Think Small

Centuries ago, micro-mosaics were etched into wearable art to depict scenes of great architecture in Rome. Today, these techniques inspire some of the world’s greatest jewellers

- Inezita Gay-Eckel

If any type of jewellery could call itself a true work of art it would be the micro-mosaic. Painstakingly constructed with the tiniest pieces of glass or enamel-like material called tesserae, micro-mosaics can be made using gold, copper or black Belgian marble, and are inspired by mosaics, which date back more than 2,000 years. Some of the finest examples of mosaics have been excavated at archaeological sites from ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire. But as an art historian, what fascinates me is that micro-mosaics really took off towards the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th century.

Founded in Paris in 2012, L’École, School of Jewelry Arts is the first school established for the general public to learn about the history, culture and savoir faire of the jewellery arts. We now have a second permanent home at K11 Musea in Hong Kong, where two exceptional examples of micro-mosaics are used during one of our jewellery courses.