Silver Bracelets
 
 

ABOUT us

Höllmüller is a visionary. This Swiss family jewelry house found its niche in combining classic design with innovative thinking. Höllmüller believes in only using the highest quality materials, expert craftsmanship and modern equipment and techniques. We are dedicated to fulfilling our valued client’s wishes without compromise and at a standard that all serious jewelry deserves. 

Our handcrafted designs express individuality with innovation and precision. Our jewelry pieces are often architectural in their construction. In other words, the construction of a piece consists almost always of many smaller pieces. Giving the advantage in a finished piece of greater durability and better finishing details.  We rarely cast pieces as a whole because cast metal is more porous and also softer. With the introduction of a laser in the atelier we can now assemble more easily the most complex designs and even small pieces that have already had stones set in them. It is due to these modern advances as well as our strengths in craftsmanship that our jewelry stands out from the mass produced goods. The polish and details on a Höllmüller piece are distinctive and worthy of the description “heirloom”.

 
 
 

what is important for us

Our studio can be found in the heart of Switzerland in the idyllic city of Lucerne. Our wonderful location is directly on the lake and surrounded by the Swiss Alps. This breathtaking nature is a never ending source of inspiration and obligation.

We are making an effort in our production to take care of our limited resources. We at Höllmüller recognize that the materials we use and how they are worked with, play an important role in the future and in todays fragile environment. In this same vein, we have committed ourselves to supporting young goldsmiths and stonesetters in order to sustain the craft of jewelry making.

In addition to our strong, social and ecological standards it is naturally as important that our jewelry remains timeless and of lasting value for our clients. Our highest priority is quality therefore we make almost everything by hand in our studio. Just hold a piece of Höllmüller jewelry in your hand and you will remark the difference. This is our promise.

Marc Höllmüller

 

 
 

Our Story

 

The story of Höllmüller begins with Engelbert. As a young man of seventeen, having just finished his apprenticeship as a stone setter, he set forth from Vienna with plans to go west.  His destination; The United States of America. Life savings in hand and worldly possessions stowed in his newly acquired trunk, his savings only bought him a ticket to Zurich, Switzerland.  The plan was to work for six months earning enough money to take him to the States, but after only a few months he already loved the country too much to leave. He eventually settled an hour outside of Zurich in Luzern. Here he established Höllmüller and his family grew. 

Engelbert’s two children, daughter Petra and son Marc apprenticed under their father. Petra graduated business school before she and Marc began their four year apprenticeship together.  Marc was found to be a natural talent and continued working under Engelbert long after his apprenticeship. Petra went into retail and P.R. work after her studies. Marc attended Business school, acquiring a degree in management, made goldsmithing and gemological studies and travelled extensively.  Firstly, he travelled to New Zealand learning English for a half year and also South Africa. In South Africa he studied and travelled while living with a large mormon family.  They lived in a very basic way. The experience of integrating into another culture was eye opening; bringing a great awareness to the materialism that Marc until then had not realized existed so strongly in him. This awareness is something that he attempts to keep in check. It is perhaps just another reason that quality is so important to him. Not wanting to waste; his conviction towards sustainability in all things. Other travels have brought Marc to Hong Kong, Grand Comoros, Namibia; Botswana, Cypress, Thailand, and of course the U.S. to name a few.  

In 1998 Marc found his passion for designing outweighed his enjoyment in stonesetting. He asked Petra if she would like to join him in starting their own studio. Höllmüller was born and seven years later they took over theirs fathers studio as well. Stonesetting is still a large focus of the business and Engelbert is still requested from outside jewelers when they have important stones. Petra runs the office and takes care of the bookkeeping.

Marc developed the Höllmüller collection. It was by chance on one of his travels to the States that Marc’s jewelry became a sensation in Beverly Hills. In addition, a store in Scottsdale, Arizona carried Höllmüller jewelry exclusively. It was here that Marc met his future wife, Tara. She had studied art and goldsmithing as well as gemology. After a long distance courtship proved to be strenuous, it was decided that Tara would move to Luzern and give it a try. New Years eve 2003 she made the leap and has never looked back. Tara’s knowledge of the market and retail experience have brought yet another facet to the company’s profile. The U.S. market has suffered in the last few years, but Tara and Marc still attend the JCK and Tucson Gem show yearly. Hodson’s sadly closed its doors in 2013 and their are fewer sightings at the Oscars, but there are still some very loyal clients in the States.

Pilatus.jpg