The Process
All the jewelry you see excluding most of the chains are made by following the same pattern of design: Idea, Sketch, Casting/Soldering, Polishing, End Product
Idea
What inspires most designs come from Nature or reading material that sparks an idea. Afterward, the idea is simplified to a few sentences that start the design journey. Research and symbolism aid tremendously in this step.
Sketch
The main inspiration in regards to the visual aesthetic of the pieces is Mesopotamian jewelry. The sketch is made repeatedly to ensure all the pieces fit together. If there is a gemstone this is the step in which the bezel setting is decided.
Casting/Soldering
If the design has pieces made by the lost wax technique first those pieces have to be cast in silver then that piece is molded so all future productions of the design are identical to a degree. Then the jump rings, bezels and such pieces made from sawing and bending the silver are soldered onto the casted piece.
Polishing
For a nice clean look after all the pieces come together the silver goes through pickling, sanding and lastly polishing stages. After that the silver jewelry shines just how we are used to seeing it.
End Product
The end product can either get coated in 14 karat gold or stay in its silver color as the client desires. After the model is made and photographed the designs are not mass-produced and stocked. They get made as the clientele complete their orders to ensure each piece is made with as much care and attention as possible.
This business is run and founded by me, Alara Kutar. I do all the
design and the silversmithing work. I take photographs, do all the
writing and editing, build and improve the website, run all the
social media and more.
​
​
​
​ I started Kuta in 2020 while I was in a transition period after COVID-19 hit. During that time I was studying Transformation Design in the Netherlands. Due to the pandemic, I ended up not being able to continue my studies and returned to Istanbul where I lived before my move to Rotterdam. This was a major change that required some back-and-forth between the two countries which made me yearn for a place of my own and what better way to create it than a website on the World Wide Web? This way I could continue expressing myself through my designs.
​
​
​
At first, all the designs were made from polymer clay as mobility was key in my life. But the end goal was always creating jewelry pieces from precious metals. When I had more stability in my life and transitioned to Turkey completely I started taking lessons on how to silversmith. I got my first certification in July 2022. Later I continued joining all the courses I could get into to learn all the important details of soldering, polishing and flux. After entering the amazing world of silversmithing I started making jewelry from brass and bronze as a rite of passage. Meanwhile, I saw how many different techniques were there which excited me more than any branch of art I have tried before. That's how I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. I wanted to be able to shape the metal more freely which is how I got into lost wax casting and wax carving. Now many of my pieces are made using this technique. After I got confident in how I made my jewelry I slowly transitioned into using only silver as a metal. Now I am a certified silversmith who can use many different techniques and have a beautiful network of people alike.
​
About Me
