Something New: Bijoux et Fleurs

Photo by Raquel Lauren

On a whimsical property at the tip of northern Michigan’s Old Mission Peninsula lies the picturesque gardens of Svenja Parotat, the creative force behind floral and jewelry design studio Svenja & Company.

But it wasn’t always gardens and gemstones for Parotat. At 17, the Berlin-born artist was scouted by an agent and soon found herself modeling across the world and living in Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. While she was “charmed by the idea” and inspired by the artistic aspects of modeling, “I always sort of felt very lost in modeling, and in the world. I couldn’t really connect with it,” she says.

Then a serendipitous stop at a boutique in LA inspired her to take a jewelry design course, giving her the direction she’d been craving.   

“I always had a thing, even growing up, for really small details,” she says. “My dad was an artist. My grandfather was an artist. I went to a very artistic school, but I just didn’t know what to do with my hands.” When she took her first jewelry class, she says, “I realized — this is really what I wanted to get into.”

Soon after, Parotat landed a mentorship in New York under the acclaimed jewelry designer David Benlolo, learning everything from gemology to the art of handcrafted design. Parotat opened her eponymous label, Svenja Jewels, in 2010, using only high-quality materials like diamonds, precious-colored gemstones, 18K gold, and platinum to design vintage-inspired pieces with a signature, modern flair.

Her handcrafted designs are sleek and minimal yet subtly dramatic. Parotat draws on her years in fashion and traveling the world to finesse the colors and textures of each piece. But the true beauty in each design lies in the intricate details. From reversible hoop earrings to hidden elements and custom engagement rings, “it’s the details that really matter to me,” she says.

Then the COVID pandemic hit. At the time, Parotat was living in Brooklyn with her husband and two children (River, 10, and Ruby, 7). With the onset of the pandemic, the couple decided it was time to leave the city. They packed their bags and headed for their summer home in her husband’s native Traverse City — the perfect refuge during those trying times.

“We were so lucky to have our house here,” Parotat says. “And we figured, well, we’ll deal with what’s in the future later.”

With great schools nearby and a gorgeous 10-acre property, the family — who felt city life had become too overwhelming and loved how nature nourished their souls — decided to stay. With no prior knowledge of flower farming, Parotat began redesigning the property’s established perennial gardens while also starting rows for her own cutting gardens.

Photo by Raquel Lauren

“During the pandemic everyone was staying home, so I really immersed myself in the world of flowers,” she says. “I just started adding and adding, and people started inquiring about my flowers.”

This year, Parotat doubled her fields, growing a myriad of cultivars from Italian ranunculus, lisianthus, and peonies to dahlias, poppies, Russian statice and more. “My real love does not belong to one flower, its more the combination of flowers that one chooses to put together,” she says. “A flower that could look lost on its own can create amazing texture and beauty and can tie a whole piece together.”

From spring through fall, she creates eye-catching arrangements drawn from her years in fashion and inspired by the jewelry she creates. She offers weekly flower subscription services and has begun to offer her services for workshops, weddings and events. She also loves to dry her florals for installations, bouquets, and wreaths.

Photo by Raquel Lauren

“I love the combination of dried and fresh flowers. There is something about all the life stages of flowers and plants that fascinates me, and there is also an aspect of being conscious about the environmental factor of not flying in flowers from overseas, but instead creating gorgeous pieces with what the season has to offer,” Parotat says.

She also draws on the colors and textures from her gardens to help her design her jewelry pieces. “The flowers are so liberating because I grow the flowers myself. I touch the soil. I plan the colors I like and want to grow, and then, you know, in the winter when it’s cold here and quiet here, they really inspire me,” she says.

“This flower farm was never planned. I really fell into it. It was a pandemic. I started growing more. I started adding. I couldn’t stop, and I loved it,” Parotat says. “When I look back at my life, I’m like, this was meant to be. It feels really beautiful, like I have arrived because it all now makes sense. All those things I’ve searched for have fallen together.”

To learn more, visit svenjajewels.com and follow her on Instagram @svenjajewels.