Lions with diamond-encrusted bodies and black manes, panthers studded with emeralds, a wonderfully plump Chai pendant dripping in diamonds. Across his collections, jeweler Ori Halperin pushes traditional Jewish symbols into the world of extravagant goldwork, brilliant gems, and painstakingly detailed craftsmanship. In his Wild Chai series, he transforms the letters חי into a full menagerie of animals rendered in precious metals. Raised at his mother’s booth in New York’s Diamond District, Halperin spent nearly two decades refining his trade before taking his process entirely in-house, pairing traditional hand technique with an unconventional, expressive imagination.

Halperin was selected for the index because of his exuberant approach to fine jewelry and Jewish symbolism. There is a great tension between the rigor of his technical execution and the mischievous nature of his designs. Whether it’s a predator emerging from the curves of a Hebrew chet or a golden serpent offering a ruby apple in the Temptations ring, Halperin transforms classic Jewish motifs into distinct, high-impact fine jewelry built with serious attitude.