Ilias Lalaounis

Ilias Lalaounis is a jeweler artist and academic widely known for creating luxurious gold jewelry inspired from Greek history and antiquity. Ilias Lalaounis was born in Athens in 1920 he belongs to a fourth generation of goldsmiths and watchmakers from the region of Delphi. He studied Economics at the Athens University and then decided to join his uncle’s Jewelry Company where he apprenticed as a goldsmith.

In 1942 while Greece was still in the midst of WWII Lalaounis took the family firm and started studying ancient Greek art and antiquities. In the 1950 when Greece was recovering from the wars his vision became clear and he decided to revive Greek museum artifacts and antiquities by transforming them into jewelry using modern technologies. In his pursuit he had to uncover older practices like that of “granulation”, “filigree”, “handweeving”  and “hand hammering”. In 1957 he founded the Greek jewelers association and exhibited his first collection, inspired by Minoan and Mycenaean art.
 In 1960 Lalaounis, after his uncle passed away moved the business to Karyatides Street and started his own company. He mainly chose Gold as a primary material unlike other jewelers who used diamonds and other precious stones. His inspiration came from the prehistoric Minoan, Persian and byzantine art all the way to Chinese art and the art of the Tudors. 
     

His work was widely appreciated and hi business kept expanding throughout Europe Asia and America.  He was the first goldsmith to be honored by the institute de France Academie de Beaux Arts des Letters for his contribution to the art of jewelry creation.