4 min leestijd
With half-Brussels, half-British roots, she describes herself as a 'Zinneke'. Saskia Shutt has been a goldsmith in the Belgian capital for over 27 years, and her atelier breathes exactly what her jewellery radiates: stories, craftsmanship and a deep respect for people and planet. Her collaboration with VIAGE gave her work a platform that reaches far beyond the city's borders.
Collaborations that matter rarely begin with a quote. They begin more personally. Through shared women's networking groups, the goldsmith had come to know Siham Makrache, Marketing & PR Director at VIAGE. A friendship grew, and one day Saskia received a special request. Would she design an exclusive brooch for VIAGE employees with more than 15 years of service, to mark the casino's fifteenth anniversary?
How an ethical goldsmith and VIAGE shine together
The result was an elegant brooch in the shape of the VIAGE logo, crafted in Fairmined silver and set with a natural sapphire from the Ilakaka mine in Madagascar - a region renowned for its high-quality, ethically mined gemstones. Each piece of jewellery is therefore not only beautiful, it is unique and meaningful. In short: an elegant jewel, for the 'jewels' of the VIAGE family.
Saskia combines traditional techniques with contemporary design and makes a resolute choice for ethical materials such as Fairmined-certified precious metals. To that end, she visited mining communities in Peru and Colombia, eating and working alongside the people who extract materials from the earth. Fairmined silver is rare: it is only recovered as a by-product of Fairmined gold, from just eight certified mines worldwide. By choosing precisely this material, the brooches also tell the story of fair pay, safe working conditions and environmentally responsible practices in mining communities.
Over the years, her commitment to these values has been recognised with the Recognised Craft label for certified craftsmanship, the Fairmined certification for the use of responsibly mined gold and silver, and the Ecodynamic label, awarded to businesses that actively reduce their ecological impact and promote sustainable practices.
Connecting the dots
What began as a one-off project grew into something much larger. During the VIAGE celebrations, Saskia found herself in conversation with a fellow guest. It was only when the video featuring the brooch appeared on the big screen that the goldsmith discovered her conversation partner was one of the owners of VIAGE. That encounter led to a personal commission: a larger version of the brooch, with a black gemstone as a reference to playing cards.
"Jewellery is storytelling. It's telling stories. That makes it profoundly human - and that's what makes my profession so wonderful." - Saskia Shutt
Her own story doesn't end there. Someone from the international casino world was so impressed by the VIAGE brooches that Saskia was asked to design a pin for the European Casino Association (ECA) as well - a further boost in spreading her jewellery across the globe. A new dot connected the circle: a new commission for VIAGE. Designed especially for the winners of the Clover Club - VIAGE's own gaming concept - she created a clover brooch: once again in Fairmined silver, once again set with a sapphire from responsible mining.
Since a four-leaf clover is, after all, a symbol of good fortune, Saskia took the message the creative universe was sending her. She made herself a larger version of the brooch, complete with matching cufflinks featuring four sapphires.
Locally rooted, worn worldwide
Saskia Shutt represents exactly what VIAGE believes in: talent rooted here, inspiring the world from that foundation. She is not an international name who landed in Brussels. She is Brussels. And that is precisely why her work reaches so far.
"Local professions, local craftspeople - they need to be supported by the local economy," she says. "With our craftsmanship, we can put Brussels in the spotlight. That's a unique opportunity."
VIAGE shares that conviction. The collaboration with Saskia was more than a commission: it was an investment in a story that continues to resonate. On the lapels of employees who wear it with pride, on international stages, and in the hands of people who understand that a jewel can be more than beautiful.
Discover everything about Saskia Shutt and her atelier here.
