hum is a brand of jewelry popular with a wide range of demographics due to its simple yet unique design and uncompromising commitment to hand-made creations. Yuka Inanuma , who serves as its director and designer, says she goes to history and science museums more often than art museums both inside and outside Japan. “I like places where you can get a glimpse of the historical background of things like a people’s traditional crafts and designs. But I don’t just translate what I see directly into jewelry; rather, the feelings I get when I see the exhibits give me inspiration for my work. The things I see and their background are input deep into my mind and gradually seep out, influencing my designs.”

“I also like going to antique jewelry shops in Europe. I appreciate crafts more than art and antiques more than new jewelry. I’m more interested in how something was made than who made it. I want to know more about ‘origins’ than ‘originals.’ Being exposed to something old is an opportunity to rethink and rediscover techniques and designs that have become commonplace in modern times.”

* The following photos are of places Ms. Inanuma visited when living in Paris. Photo 1 is of the National Museum of Natural History. Photo 2 is of the Museum of Hunting and Nature. Photo 3 is of the Arab World Institute. Photo 4 is of the Quai Branly Museum, a museum that specializes in non-Western art from Africa, Asia, and other regions.

“I started participating in exhibitions in Paris in 2010, but I didn’t receive much of a response at first. For around four years, I couldn’t figure out why the response was lukewarm compared to other European countries like Italy or the UK. Then I realized I had to live there and observe the sensibilities of the locals, so I decided to move to Paris for three months.”

“It’s hard to put into words, but the impression I got living there was that the people place a lot of importance on classical styles . I realized that they use and cherish one thing for a long time and that it takes time for them to accept something from the outside. The same goes for the buildings there too. There are many places like palaces and churches that have not changed in several hundred years. Japan doesn’t have many places like that, so it really moved me. It gave me the acute realization that that was the kind thing I wanted to create, which led to hum’s current approach. Instead of releasing new pieces each year, we develop and offer classic jewelry to customers. That is the philosophy that forms the basis for hum today.”

* When living in Paris, Ms. Inanuma also traveled to the countryside. Photo 1 is of the Galerie Véro-Dodat covered passage (an early form of shopping arcade) in Paris which was built in the 19th century. Photo 2 is of the Palace of Versailles. Photo 3 is of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Reims. Photo 4 is from her trip to Alsace.

A unique feature of hum is that the designer and artisans work in tandem to create the jewelry. Every stage of the production process except for material procurement is carried out in their studio and every piece is created one at a time by an artisan. And just as Ms. Inanuma resolved to do in Paris, they strive to create jewelry that will be cherished for years to come. “Very few pieces that were completely designed by me turn into products. I design jewelry that I would like to have but doesn’t exist yet, but I always discuss my ideas with the artisans.”

“When I tell them what I want to create, they offer suggestions and opinions from an artisan’s point of view. hum jewelry is created through this exchange with the artisans. Today we have 10 full-time artisans, each with different a specialty and unique point of view. I want hum to be a brand where you can see the techniques of the artisans in the jewelry, so we also hold metal-carving classes and workshops on remodeling existing jewelry.”

“It takes more than just the design to ensure that people will cherish jewelry for a long time. Making it so it is durable and doesn’t break is just as important as having a timeless design you never tire of. When I talk with an artisan about the jewelry I want to make, they often give suggestions on how to ensure it can be used for a long time. This might result in changing the fastener or the width of the parts. Jewelry made with an artisan can be cherished for many years in more than one sense. I think that this is a unique feature of hum.”

* hum jewelry being created by the meticulous handiwork of an artisan. Photo 1 shows the annealing process to soften the metal. Photo 2 shows the chain of a bracelet being connected one link at a time.

“In 2012 we released the Humete bracelet collection. The name is a combination of ‘hum’ and ‘eternity.’ It was a masterpiece that marked a turning point for the brand. The links of the chain are connected in an unbroken circle like an eternity ring surrounded with diamonds. Previously we had mainly rolled out delicate gold designs, but I grew tired of the design myself and wanted to try something new.”

“At the time people’s image of silver jewelry was either that of sturdy-looking men’s jewelry or highly decorative handmade Hawaiian jewelry. Humete is the result of carefully considering how to create silver jewelry that was distinctively hum. Another difference was that we gave suggestions on coordinating jewelry by proposing to wear Humete with one of our existing delicate gold bracelets. When it launched, we didn’t get much of a response. But we tenaciously kept making them, and before long it resonated with stylists and started to become popular.”

“Today many come to our shops looking for Humete. The collection dispelled the image of hum being delicate. Personally I like delicate jewelry and want to offer jewelry as a part of fashion, so my hope is that people mix designs of different tastes.”

“Although not a new collection, what we are focusing our efforts most on now is our Refine Metal collection. The name ‘Refine Metal’ comes from what is known as ‘refined metal,’ referring to recycled precious metals found in old jewelry and other materials, and refined precious metals found in the ‘urban mine’ or industrial waste like old mobile phones and computers. Many may have the image that metal is not recyclable, but actually it is, and the quality does not change. Thinking that we wanted to promote this far and wide as part of our sustainable manufacturing efforts, we started this collection in 2020.”

“In 2022 one of our artisans, Tomohiro Sadakiyo, became the president and founded the Japan Refined Metal Association to promote sustainable and traceable refined precious metals. Awareness is increasing on traceability, or where materials come from, but it is very obscure in the jewelry industry. We want to make sure it is visualized. The strength of the Refine Metal collection is that you can clearly trace from the materials through who made the jewelry.”

“The collection mainly consists of chain jewelry like Humete. Every single design can be made by hand. We place value on the fact that every design can be made by our artisans. To put it another way, the designs can only be made by hand and by hum. I believe the collection will become a symbol of hum craftsmanship—craftsmanship that is not based on mass production.”