Obituaries

Rudolf Heltzel obituary: Master goldsmith and influential jewellery designer

Heltzel set high standards for a generation of Irish jewellery designers and makers

Rudolf Heltzel, the German-born, Kilkenny-based master goldsmith and jewellery designer, had died aged 79. Photograph: Roland Paschhoff

Sat May 16 2020 - 06:11

Rudolf Heltzel: Born August 20, 1940. Died April 18, 2020.

The German-born, Kilkenny-based master goldsmith and jewellery designer Rudolf Heltzel has died of cancer.

From his early days in Ireland teaching goldsmithing and through decades of working in his studio and jewellery shop in Kilkenny city, Heltzel became an influential figure in Irish design, setting high standards for a generation of Irish designer and makers.

He first came here as part of an international group of artisans invited to re-vitalise craft and design in Ireland in the 1960s. From 1966-1968, he taught the goldsmithing course in the newly created Kilkenny Design Workshops. But, unlike many of his contemporaries, Heltzel stayed on and made Ireland his home.

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Heltzel saw jewellery making as a mathematical exercise and created pieces which emanated a beautiful harmony between gold, silver and platinum and the carefully chosen gemstones from his vast collection.

Not driven by passing trends, he made sculptural pendants which had a timeless aesthetic appreciated by women of all ages and styles. His aim was for wearers to discover new elements in his rings and pendants over time.

At the opening of Rudolf Heltzel: In Precious Metal, an exhibition of his work in the National Design and Craft Gallery in Kilkenny in February 2018, design consultant Mary Mullin described his work as encompassing “Pharaoh-like geometric bands, the pre-history Celtic ornament, the clean Nordic lines or the Arabic or Persian tradition of beaten metal.”

Heltzel himself didn’t like being asked about what inspired his work and said simply that he was informed by everything he experienced in life.

Born in Berlin, the oldest of three children to Rudolf and Charlotte Heltzel (nee Wermter), Rudolf Heltzel studied both silversmithing and goldsmithing at the Meisterschule fur das Kunsthandwerk in Berlin from 1956-1960. On the recommendation of his father who was an artist and sculptor, he became an apprentice to master artisan, Max Olofs in Munich, who specialised in ecclesiastical art pieces. In 1963, he went to Stockholm to work with the influential goldsmith and industrial designer, Sigurd Persson. During his two years there, he decided he would focus his attention on goldsmithing.

He returned to Berlin with his Swedish girlfriend, Eva Olson, who he would later invite to live with him in a rented cottage in Kilkenny, where he opened his first jewellery shop. The couple married and their three children, Rebecca (who sadly died of cancer at the age of eight), Christopher and Julian were born into a truly international home where German, Swedish and English were spoken interchangeably. Eva, who was originally trained as a kindergarten teacher, held family life together and was often described as Rudolf’s muse.

A diligent, self-motivated and conscientious worker, Heltzel moved his jewellery shop to different locations in Kilkenny until he bought and renovated its current premises at 10 Patrick St, Kilkenny in 1979. In 1975, he bought the high-end jewellery business, Rionore, which had shops in Brown Thomas and Molesworth St, Dublin. He closed the loss-making outlet in Brown Thomas but sold his own jewellery for a further 10 years in the Molesworth St shop. During the 1980s recession, he moved with his family to Northern Ireland to work for the jewellery firm, Tir na nOg and as a lecturer in the Fine Arts department at Queen’s University Belfast while also keeping on his staff in his shop in Kilkenny.

By the late 1980s, the Heltzels were back in Kilkenny fostering and benefiting from the city’s emergence as a tourist destination. In his role as a voluntary member of the Crafts Council of Ireland for 14 years, Heltzel was instrumental in the establishment of the jewellery and goldsmithing skills and design course in Kilkenny in 1993. He was also a founding member and enthusiastic supporter of the Kilkenny Arts Festival, hosting exhibitions of art in his jewellery shop most years.

In his spare time, he was a keen hillwalker and avid gardener. In 2018, he received a lifetime achievement award from Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce. He was also a founder member and past president of the Rotary Club of Kilkenny.

From the late 1990s onwards, Heltzel was sought after as a consultant and advisor to jewellery manufacturing companies around the world. As his reputation grew, he travelled to advise businesses in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Philippines, Jordan, Indonesia and Botswana. He kept meticulous records of all his travels.

Rudolf Heltzel’s work has been shown in exhibitions and galleries in Japan, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK, Denmark, Sweden and the United States. In Ireland, the Hunt Museum in Limerick held an exhibition of his work, entitled The Devil’s in the Detail: A Celebration of Rudolf in 2009. And the 2018 exhibition, Rudolf Heltzel: in Precious Metal – which ran in the National Design and Craft Gallery from February 2018-April 2018 – was also shown in the State Apartments at Dublin Castle from November 2018-March 2019.

Kilkenny-based animator, Nora Twomey – whose engagement and wedding rings had been made by Heltzel – wore his pendants to both the Golden Globe awards and Oscars.

Heltzel’s son, Christopher – who trained as goldsmith after working in the film industry – took over the jewellery shop and studio in 2010. His son, Julian works as a psychotherapist in Dublin. No longer able to make jewellery due to arthritis in his fingers, Heltzel continued as a designer until shortly before his death.

Rudolf Heltzel is survived by his wife, Eva, his sons, Christopher and Julian and his sister, Maria. His daughter, Rebecca died as a child. His brother, Christoph pre-deceased him in January 2020.

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