Raised in Germany, Ilka Bruse started her professional education in metal art and design at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hildesheim. An approved goldsmith, she designs jewelry combining metal, paper, and pearls, and incorporating floral and animal motifs. Bruse, who crafts her pieces by hand, considers jewelry to be her language, with which she shapes her world; it is alive and vital, multicolored, and always in motion. She likens her jewelry to a dialogue with an inspiring counterpart: it piques her curiosity, opens up new perspectives, and is a source of pure joy.