Gold from Andes shines in Paarl
2006-11-23
GUESTS celebrating the tenth anniversary of goldsmith Klaus Schnack in Paarl last week, were treated to an exhibition of his exclusive jewellery as well as a showing of fashions woven from Alpaca fibre.
German-born Schnack started his apprenticeship at a jeweller in Hamburg 45 years ago.
After working at the bench for several jewellers in Germany, he moved to Windhoek 25 years ago where he established his own design studio for exclusive precious jewellery.
In 1995 he moved to South Africa with his wife, Beate, and opened a studio in their home, a national monument on Main Street, Paarl North.
Schnack works with gold, platinum, silver and combinations of all the precious metals.
Last week saw the opening of an exhibition at the studio, which will run until 2 December.
At the opening the jewellery from gold, jewels, shell, elephant hair and other organic material was complimented by models showing fashions from 100 percent Chilean Alpaca fibre.
Some years ago Udo and Carmen Mettendorf of Paarl became interested in the doe-eyed, soft-fibred Alpaca. They flew to Chile for training on an alpaca farm and have since been advocating the potential of the animals as pets or investment.
Their first contact in Chile, designer Maria Bravo (owner of the farm Llay Llay north of Santiago), flew to Paarl last week to present part of her 2006/07 range of alpaca fashions to an appreciative audience in the garden of the Schnack’s homestead.
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