Ukrainian jewelry designer Kateryna Kochut: I strive to infuse my work with meaning that will resonate in people's hearts

Kateryna Kochut is a Ukrainian jewelry designer for one of the largest Ukrainian jewelry companies "Kochut". The most important aspect of Kateryna's work is that the jewelry she creates resonates in people's hearts. The designer finds inspiration in mythological stories, fairy tales, and some jewelry designs even come to her in dreams. In an interview with Drive Music Media, Kateryna shared about the beginning of her collaboration with Kochut, the creation of jewelry, her own bestsellers that set trends for other Ukrainian jewelry companies, and the company's support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Interviewer: You are a designer for one of Ukraine's largest jewelry brands "Kochut". Tell us how you started your journey in the jewelry business and when you began working at Kochut. What was the beginning of your collaboration like?

Kateryna: My journey began in early 2018 when I was extensively drawing and sharing my work on Instagram. I mainly created commissioned portraits, creative illustrations, and quick sketches. During that time, Igor Kochut reached out to me, expressing his appreciation for my art and inviting me to try designing something for them. I agreed, and thus, our collaboration started remotely – he would send me a request for a design, and I would send him the finished sketch. This led to the creation of some of the first interesting projects, including the "Fox" ring and themed dials for silver watches. We collaborated in this format for half a year, and then he offered me a full-time position, where I would draw and model jewelry in 3D programs. In the first month, I was overwhelmed with work because individual orders were behind all deadlines, and I needed to master new modeling programs like Rhinoceros and Zbrush. I also wanted to quickly start creating new models, as I had an incredible number of ideas.

During this time, bestsellers like the "Sun and Moon" earrings were created, which remain popular to this day. Additionally, I sketched a dragonfly necklace, which became the most valuable and extraordinary piece of the company. For the first year, I drew everything on paper using colored pencils and gel pens. Then, the company bought a tablet, and since then, my sketches have become more professional.

Interviewer: Tell us about the products you design. What makes Kochut's jewelry unique? How do you come up with ideas for new jewelry pieces?

Kateryna: I design rings, wedding bands, earrings, pendants, bracelets, brooches, and pins, as well as various accessories such as tie clips, money clips, cutlery, and statuettes.

The uniqueness of Kochut's jewelry lies in its creative vision and the handcrafted nature of each piece. These jewelry items are not like mass-market products because each one contains a piece of soul, history, idea, and inspiration. Great attention is paid to details at every stage of production. Ideas for creating jewelry come to me in various ways. Fortunately, the management does not limit or impose their vision on me. If it is a custom order where a person roughly describes what they want, I strive to understand their request as much as possible. I aim to see the individuality in it but make everything aesthetically and compositionally aligned with the given style.

If it is just an idea for a new piece of jewelry, it often starts as a certain impulse of imagination that I depict. Sometimes ideas can come to me in dreams, like the "My Sun" pendant, where I saw an ancient Sun embracing a young Ukrainian Sun. I then develop this theme, adding interesting elements and imbuing it with meaning.

I read a lot of different literature, love mythology, fairy tales, folklore, fantasy, and even religious parables. I am also interested in history and contemporary issues. I adore our mountains, rivers, and forests, and I love Ukrainian music and the energy it conveys. All of this inspires and fills me, so ideas often demand to be expressed. I believe my main task is not just to beautifully draw a piece of jewelry but to infuse it with such meaning that when a person understands it, they will never want to part with the piece. This brings me immense satisfaction – knowing that I have filled a piece of jewelry with meaning, making it extraordinary. This is why these pieces resonate so deeply with others.

Interviewer: What was the first piece of jewelry you designed? What was it called?

Kateryna: I believe the first piece of jewelry I designed was the "Fox" ring. It is a very cute ring, as it features a fox that seems to hug the finger and sleep soundly, curling its tail around a precious stone. It was a top seller for a long time, and I understand why.

Interviewer: Tell us about your work during the war: how difficult is it to continue creating beauty despite constant danger? What inspires and gives you the strength to keep doing what you love?

Kateryna: At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, like everyone else, we didn't know what to expect. There was great fear of losing everything that many people had worked on for years. Another stressful factor for me was my brother's return from abroad and his enlistment as a volunteer in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. But I knew that giving up was not an option, so I wanted to be useful to the country somehow. We released a series of stylized tridents, where 100% of the profits go to the needs of the army. Our company also began collaborating with the Markus Foundation charity, where a fixed amount from the sale of each pendant goes to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces. I designed the Magura and Perun's Axe pendants for this collaboration. I am very proud that Kochut participates in various charitable initiatives and donates significant amounts to our military.

I am inspired by the people who have stood up to defend our country. Among them are family members, friends, and many colleagues from the company, so we must provide a reliable rear for them.

Interviewer: What materials are used to create jewelry at Kochut? How long does it take to develop a piece, from design to realization?

Kateryna: We work exclusively with precious metals, namely silver, yellow, white, red, palladium gold, and platinum. The company also offers a wide selection of precious stones to suit every taste.