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JEWELRY DESIGNER INTERVIEWS

Sandra Muller photo

Gold and diamond belly rings made by Sandra Muller for a European client

Sandra Muller

Gold guitars, glittering belly rings by Los Angeles-based jeweller Sandra Muller

To say that Sandra Muller cut her teeth on gems is only a slight exaggeration.
 
As a child living in Switzerland, she was surrounded by a glamourous circle of famous family friends. Marella Agnelli would arrive for lunch with a strand of emerald beads cascading down her back. Doris Brynner (Yul’s ex-wife) allowed Muller to play with her custom-made Jean Schlumberger. And at age 8, Muller lunched with Elizabeth Taylor and her hairdresser, the legendary Alexandre, at The Palace hotel in Gstaad. The star was clad in a caftan and turban with an emerald dangling on her forehead.
 
“How can you beat that for an apprenticeship in the jewelry industry!” Muller remarks. “All of these experiences helped me develop a passion for jewelry and, most important a sense of taste and quality.”

That enthusiasm, tempered with a discerning eye, is evident in Muller’s designs.

Themes range from whimsical flora to edgy rocker motifs. Her jewelled guitar pendants were used during a 2007 Ebony magazine photo-shoot of Michael Jackson. Gold and diamond belly rings feature palm trees, crosses and clover. A limited edition seahorse cuff captures the colour and movement of the ocean. And floral rings have two giant multicoloured blooms that span the knuckles.

Muller, who is a native of Chile, moved from Europe to Los Angeles to study at the Gemological Institute of America when she was 18. Upon graduation she apprenticed at Fred Jewelers, then travelled extensively before launching her own collection. Her designs have been exhibited at the Forbes Galleries Museum in New York, and Muller has been chosen as a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
 
“Sandra Muller is a true original artist as well as a real craftsman,” says designer Diane von Furstenberg who owns several Muller pieces. “Her jewelry is both exotic and refined and like nothing else available.”