KANAREK

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Nameplates, Initials and Monograms

My first nameplate necklace was in Hebrew. My parents purchased it for me during one of our visits to Jerusalem’s Old City in the mid 70s. I must have been nine or so and I remember clearly how it made me feel so present and grownup.

Big life events such as a birth of a child or coming of age are a great occasion to commemorate with nameplate jewelry. The history of names in jewelry goes back at least 3,500 years considering signet rings. In ancient Egypt, the cartouche served as both a nameplate and amulet.

Since the 80s-90s nameplate jewelry has served as identity markers in urban communities, solidifying it as a “must-have” with the rise of hip-hop culture which sparked design innovation and originality. Patricia Field, Sex And The City’s costume designer who was responsible for Bradshaw’s “Carrie” nameplate, said she drew inspiration for the piece from the “Borough Kids” in New York.

Many of the custom designs commissioned by our patrons are nameplate, initials and monograms. Our approach to text jewelry is contemporary and minimalist. Our designs are based in our original fonts: AF Slab for Latin alphabet, and Gufanit for Hebrew alphabet.

Here’s a small selection of such commissions.