The traditional techniques behind Heimat Atlantica’s jewellery
Heimat Atlantica’s new collection of jewellery and vases intertwines ancient craftsmanship with a clutch of historical references

Montserrat Álvarez of Parisian-based accessories brand Heimat Atlantica puts a cheerful spin on ancient artisanal techniques.
‘My background as an art historian means I am always searching for new crafts and artisans to work with,’ says Álvarez. ‘There is an intellectual honesty in traditional know-hows. In each particular aspect of their structure, we can find efficiency and the resulting objects’ shapes are the result of collective intelligence.’
For this new capsule collection of earrings, necklaces and vases, created for accessories boutique On Pedder, she has collaborated with artist Mario Feijoo. ‘At his workshop, I saw some stones with a marble-like finish,’ she says. ‘He had mixed the components of the porcelain with minerals to achieve this finishing. To me, it was like alchemy – it is very unique as the colour is not a decoration, but it is part of the ceramic stoneware. I wanted to share this material, which he calls cerampedra (ceramic-stone in Galician).’ When contrasted against the bold hues of dangling Swarovski hanging crystal pearls, it becomes instantly contemporary.
Once formed, the pieces were mounted into their bases by Angel Porto, a goldsmith in Galicia’s Santiago de Compostella who specialises in the traditional Galician work of mixing the silver with jet. The faces themselves are directly inspired by artists Álvarez admires. The faintly surprised face carved into the headboard of Italian sculptor Mario Ceroli’s Bocca della Verita bed is here, as are the unexpected design quirks of French designer Ronan Bouroullec’s drawings of pre-Colombian vases.
The talismanic nature of the designs, too, nod to cultural threads, and ancient religious iconography imbues the pieces with an additional function. Álvarez incorporates a personal fascination with the Roman empire into the core of the design: ‘For this collection I wanted to create talismans for our houses. Each Roman home had a set of protective deities,’ she says. ‘The sets we created are composed of vases to protect our interiors and the necklace or earrings that we can bring with us when we go out’.
INFORMATION
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys travelling, visiting artists' studios and viewing exhibitions around the world, and has interviewed artists and designers including Maggi Hambling, William Kentridge, Jonathan Anderson, Chantal Joffe, Lubaina Himid, Tilda Swinton and Mickalene Thomas.
-
A24 just opened a restaurant in New York and it’s as cinematic as you’d expect
In the West Village, Wild Cherry pairs a moody, arthouse sensibility with a supper-style menu devised by the team behind Frenchette
-
Yinka Ilori’s new foundation is dedicated to play and joy: ‘Play gave me freedom to dream’
Today, artist and designer Yinka Ilori announced the launch of a non-profit organisation that debuts with a playscape in Nigeria
-
Benjamin Moore's 2026 colour of the year is here — and it's a perfect balance of 'comfortable and chic'
Silhouette AF-655, a soft mocha-charcoal hue, draws inspiration from classical suiting and timeless interiors
-
Art takes London: Tiffany & Co, Damien Hirst and artists take over Selfridges' windows
Four British contemporary artists celebrate Tiffany & Co's pioneering history with a series of storied window displays
-
All smiles: How a grillz jewellery making class in London became an international hit
What started as a passion project quickly exploded in popularity. We get the story behind the grillz-making workshop at Cockpit London
-
Emerging jewellery designers to get to know
These independent, new and emerging jewellery designers and brands from New York to Paris are firmly on our radar
-
Playing it cool: pearls are having a moment
We've been deep-diving into boutiques around the world to find the very best calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form. It seems jewellers have been busy rethinking pearls, with contemporary (and often affordable) results
-
Eternity rings for the modern couple
Eternity rings, whether sleekly minimalist or sprinkled in diamonds, can be a chic and contemporary love token
-
CryptoPunks come to life on Tiffany & Co pendants
Tiffany & Co has partnered with blockchain infrastructure company Chain to create custom pendants and NFTiffs
-
Order of the day: Pomellato’s high jewellery takes us from dawn to dusk
Pomellato’s new high jewellery collection, La Gioia, tells the story of a day in precious stones
-
Anklets welded onto the body make romantic and enduring jewellery tokens
Atelier VM’s ‘L’Essenziale’ jewellery collection now includes slender gold anklets