PETRA CLASS
The Alchemy of Color: Inside the World of Petra Class
In a studio nestled in San Francisco, far from the classical rigour of her German roots, Petra Class transforms gold and gemstones into sculptural compositions that walk the line between adornment and art. Her work is a study in contrasts: cut versus rough, luminous against opaque, structured yet spontaneous. For over three decades, Petra has defined a singular voice in contemporary jewelry one shaped by her training in the European tradition of applied arts and enriched by the freedom and experimentation that California invites.
Born and educated in Germany, Petra’s early years were steeped in philosophy, art history, and silversmithing. She began not with jewelry, but with tableware an experience that honed her understanding of form, function, and craft. Living in Berlin before the fall of the Wall, she started building a world of her own through jewelry, selling to galleries across Germany. But it wasn’t until she moved to San Francisco in 1991 that her namesake studio truly took root. What began as a one-woman workshop has since evolved into a family-run atelier powered by two generations, several gifted bench jewelers, and an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship.
Petra’s creations are unmistakable. High-karat recycled gold forms the foundation of 22k and 18k yellow gold, rich and glowing, hand-forged using traditional goldsmithing techniques. Into this, she folds an ever-growing palette of gemstones: lapis lazuli, morganite, sapphire, aquamarine, turquoise, opal, and more. She often sets uncut or minimally shaped stones, celebrating their organic forms and textures. Her pieces evoke rhythm and repetition but never rigidity. There’s a musicality to them—an improvisational energy reminiscent of jazz or abstract painting. Petra is, after all, a colorist at heart. She arranges hues and surfaces like a painter, layering pigment to create unexpected yet harmonious dialogues between elements.
This painterly instinct is part of what makes her jewelry so compelling. Her pieces feel intuitive yet intentional. A lilac sapphire might sit beside a slice of rough ruby, both housed in glowing gold bezels that act more like frames than settings. Her use of soft texture and brushed finishes against polished gems adds another sensory layer. Each creation feels like a miniature landscape or a fleeting mood, wearable but deeply expressive.
The atelier today is a true collaboration. Petra’s son Lucas, who grew up around the workbench, officially joined in 2020, bringing his sensibility to one-of-a-kind pieces and continuing the dialogue with his mother’s early designs. His partner, Phoebe, handles operations and brings her background in fashion and design to the brand’s communications and color compositions. Longtime goldsmith Morgan contributes complex pieces from her studio in Portland, while the newest team member, Francesca, assists in both production and day-to-day studio life.
Split between San Francisco and summers in the German countryside, Petra continues to prototype new pieces and build upon her evolving vision. Although the materials gold, gemstones, and repetition remain familiar, the studio never stops exploring. Each necklace, ring, or brooch is part of an ongoing conversation about beauty, craft, and nature’s unpredictability.
To wear Petra Class is to carry a fragment of this philosophy: that art lives not just in museums or galleries but in the objects we touch, the pieces we choose, and the colours that stay with us. Her jewelry doesn’t just adorn. It speaks. And what it says is different for every wearer, every time.
