For years now Minouche Mulder and Rûne van de Cruijsen have been working together. Every day they create jewelry that, by now has obtained the typical Minouche en Rûne signature. Elegant, lush, generous. Gems are abundantly applied and not one single earring, necklace or ring is produced in series. Each and every work of art is unique, everything handmade and each piece of jewelry produced in a studio where dedication reigns.
Tanzanite, diamond, citrine, black pearl, tourmaline…Minouche: ‘We are for ever in search of the right gems and pearls. With everything we buy, we have a distinct connection. It is the stone that determines what the jewel will eventually look like. The pearl or gem ask for the solution, for its own special setting.’ Rûne: ‘We love that “molded” type of gold. As though we have kneaded the jewels into shape with our fingers. In that way the gold shines at its best, so that we emphasize the luxury and splendor of the stone to its maximum.’
Minouche and Rûne are partly in their store in the heart of Arnhem. More often, they are both in the studio further down town. It is there that they design, they weld, get dirty hands, and where they simply don’t want to stop creating beautiful jewelry. Minouche: ‘All day long we may create and work with the most beautiful materials. Amazing. And to think on top of that there are people who actually want to buy what we have created.’ For years now “those people” have been coming from all over the country. Minouche and Rûne sell their jewelry both online and in their store.
The store is run mainly by the other important part of the “Minouche and Rûne Team”:Linda den Besten, Karola Vogels and Esther Horchner. They welcome you warmly in the store. Ladies with a huge sense of beauty and a keen eye for design. Karola:’I like to seek the edges, trying to discover the clients’ nature. I am happy to see people go home with something that truly gives the a thrill. To accomplish that, you sometimes have to see through something, try out something.’ Linda: ‘We can sense and see if, when someone tries on a necklace or a pair of earrings, it’s a match: a smile, a sigh.’ Karola: ‘ A piece of jewelry is merely an ornament. It can be the marking of a period, a memory or a commitment. You wear it next to your skin. That too asks for every piece of jewelry to be absolutely perfect. It should feel just right.’
The interaction between the ladies in the store and the studio is intense. Linda, Karola and Esther translate and convey the clients wishes to the designers, for Minouche and Rûne also design jewelry on commission. For this it is important that the entire team understands the atmosphere of the collection and has the style in their fingers. Linda: ‘Everything Minouche and Rûne makes has to be a ‘Minouche an Rûne’. Fortunately we trust each other blindly.’
Rûne: ‘We study everything carefully, but nothing is contrived. Our jewelry clearly follows a line, which, however, is not always logical. The colors of the gems we use are allowed to clash. We aim at the ultimate form that allows the gems and the variations of gold that we use to feature fully. We stay close to our feelings’. Careful consideration has also been given to the design of the store, it resembles a cabinet. That harmonizes well with the size of the jewels we sell. Which goes for the gift wrapping as well. At Minouche and Rûne you won’t get away won’t let you leave with a mere little box. Their gift wrapping is an extension of their style; elegant yet bold.