Mish
Magpies flock to this intimate NoHo jewellery salon for its fanciful creations and exquisite bespoke work
Set behind purple-lacquered doors on NoHo’s bustling Bond Street, you’ll find Mish, the eponymous jewellery salon and studio of the very dapper Mish Tworkowski. The designer is noted for his exuberant, sought-after creations and innovative bespoke work, in particular his organically inspired designs.
gold Wakaya cuffs with shell shapes, based on those found in Fiji, embellished with brown diamonds, $168,000 and $166,000 | Image: Dorothy Hong
He learnt to sketch and mould “by osmosis” at an early age, while spending time at a family friend’s jewellery firm. But it was during his years as a jewellery specialist at Sotheby’s in New York and London that he garnered a stylish following who sought the fanciful treasures he created on the side – and who continue to be some of his most loyal patrons. Tworkowski is the sole designer of the salon’s creations, and he works with a team of six to make pieces for an international clientele.
After 10 years in a carriage house on the Upper East Side, Tworkowski and his partner – the shop’s architect, Joseph Singer – moved to this mid-19th-century space in 2011, adding hand-painted walls inspired by petrified wood, a striking art-deco lilac suede sofa and a 1940s Barovier chandelier. The boutique’s bronze vitrines display Tworkowski’s jewels and nature’s inspiration is evident – take the chunky gold Wakaya cuffs with shell shapes, based on those found in Fiji, embellished with brown diamonds ($168,000 and $166,000), and a rose-gold Honeywood cocktail ring with a Mandarin garnet ($64,000). A vault holds some 400 additional treasures, including lariats of topaz nuggets with tassels of pearls and diamonds ($28,000). Modern art collectors, meanwhile, seeks out Mish for his bold, mineral-specimen pieces, such as blue shattuckite earrings ($18,600).
Bonnelle lariat necklace with smoky-topaz nuggets and tassels in gold, grey Tahitian and gold keshi pearls and beads, $28,000 | Image: Dorothy Hong
It is, however, Mish’s bespoke commissions that are the most exciting. From a request by Isabella Rossellini to rework her mother Ingrid Bergman’s strands of pearls into stone-encrusted bracelets and a chain necklace for her daughter, Elettra Wiedemann, to crafting custom-made tiaras, Tworkowski delights in creating “functional sculpture” for a discerning clientele.
This collaborative process includes everything from visits to a client’s home country to museum forays. “I get to know my customers very well – their stories, favourite places, colour preferences and their level of formality,” he says. After initial consultations, an on-site watercolourist then creates renderings on signature chocolate-brown paper, so that a client can visualise each commission.
As a result, his works are both personal and inventive. He has, for example, reimagined a customer’s priceless Suzanne Belperron ring to fit her more relaxed lifestyle, while other standout designs include Asian-inspired keepsakes ($36,000), featuring the camellias, koi and stone lanterns loved by a Tokyo-based couple.
His creations may be uniquely varied, but every one of his pieces showcases Tworkowski’s exquisite artistry and contemporary flair. “In the end,” he says, “I hope that I am creating a client’s power amulet – something that they feel is special but that they can wear all the time.”