Photo: Courtesy of Oded Hamm
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.
My name is Oded Hamm, I’m 74 years old, I was born in the city of Haifa in Israel.
I have 4 children, and 10 grandchildren.
I speak 3 different languages: Hebrew, German and English.
Throughout the years I have worked in various jobs, I was a bus driver, a tractor driver, a farmer, a tour guide, and now – a jewelry designer.
What inspired you to become a jewelry designer?
When I was a tour guide, I came across two plants in the dessert – the rose of Jericho and the Midget star/Star of blessing. They inspired me to try something new, and that is how I started to work as a jewelry designer. I started to attach them to different items, and eventually to jewelry as well. The flowers are very special because once water touches them, they start to open up, and once they dry out they begin to close again and return to their former self.
When you start to design a new collection, what is the process like? Where do you take your inspiration? How do you keep up with the current trends?
The process is usually trial and error. I try to think of designs that will catch the eyes of the people; that will interest them and make them want to wear it. Whether it’s in sync with their religions, their love for flowers, or their zodiac signs.
Not all of my designs have worked throughout the years. Some designs that I thought would be a success were not, so I kept on trying until I found the designs that worked.
What do you enjoy the most about the design process?
I am finding it very interesting to try out the combination of the desert flowers I grow (the rose of Jericho and the Midget star) with the jewelry that I make, and to watch the effect of water on them as well.
What are your favorite materials?
My favorite material that I use for my pendants is the desert flowers. It is very special to me because I have seen them grow from seeds, and after completing the process, match them to the pendent that connects with them the best.
What is your favourite design in your current collection?
My favorite design is a pendant in the shape of a flower (“Yarden” in my collection), and the thing that makes it my favorite is the fact that my daughter was the one who designed it. She came to me and asked for a flower shaped pendant for herself, so I gave her the opportunity to design it herself, and to this day it is my favorite pendant of them all.
Photo: Courtesy of Oded Hamm
What are your wishes for the future?
First of all I wish good health for my family and for myself. Second of all, I wish to be able to reach more people with my jewelry, to be able to introduce my life’s work to as many people as I can around the world.
Where can we find you designs?
You can find all of my collections on my website https://the-rose-of-jericho.com/
Photos: Courtesy of Oded Hamm
