Avshalom, Avshalom: Fine Gold Jewelry For Men

Bracelets and gold pendant by PerePaix. Cotton tank top by Robert P. Miller

Jewelry designer Avshalom Rave came to his craft almost by accident. After moving from Israel to New York to accommodate a boyfriend's career, he found himself becoming what he only half-jokingly describes as a "desperate housewife" in Manhattan. To amuse himself, he made jewelry he could wear around town–and was pleasantly surprised when other people liked his work and asked to buy it for themselves.

Gold pendant on leather cord by PerePaix.

Response was so great, in fact, that Rave soon found it necessary to set up shop in Tel Aviv, employing a small team of craftsmen and salespeople to produce and promote his necklaces, bracelets and rings for men. He named the endeavor PerePaix (French for "Father Peace," a play on his first name, Avshalom), and drew inspiration from the heritage of his mixed Mediterranean roots–an Egyptian mother, a Yemenite father and a childhood spend in Israel. The result? A range of bold pieces incorporating ancient symbols of heraldry and masculinity, reinterpreted with an artist's eye for elegant lines and fine details. 

Gold pendant on leather cord by PerePaix. Leather parka by Bally.

Until recently, Rave had worked almost exclusively in sterling silver, but this season he succumbed to the Midas touch (which we at FA2L happen to love). Rendered in 14k gold, PerePaix's symbols look like remnants of ancient civilizations–plunder from the siege of Troy, perhaps, or artifacts discovered in a long-lost Babylonian cache.

A portrait of the designer, Avshalom Rave

As for Rave himself, he's thrilled by the growing response to his work (if a bit daunted by the size of recent orders). His main goal for 2013 is to increase the number of stores carrying his jewelry–and, for that matter, the number of guys wearing it. We're fairly sure that as more and more men discover his designs, they'll be lining up to buy them.

Photographs by Noël Sutherland. Grooming by Davide Marinelli/MUZE Salon. Model: Clark Cord at Ford Models. Produced and styled by Mark Grischke for Fashion As a 2nd Language.