemstone, and was worn on the right hand so it could not be confused to be a wedding ring!
I wear big statement rings all the time! I have three favourites; one with a large blue lapiz lazuli, one with a marquise-cut hot pink sapphire with details of small yellow sapphires, and one with a fantastic emerald-cut dark green tourmaline. When I design cocktail rings, I usually add some diamond sparkle that highlights the big gemstone. Cocktail rings make me happy!
UL: What was your inspiration for this collection?
CK: It was very important for me to follow Valerie’s inspiration. Her heart lies in France, and the ocean and beach is very close to her. She also loves to enjoy the good things in life, such as a glass of champagne in the afternoon sun. Naturally, we chose a warm champagne morganite as the heart of the collection, and freshwater pearls, clear diamonds and gold details in the form of seashells. Aside from the beautiful cocktail ring, the little ear stud and the soirée ring are also adorable; they are made of freshwater pearls and diamonds lying in seashells of gold.
UL: Looking ahead, what’s next for you? Are there any specific projects or goals you’re particularly excited about?
CK: We have some exciting news and projects coming up – stay tuned!
