Photo Credits Glenn Livermore Photography
Having control over every aspect of his own business Vincent
Wil Hawley, owner of VWH Jewelry, creates one-of-a-kind, hand-made pieces
without limits. Recently celebrating his 9th year in business,
Vincent received his BFA from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (SMFA), and
graduated from the Gemological School of America in Florence, Italy. The sole
designer and fabricator of his own work, each VWH creation is produced simply
with classic hand toolsand can take up to six months to create.
Following years of study at the SMFA and the opening of his first store in Boston’s South End, Vincent decided to seek out the roots of one of jewelry’s most challenging and classic practices – engraving; specifically the art of Florentine Engraving, which incorporates such integral detail that only the truly masterful hand can give it life. Using nothing but basic hand-tools, bulini or gravers, the art incorporates extremely complex open work patterns or Traforo. A historical art form passed through the generations in Florence, Vincent ventured overseas, where he once spent time as an undergraduate, to study the fine art. Studying for over a combined two years in Italy, under a Florentine master jeweler, Vincent started to grasp the life-long-mastering of the fine-art of Florentine Engraving, which is now the specialty of most of his work.
Upon returning to the United States, Vincent opened a store on Boston’s Newbury Street, where he remained for a little over a year, until the realization that his true art was being restricted by the demand for a commodity. He closed his store and decided to work solely on a contract-basis with private clientele.
“I want to provide a true luxury, not ‘luxury’ as we know it today. Expensive brand names and mass produced iconic goods, cannot compare with old-world style – one-of-a-kind, timeless beauty that makes you think; think about where it comes from and how it is made, not just about a name or the price. Few take a second glance at the price-tag when something is specifically created for them in a one-on-one environment, yet gain a sense of respect for the art and what is being purchased as art and luxury rather than a commodity."
Following years of study at the SMFA and the opening of his first store in Boston’s South End, Vincent decided to seek out the roots of one of jewelry’s most challenging and classic practices – engraving; specifically the art of Florentine Engraving, which incorporates such integral detail that only the truly masterful hand can give it life. Using nothing but basic hand-tools, bulini or gravers, the art incorporates extremely complex open work patterns or Traforo. A historical art form passed through the generations in Florence, Vincent ventured overseas, where he once spent time as an undergraduate, to study the fine art. Studying for over a combined two years in Italy, under a Florentine master jeweler, Vincent started to grasp the life-long-mastering of the fine-art of Florentine Engraving, which is now the specialty of most of his work.
Upon returning to the United States, Vincent opened a store on Boston’s Newbury Street, where he remained for a little over a year, until the realization that his true art was being restricted by the demand for a commodity. He closed his store and decided to work solely on a contract-basis with private clientele.
“I want to provide a true luxury, not ‘luxury’ as we know it today. Expensive brand names and mass produced iconic goods, cannot compare with old-world style – one-of-a-kind, timeless beauty that makes you think; think about where it comes from and how it is made, not just about a name or the price. Few take a second glance at the price-tag when something is specifically created for them in a one-on-one environment, yet gain a sense of respect for the art and what is being purchased as art and luxury rather than a commodity."
