By Nick Remsen
Davidor Founder, Creative Director and CEO David Gusky.
In more than a few ways, Davidor is a jewelry house that stands apart in the ever-glittering landscape of contemporary bijoux. Founded by David Gusky, the brand fuses the structure of architectural lines with the softer suggestions of hand-craftsmanship. The result is something at once strong yet luxe, and it fits a groove that Gusky has carved out all his own. (And, we should add, you won’t find a haute jewelry line with color quite like this anywhere else.)
“Early in my life, I visited Place Vendôme and was awestruck by the majestic neoclassical buildings and the sheer magnitude of the open space with its central Colonne Vendôme feature,” Gusky recalls. “It was a magnificent sunny day in Paris and it dawned on me that there was an absence of color, other than the blue sky above and the patinated column.”
Handcrafting a L’Arc de Davidor bangle MM.
That passing moment became something of a cornerstone for Gusky’s thinking as he developed the house. Davidor’s world takes finite form and gives it bold saturation, with a little bit of transfigured materiality—as if you’re wearing something bigger and sleeker, catalyzing thoughts of fine buildings more so than fine jewelry. And that’s the point: “I wanted to create an iconic pattern that people understood no matter where they were from,” Gusky says. “And it was an arch. That pattern was seen everywhere I went. From Place Vendôme to the Paris arcades, the repetitive arch was present.”
The arch, which can be said to symbolize both foundational strength and ideological connection, quickly became Davidor’s defining motif. It surfaces and bends throughout Gusky’s collections in myriad ways: as diagrammed outlines, delicate engravings, pavé diamond frames, or architectural repetitions circling bangles or rings. It writes an aesthetic repetitive cursive that feels instinctively Parisian yet global in its appeal.
Yet Davidor’s boldest contribution to modern fine jewelry is in the maison’s use of an unusual material not generally found on high bijoux. “While the historic brands worked with the most exceptional gemstones to incorporate color, I felt I had the advantage of my youth to challenge the codes of fine jewelry to innovate with ceramic—what we call lacquered ceramic,” Gusky explains.
His goal was not only to adorn but also to animate a change of attitude. “I’d hardly describe our use of ceramic as conservative!” Gusky says. “So yes, we have challenged the codes of fine and high jewelry. It’s important to innovate and create.”
“Every color is hand-mixed and developed by our team with the intention to be unique in its saturation and its emotion.” Davidor’s 18-option chromatic range, spanning pastels to primaries, gives each piece a certain liveliness and character. In the process, there’s also a reframing of color not as a gemstone’s property but as a filter of self-expression. Think: teal and cool one day; orange and happy-go-lucky the next, and so on.
This notion of individuality is central to the Davidor premise. “Our use of ceramic offers our clients their choice of our curated designs in three colors of gold, with multiple diamond design patterns,” Gusky says. “At the same time, the client has a sur mesure opportunity to choose the ceramic color that speaks to the individual. Giving the client the freedom to become part of their creation is the ultimate expression of the Davidor brand experience.”
Fine jewelry is steeped in legacy, yet Davidor seems to stand apart with its freshness—and its humility. Gusky says his stores are not at all meant to be exclusive, but more so, living salons. “Community and relationships are at the forefront of importance to the house,” he says. “Davidor boutiques are traditional in their purpose but cozy, warm, friendly, inviting. The design is intended to make clients feel at home, sit down and enjoy a coffee or champagne, and engage in conversation beyond the product.”
As Gusky looks ahead, he teases a “bold yet playful” new collection called Pop Arc—which he describes as “organic and voluminous, curvy”—alongside new designs within the Coïncidence, Diamant Sculptural, and Arch Florale lines. Retail expansions in Boston and Paris and a debut home fragrance line are also incoming. Through this, the arch remains the hallmark. “The arch will always be the central, iconic motif,” Gusky says.
It appears that Davidor is continuing to build an enduring architecture of color and character.
All Images Courtesy of Davidor
