Assembly Label has collaborated with Australian jewellery brand Vermeer Studio on an exclusive jewellery capsule collection. Arriving May 2023, the necklace and earrings are handcrafted in Australia using Green Aventurine, a stone associated with opportunity and abundance. To mark the launch of Assembly Label x Vermeer Studio jewellery, we spoke with co-founders and co-directors Tané Meiring and Gabriel Krestensen about the making of the collection and building a brand with your best friend.
Tané Meiring and Gabriel Krestensen have been friends since fifth grade, an age when friendships are built on big dreams and promises to remain thick as thieves forever. To stay true to those pacts and live out those bright-eyed ambitions is a precious thing indeed, and in 2018 Tané and Gabriel launched Vermeer Studio, an Australian jewellery brand based on the Gold Coast. “Growing up, our creative styles complemented each other. We always wanted to do something together creatively, and we knew we would one day dream up something beautiful,” say the friends and co-founders.
After leaving school, Gabriel pursued a career in fashion design; for Tané it was photography. Their individual endeavours, however, didn’t dull their desire to work together. “Whenever we had the chance we would sit with a wine and talk about everything we wanted to create, but it wasn't until Gab had her first baby boy that we decided it was now or never,” reflects Tané. At that moment, she says, “Vermeer Studio was born”.
Vermeer Studio was built on a promise that Tané and Gabriel would only ever create pieces they would want to wear. “We design for ourselves,” they say. Vermeer Studio’s collection of necklaces, bracelets and earrings evolves at a pace that reflects their values, and all Vermeer jewellery is designed and made in Australia. When they founded Vermeer Studio, every piece was made to order, and they continue doing so to this day. This way, they explain, “we don’t waste any material and make only what has been sold. It is more hands-on and a slower process, but this is the way we love it.” Gabriel and Tané have also developed a strong relationship with their trusted suppliers, who work with them to source the best possible stones and materials.
“We resonate with the desire to create timeless and versatile pieces and we share the same values as Assembly Label.”
Comprised of a Green Aventurine necklace and earrings, the Assembly Label x Vermeer Studio jewellery collection was inspired by a shared appreciation for our environment and surrounds. “We resonate with the desire to create timeless and versatile pieces and we share the same values as Assembly Label, being a socially and environmentally responsible company,” Tané says of the collaboration. The colour of the Green Aventurine — a stone spiritually associated with opportunity and abundance — resonated with both teams for its enduring beauty. “We love the simplicity of the collaboration pieces and how they complement Assembly Label garments. We are gravitating towards greens and blues at the moment, so this green is very fitting,” muses Gabriel.
One perk that comes with being surrounded by jewellery every day is the ability to play around with different pairings and looks. Tané reveals she often wears simple gold or silver hoops with the Henri Necklace in freshwater pearls and lapis lazuli, or her Phoenix Necklace in amethyst and jade. Gabriel’s favourites are the Genevieve Necklace in smokey crystal quartz and the Devon Necklace with spotted jasper and freshwater pearls. You’ll also find her wearing gold Finley and Sylvie Bracelets with hoops.
“We have a beautiful creative relationship. We are very honest with each other and talk about everything… there is a lot of trust in one another’s creative process and decision making.”
As Vermeer Studio has grown, so too have Tané and Gabriel’s families — Gabriel now has two children, and Tané is the mother of one. Building a brand that allowed them to balance their roles as business owners and mothers was of deep importance, and one rule they live by is that their families come first. “Sometimes it can be very overwhelming to want to conquer everything at once, especially because we take pride in doing everything to the best of our abilities,” they share. “We have learnt to slow down and not be too hard on ourselves, and we make space for this in our ever-changing work schedules and regimes.”
Has working so closely, for so long, had an impact on their 21-year friendship? According to Gabriel and Tané, their partnership is their greatest reward. “We have a very beautiful creative relationship which we know isn’t easy to come by. We are very honest with each other and talk about everything… there is a lot of trust in one another’s creative process and decision making,” says Tané. “We also make each other laugh and love having a wine together, which always makes for a good time and lots of inspiration.” Poignantly, Tané and Gabriel say that their greatest inspirations are their own mothers, and it was Gabriel’s mother who first taught them how to make jewellery. “It is such a privilege to have a career that we love. We regularly pinch ourselves that this is what we get to do together!”
