Exclusive Interview with Nora Logan of Pure Dead Brilliant

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit down with

Nora Logan, the designer and owner of Pure Dead Brilliant,

a jewelry line created in Bali, Indonesia.

Nora’s work is highly unique, with a clean and fresh aesthetic, blending elements from her travels, past and the moving world.

Nora also carries  out ethical sourcing and practices within her line.

AurumEve: Your work organically marries a very grassroots and high fashion aesthetic, which is not often seen- how do you maintain this in your designs currently, and going forward?

Nora: The way I design is informed from my experiences travelling. I take bits and pieces from wherever I go.

Pure Dead Brilliant was started in Bali, and Bali informed much of the first collection. I had animals, bow ties, transport – everything and tried to keep it cohesive and it seemed to work!

Currently I’ve been spending a lot of time currently in New York City, and have already created a lot of pieces for my upcoming collection that have been informed from my time in NYC- this collection will have a streamlined and classic New York feel.

I’ve had the opportunity to spend a significant part of my life travelling, which has given me a global perspective, so it feels very natural for me to design from, and in a way that brings a lot of different aspects into one, and I’m happy that people find it works.

AurumEve: Why Bali?

Nora: The great thing about Bali, is that while places like NYC and diamond districts have history and tradition and you’re playing by their rules, I was able to set things up the way I wanted in Bali. I was able to figure things out the way that worked for me, and I continue to learn and figure it out along the way.

AurumEve: As the Diamond Collection was inspired by a play on blood diamonds and you source ethically, do you consider yourself an activist? (I consider you as such! )

Nora: Wow, no I don’t but- I wanted to make sure that whatever I was producing was done in an ethical way. Especially because I’m producing in Bali – there are places where you go where people are not paid fairly. I wanted to make sure that artisans were paid fairly and to be sure that there wasn’t anything dodgy about the silver I was sourcing or its production. And that to me, just seemed like the decent thing to do; I want the story of my brand to be authentic.

But…I like that you think I’m an activist!

AurumEve: I do! A lot of people aren’t doing the right thing and you and Pure Dead Brilliant going out of your way to do the right thing is so fantastic!

AurumEve: Are there challenges from peers, as a result of not using the traditional measures of fine jewelry such as solid gold and precious stones, and how do you approach this?

Nora: I ignore them. I listen to what supporters and customers say.

I understand that people love stones, but that’s not what I set out to create. Generally people love gems but it doesn’t need to be a precious stone; supporters love my druzy pieces and I will definitely keep making druzy pieces. From the design perspective, pieces like my Cassette Pendant work beautifully without a stone and a stone would fall out of its line of design.

If I were to go into the traditional fine jewelry realm, it wouldn’t be as accessible to my supporters and customers. Many are young women between 18 and 35 and I wanted to make the prices both affordable and realistic.

There is so much in regards to quality materials and design possibilities out there that is exceptional.

AurumEve: So jewelry is clearly a large part of your life. Growing up, did you have a jewelry ‘rite of passage’ so to speak, in your family?

Nora: My mother collected antique jewelry from around the world, but didn’t wear too much of it; she started giving pieces to me as gifts when I was about ten. When I was about ten or eleven I became obsessed with cameos, so for about ten years my mother gave me a cameo for every birthday and holiday. Also, my great aunt had incredible jewelry, and her daughter, my aunt started giving me a piece for every birthday and holiday as well.

When I was about fifteen, someone asked me why I never wear jewelry, and from that point on I was very much into wearing lots of big jewelry and big rings!

So, it is a part of my family, this interest that I have in adorning myself with jewelry.

AurumEve: Can you tell us about a special piece of jewelry you have-

Nora: There’s one piece that I’ve had since I was twelve. It’s a pendant that is a tiny little hand mirror, I think it’s from London, 1915. And it’s really old and really special and I haven’t lost it! and it’s cool. And I love that it has history and that it’s been around for so long.

It’s the kind of piece that people often ask me about, which has actually in turn, inspired me to design and create pieces that people ask about.

A big thank you to Nora, it was a pleasure and cheers to continued success!

All images courtesy of Pure Dead Brilliant.