Nuts & Pearls (Hamburg, Germany)

I rarely post about jewelry stores - not because I don't like them. But as I acquire the majority of my jewelry online or in places such as Topshop and H&M, I don't often come across independent boutiques where I find almost every item so tempting I want to buy everything I see. Nuts & Pearls is such a shop. I first found this place 4 years ago and knew I had to come back to profile it for my blog. What makes N&P a great place for jewelry lovers is that the designers use vintage materials to design unique pieces and if you have something special in mind, they'll be happy to customize or create an individual item for you.

Part of Nuts & Pearl's style book (images: N&P homepage)

N&P was founded in 2003 by Natalie von Matt, a former advertising executive, who's nickname 'Nut" - in the German language pronounced 'Nat'- inspired the company's name. She opened her workshop and store in Hamburg's Karolinenviertel two years later, which is still the primary retail space for her designs. All items are handmade by her or her business partner and the main source for materials are vintage beads which can be up to 60-80 years old. Though von Matt is aware that antique pearls can fetch horrifically high prices on the market these days, her priority is to find individual beads that are beautiful, have a story to tell or come from far away places. Flea markets, auctions and countries abroad are just a few of the places she scours for one-of-a-kind elements she can use for her creations.

(images: Nuts & Pearls homepage)

When I last visited the store, I remembered seeing a huge selection of very cool charm pendants with designs ranging from skulls carved out of rose quartz to enameled butterflies. These pendants can be used on necklace chains, belts, handbags and keychains. I was glad to see that N&P still had an extensive range of these charms, though this time around, a lot of them included crosses, baby dolls and goldfish.

The shop is small, but everything is neatly arranged, with necklaces hanging from mannequin busts along the exposed brick wall or from smaller steel racks. The center table displayed an assortment of colorful friendship bracelets adorned with semi-precious stones or charms made of 925 sterling silver. In fact, most jewelry contains either silver, brass or even 18-carat gold.

The style of the pieces as described by the designer herself is delicate, baroque, opulent, precious and playful. Basically you'll find jewelry to suit any taste, whether it's a Victorian-style brooch or art-deco inspired earrings. Even though materials are vintage, the jewelry doesn't necessarily look antique and while many pieces have a romantic feel, certain elements such as the more funky charms, give the items a slight edge.

During my browsing session, von Matt's partner was busy working away in the back area of the store designing new pieces, but she was happy to answer any questions either my friend or I had. We found out that one of the main sources of business isn't just the sale of their seasonal pieces, but the production of customized designs. One of N&P's great services is that customers can bring in jewelry they no longer use and have them completely redesigned into a new piece. The idea stems from the fact that many women just have old jewelry lying around they no longer want to wear or were given to as a gift/inherited. The N&P ladies thought it was a shame to waste such materials which usually still hold some sentimental value to the owner and according to them, these customizations bring them the most joy.


I thought this was a terrific concept, so I'll be looking through my unused jewelry collection to see if there's anything I can bring in the next time I'm in town. For those nowhere near Hamburg, no worries, N&P now also sells their pieces online, so check it out if you have the time.

(individual images: Nuts & Pearls homepage)

Address: Turnerstraße 10, 20357 Hamburg
Opening Hrs: Wed-Fri: 12:00-19:00, Sat: 11:00-16:00
Nuts & Pearls Homepage & Online Shop