What is the Black Gold?

As a merger of aesthetics and science, along with Stefan Cioroba's passion for both design and architecture, MAKAB concept as a jewelry brand came to life in 2017 bringing to the market a unique product. MAKAB embodies eternity through the use of sacred geometry and the essence of the fractals. The founder enhanced the emotions through a synergetic interaction of materials and their duality purposes; he used rare coffee crystals to reflect the darkness and pure silver to embrace the light. Through the carefully curated line of unisex pieces, MAKAB aims to reveal the most distinctive human trait we possess, duality. Therefore, at the core of the brand lies the designers belief that each individual is intrinsically designed by a unique series of elements that are in continuous antithesis, where one cannot exist without the other, such qualities as darkness and light, noise and silence, obedience and rebelliousness.

In order to translate his outtake on life and the purpose of duality, Stefan translated his thoughts into physical forms, darkness is seen through coffee elements such as beads or pendants, manufactured from the rarest types of coffee on Earth, whilst light is reflected through the pure silver accents, embodied by chains or shells seen in all MAKAB pieces.

MAKAB represents avant-garde jewelry that is as disruptive for the market as it becomes distinctive for the wearer.

 

The Idea

Duality has always been the cornerstone of our design.

Be it the two sides of a coin, the yin and the yang, the light and the darkness, we believe there is a little thing called duality in each and every one of us. It is the sole identifier of every human being, the sum of all our parts – the good ones and the not so good – completing each other, while at the same time completely opposing one another. 

It is about who you are and who you aim to be. Who you are to others, and who you are to yourself, as you stand alone, in front of the mirror. The saint and the sinner, the obedient and the rebel – the two sides of yourself that are magnetically and intrinsically intertwined, with one always trying to dominate the other. 

And  it is only when these two worlds collide, that you know you’ve reached full awareness. Of yourself. Of others. Of everything surrounding you, really.

 

The Bond

As a key element of the MAKAB identity, duality is to be found in all the jewelry we create.

On a conceptual level, it is the designer’s belief that no individual is ever solely ‚good’ or ‚bad’. That we are all made up of antithetical traits, none of which would ever exist without the other. Take the exuberant, but with a touch of restraint; the fierce, yet ever-so-gentle and soft-spoken; the sinner with a heart of gold – this is what duality accounts for.

On a surface level, duality lies in the stark color contrast of our pieces, whereby dark, warm coffee beads are complemented by the light, more delicate Sterling silver touches. All whilst highlighting the same dichotomy of ‚good’ and ‚bad’.

Lastly, on a more practical level, it is to be found in the versatility of our unisex pieces. Ready to wear with your favourite crisp white tee and a leather jacket, as well as with a sharp, impeccable black shirt, one thing is for sure: they are set to complete any and either one of your favorite outfits. All you are left to do is decide whether you are going to be the Saint or the Sinner – and frankly, why not be a little bit of both?  

 

The Coffee

Only the best coffee in the world goes into making our stunning pieces here, at MAKAB.

We source our coffee from various parts of the world, ensuring it is always compliant with environmental and fairtrade regulations.

Finca El Injerto

Premium coffee beans sourced from a family-owned business in Guatemala, with a history of over 100 years in coffee farming.

Black Ivory

One of the world’s rarest, most expensive coffees, sourced from Northern Thailand. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is one of the very few coffee varieties that are animal-refined – in this case, elephant refined.

Hacienda La Esmeralda

Sustainably-farmed coffee beans from the volcanic soils of Boquet, Panama, a rising star in the coffee industry.

Due to limited availability and commercial restrictions, some of our pieces are often locally produced at the site of origin.

 

The Process

We dedicate a lot of effort into making sure our end product is always up to the highest of standards. The process is never easy, but rather complex, thus making each piece that more valuable.

First, the coffee beans are dried and ground, then dried again and mixed with special bonding agents that will give it that perfect texture. Following this, the coffee is then moulded into shape and dried for a final time. The beads are then polished to obtain a flawless, sharp look, which usually takes a little longer to achieve. The silvers shells for each bead are made to measure, ensuring the best possible fit for all our jewelry.

Last but not least, the jewelry benefits from a special protective oil-based treatment that is set to keep them safe from all possible external factors, such as damage from water or the sun.