Tactile Treasure: Philip Crangi

There are echoes of America’s pioneering past in the textured, handcrafted metalwork of this New York City designer-maker.

New York-based master goldsmith Philip Crangi’s handmade creations play with the effect of light and texture on materials such as sterling silver, gold and bronze. Set with diamonds, mostly in champagne and black hues, and hard stones including turquoise, malachite and lapis, his collection is a celebration of traditional craftsmanship and the timeless American pioneering spirit.

Do you remember the moment you felt jewelry was your calling?
The first time was when I visited a friend at her bench in the Rhode Island School of Design jewelry department. I was at the time a painting major in my first semester, already regretting my choice, and before entering the jewelry and metals studio I had never once considered studying jewelry. I was struck immediately by the texture of the place, with all its brightly polished stakes and hammers, and the giant always-lit annealing torches ─ it was so beautiful. I knew this was my milieu and I switched majors that day.

How did you become a jeweler and when did you launch your brand?
I took to making jewelry and working metal right away. By the time I graduated I had already created a collection and was trying to find a showroom to represent me. The jewelry world in the early 90s was a very different place to today and few showrooms wanted to represent jewelry. One rather famous fashion stylist who a friend assisted even told me stylists didn’t really use jewelry in shoots and maybe look for something else to focus on. It’s hard to imagine that attitude today.

So while still making jewelry, I spent the next six years applying my other metal-working skills making custom lighting and furniture for decorators and doing special projects for artists like Japan’s Mariko Mori.

Then, in 2000, respected New York street-style retailer Steven Alan opened a jewelry store called Borealis and asked me if he could sell my (much evolved) collection. Within the year the collection was in Barneys, Maxfield and Barneys Japan, and a lot of other places as well.

In 2001 we launched Giles & Brother as a lower priced collection. In 2017 I restarted the hibernating Philip Crangi Jewelry collection as Philip Crangi & Co, with a different emphasis and including home goods.

What do you define as the common thread through your home decor and jewelry creations?
In all my work, whether jewelry or home goods, I try to always show the hand of the creator. That is the common thread aesthetically. It is very important to me that my work looks and feels handcrafted and artisanal; that’s not to say crude, but intentional. So much work today looks as if it could have been made by machines, which is its own aesthetic of course, but not mine.

What are your main sources of inspiration?
I look everywhere for inspiration, constantly. It’s so important as a creative to have your eyes open all the time, really seeing things for what they are and what they could be. I think travel is the best facilitator, not only for seeing new things and places, but for how it changes your perspective on your work and life at home.

Where and how is your jewelry manufactured?
I make as much of the production for all the collections in my New York studio as possible. We work with a local caster for much of the Philip Crangi & Co jewelry; for larger pieces from the home collection and Giles & Brother we work with casters in Rhode Island. All the finishing and leather work is done in-house.

What is most popular out of your jewelry collections?
The most popular jewelry collection is Giles & Brother. It’s been around the longest, since 2001, and has a very accessible price point. Plus we offer free customization on most pieces, which has been part of its success.

What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on building the Philip Crangi & Co collections. In home goods I’m expanding the selection of hardware especially and also will be adding lighting into the mix. With jewelry I’m really getting into working with hard stones like lapis, malachite and turquoise, in ways I’ve never worked before. It feels like a new beginning, creatively.