The vision of creating perfect jewellery for generations once drove Ernst Alexander Wellendorff when he opened his own jewellery manufactory in Pforzheim in 1893. Even today, in the fifth generation, we formulate this vision with the following principle: “Don’t compromise on everything you do!” Wellendorff’s True Values continue to stand for the highest quality, precision craftsmanship, reliability, trust and consistency.
THE ALLOY.
According to a closely guarded family recipe, the Wellendorff alloy of fine gold, silver and copper is melted. The decisive difference is made by a small but fine detail: While 18-carat gold is usually alloyed to 750 out of 1000 parts of fine gold, Wellendorff’s master goldsmiths always add two additional parts of fine gold – in other words, they create an “over-alloy” and thus more exclusivity.
THE TWO-GRAIN SOCKET.
The aim of the jewel setter is to ensure that the hand-picked diamonds in the pieces of jewellery shine with the greatest possible brilliance. Stone by stone, they are carefully placed by hand in the gold bed and precisely fixed with only two grains of gold. The so-called two-grain setting is an art that only the most experienced setters in the world have mastered.
THE SHINE OF THE SUN.
Instead of putting one or two different sizes of brilliant-cut diamonds on one ring, the Sonnenglanz setting hand-sets brilliant-cut diamonds in ten different sizes. With every turn of the ring, the stones shine like a thousand rays of the sun. But the production requires the highest precision as well as years of experience and demands a lot from even the most experienced jewel setters: Instead of the usual 15 different drills, milling cutters, burins and grain irons, they need around 40 for this type of setting!
THE WELLENDORFF COLD ENAMEL.
In order to immerse a piece of jewellery in Wellendorff’s unmistakable colourfulness, the Wellendorff cold enamel is artfully applied by hand under a microscope in numerous layers. The recipe for the cold enamel was developed by Wellendorff experts. It can follow the exact expansion of the gold and thus withstand extreme loads. Of course, the composition of the cold enamel and its exact functioning remain a closely guarded secret of the manufactory. Before a new cold enamel paint is brought to life, it undergoes extensive UV and climate tests and is weighed down to the thousandth of a gram. All to ensure that the colours will last a lifetime.
THE ENGRAVING LEVELS.
The finest engravings on various levels give the pieces of jewellery depth and magically make the applied Wellendorff cold enamel shine. The minimal distances between the engraving planes create reflections that only experienced goldsmiths can achieve with the utmost precision and the best tools.
THE GUARDIAN ANGEL ENGRAVING.
The guardian angel, engraved by hand in 18-carat gold on the inside of Wellendorff rings and amulets, reminds us of the deep meaning of jewellery – to give joy and to protect – and is always intended to give the wearer the good feeling of being accompanied.
THE PATENTED CLASP.
The goldsmiths devoted more than three years to the development of the patented folding clasp made of 18-carat gold. This one-of-a-kind creation combines clasp, jewel and security. After more than 40,000 tests, the clasp ensures that the bracelet is as easy as it is safe to put on and take off for a lifetime. Thanks to rounded edges and the softly curved shape of the spring element, the clasp adapts perfectly to the natural curvature of the arm and thus guarantees maximum comfort.
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