Alluringly practical, Gemma shines an
exquisite light on functionality. A column of
detailed cut crystal gently illuminates from
the top, while a purposeful light radiates
downward. The stainless steel and glass
casing make it a graceful addition to any
space. Gemma is the perfect combination
of contemporary heritage, with its modern
form featuring traditional glass cutting
techniques and material by designer Daniel
Szöllösi.
Speaking exclusively with darc, Szöllösi
explained his vision behind the new release.
“The concept was inspired by Preciosa’s
traditional glass cutting craft and the
way glass transforms into what I see as a
gemstone. Its concept was inspired simply
by the fact that there was no lamp in
Preciosa’s portfolio with both functional and
decorative lighting features. I imagined a
contemporary design yet a classy one that
is very functional and can be used both as
a spotlight over a reading table, reception
area, table in a restaurant, or as a source
of ambient, more decorative and magical
light. Gemma can fit any given space by
adjusting the light from both sources as
desired.”
A relatively young designer, Szöllösi’s
relationship with Preciosa began when
he was working on his diploma thesis and
received callback from the lighting brandfor an interview. Preciosa selects three
diploma works each year, with the idea
of producing them as fully functional
prototypes. With a decision to be made- should he continue with his diploma
thesis on chair design or take an entirely
new direction to work on a pendant – the
Gemma lamp was born.
Commenting on the process so far, Szöllösi
tells darc: “One of the most challenging
aspects of this project was finding the
technical solutions that allows the design
to be fully functional yet aesthetically
pleasing. For example, I had to design
a solution to wire up the socket for the
bottom spotlight lamp - it has to be invisible
yet at the same time, is placed behind
transparent glass. Another, similarly difficult
part was designing a way for owners to
easily remove the middle component in
order to change both light sources; the
final design only takes three moves: upward
push, leftward twist, downward pull.
As with a lot of Preciosa’s works, Gemma
makes use of crystal glass and metal.
Szöllösi continues: “One of things about
working with glass that fascinates me is how
it is created from the amorphous molten
silica mineral, but ends up as a refined
piece of glass in any shape, but at the same
time complements a stainless steel pipe
that is, in contrast, machine produced from
start to finish.”
What makes Gemma stand out from the
rest of the Preciosa range, is its use of two
light sources that have different functions
and can be independently controlled.
The combination of direct light from the
spotlight placed at the bottom of the lamp
and indirect ambient light emitted from
the lamp placed in the centre of the fixture
offer different lighting options but in one
designer piece.
“Gemma uses simple technologies allowing
the customer to do all the maintenance,”
says Szöllösi. “The setup of the lamps
and the wiring allows the fixture to be
connected via various control systems. Both
the ambient lamp and the spotlight are
individually controlled and on dimmers.
This gives the user ultimate control on the
amount of lighting needed at any particular
time.”
The design concept of Gemma makes it
suitable for any environment imaginable.
With three modifications available –
frosted, clear, and a frosted wedge cut, key
features of the fixture make it suitable for
environments where you want to create the
perfect mood lighting, but it also fits areas
for work or reading when more direct light
is required.
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Gemma by Daniel Szöllösi
Preciosa Lighting