By H. Stern’s Gothic logo and presentation during its early years, the brand easily fit in with what used to be the contemporary style then. In 1945, branding wasn’t as vital for all kinds of businesses as it is now, but the rebranding that H. Stern did in the ‘00s was what made it the brand that it is today.
The Gothic lettering is replaced by minimalistic letters while the prominent curve of the ‘S’ in Stern is specifically meant to represent the female figure and honor women who the jewelry pieces are for. The brand’s general aura changed in the process and its truest sensibilities showed through with jewelry that align more with the aesthetics at present.
Pride of Brazil
By now, we have enough brands in the jewelry industry originating from the obvious locations and countries like France, Italy, and the United States. Just by being proud of its roots in Brazil, H. Stern diversifies the industry and puts its home country on the map when it comes to high-end jewelry. In turn, H. Stern is the pride of Brazil as it can keep up with the most world-renowned brands that come from those expected places. It brings to light the free-spiritedness and vibrancy of the Brazilian culture, but their market is not limited to the local community as the brand attracts international attention from women everywhere.
It’s in Rio de Janeiro that Hans Stern found not only the small gemstone business that would become one of the biggest jewelry companies, but also his deep-seated love for Brazil’s wealth of colorful stones.
Pioneering vision and forward-looking attitude
An innate interest in stones is the foundation of the brand via its founder, but the success and continuance of the business should be credited to the raging passion that has went and still goes into running it.
Hans Stern was the kind of person who’s bothered by the fact that some stones receive more appreciation than others, who’s named “the king of colored stones” by Time Magazine, and who opened the brand’s workshops to the public and conducted trunk shows when no other brands did.
This push-forward attitude is what brought the brand towards a reputation that made its name synonymous to luxury and elegance. It’s also why the brand continues to be a business kept within the family and why Hans Stern’s sons, who now run it, have that same passion instilled in them which helps them drive the brand towards the original goal.
Purveyor of art
Since the second generation of Sterns started taking the lead, the brand has delved into artistic collaborations. It started with a collection made together with Catherine Deneuve, the Belle de Jour star, in the ‘80s. It was the first one the brand made with a celebrity, which made the brand popular among the circle of Hollywood stars especially during red carpet events like the Oscars and Golden Globes. Since the ‘90s, their pieces had been worn by the likes of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, and Lily Collins.
Apart from the new A-list customers gained, the collaboration also set the momentum and let projects with other artists start coming in. Diane Von Furstenberg, the designer herself, made a collection themed “Be a Woman, Wear a Dress” based on her own lifestyle and character. There are sexy elements to the collection with plenty of gold but the Love Knot is the main design feature. Other artists include director Tim Burton, who made a limited edition Alice in Wonderland series, and architect Oscar Niemeyer whose inspirations were buildings designed by him.
Nature influences
First off, Estrela or star, which is also the Portuguese translation of Stern which is in German, is the brand’s symbol. It graces almost every piece no matter what collection.
All of Stern’s jewelry gets its inspiration mostly from nature, which is obvious in their collection’s names like Sunrise, Snowflake, Moonlight, Cobblestones, and Stars among others, each representing the earthly or universal element it’s named after. For the brand’s 70th anniversary in 2015, a new version of the Genesis collection, the star symbol was revived and other celestial images were integrated into the design, coinciding with the astrology trend in recent years.
The brand’s recent releases and designs show its ability to adapt and move with what’s new and relevant, coming a long way from the now-outdated Gothic aesthetic it once started with. The brand exhibits many favorable traits in their jewelry, like versatility in the Fluid Gold necklace and the exquisiteness of all their gems, but as long as the brand maintains its passion for the craft and art, there’s no limit for what could come from here on out.
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