RetinaSignature
The only pattern that belongs to you alone.
Other pieces of jewelry carry a symbol for a person. A RetinaSignature carries the person – as a fine line, developed from the individual pattern of your retina.
A heart stands for love. A ring for the bond. Both are signs for an idea. A RetinaSignature is a sign for one particular person – and therefore the only symbol that cannot be transferred to anyone else.
What a RetinaSignature is
A personal signature, developed from the individual pattern of your retina.
At the back of every person’s eye lies a fine web of nerve fibers and vessels. It forms before birth in a growth process that never repeats – not in any other person, not even in identical twins, and not even between your left and your right eye.
RETINA® takes this pattern as its starting point and translates it artistically: a section is chosen, the line work is traced, a 3D visualization is created for the particular piece and, once approved by our clients, cast in gold or platinum. What emerges in the end is neither a reproduction nor a data record, but an ornament – from within you.
What matters is understanding the why: the RETINA® Concept grew out of a years-long search for a way to unite three things in one piece of jewelry: aesthetics, uniqueness and personal symbolism. Read more on each of these themes and what lies behind them.
How a RetinaSignature comes to be
Four steps, from a glance at a point to the finished piece.
The conversation
Before anything is captured, we talk about the occasion, the person and the piece that is to be made. Without this story, there would only be a pattern.
The RetinaScan
About a minute. You sit comfortably and look at a point; the image is captured without contact. No drops, no contact with the eye, no preparation.
The translation
We choose the section with the most beautiful line work and develop the design from it. You see the result in advance as a photorealistic 3D visualization.
The handwork
Only once you are satisfied does production by hand begin in our atelier at Rheinsprung 10 in Basel. The How it works page shows the full journey.
One minute that lasts
The moment your signature comes to be is surprisingly unspectacular. You sit, you look at a point, it clicks. Nothing touches your eye, nothing hurts, nothing needs to be prepared.
And yet this moment is the only one in the entire process that cannot be repeated. Everything after it – material, shape, width, setting – can be designed. The pattern existed before you were born.
What a RetinaSignature expressly is not
Because the word retina evokes technical associations, let us say it plainly: a RetinaSignature is not a biometric identifier and not a medical product. No biometric authentication takes place, and we do not produce any medical evaluation of your scan.
The line work is selected as a section, abstracted, scaled and reworked until it becomes a jewelry design. From the finished piece alone, neither a person can be identified nor a finding derived. Only with the certificate and the accompanying design documentation that every client receives is it possible to attribute the piece unambiguously to its wearer. What you wear is an ornament with hidden symbolism: to outsiders, a beautiful, organic line. To you, a symbol of your uniqueness – for some, even the key to the window to the soul.
Your scan is used solely to design your piece of jewelry. We take data protection seriously – your images are not passed on and not used for any other purpose – and on request we delete them once production is complete. Many clients, however, ask us to keep them for potential future projects.
From the universal symbol to the personal signature
People have always worn symbols: a heart, an anchor, a tree of life. These signs carry meaning that has grown over generations. But they do not tell which love is meant – only that love is meant.
The RetinaSignature begins exactly there. It does not replace the universal symbol; it adds what is missing: the direction toward one particular person. A heart with your signature is no longer a heart.
It is the ultra-personal symbol of your uniqueness.
Two signatures, one sign
A RetinaSignature does not have to remain alone. Two signatures can be led into one another, set opposite each other or divided between two partner pieces – many couples each wear the other’s signature this way. A sign that is only complete as a pair.
Most often this happens with wedding rings. It is possible on almost all pieces: pendants, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, cufflinks and watches.
Why uniqueness alone is not enough
Every person is unique – that alone does not make a meaningful piece of jewelry. Uniqueness only becomes valuable when it is tied to a story: to an occasion, a bond, a person one does not want to lose.
That is why every piece with us begins with a conversation, not with a scan. Why the unrepeatable moves us so deeply at all is explored in our essay on uniqueness.
The person as the sign
We searched for a long time for the right symbol for the most important bond of our lives and found only signs that could belong to anyone else too, or aesthetically unrewarding ones like fingerprints, which reminded us of a crime scene. At some point we realized we were searching in the wrong direction. For the most personal symbol, we had to look deep within.
A RetinaSignature makes visible what exists only once anyway. It invents no uniqueness and creates no artificial scarcity. It takes what a person brings with them and turns it into a form that can be worn.
There is only one of you. Your jewelry should know that.
Your signature begins with a conversation
The scan takes a minute. The story before it needs a little more time – and that is exactly what we take, online or in the atelier at Rheinsprung 10 in Basel.
Book a consultationFrequently asked questions about the RetinaSignature
What is a RetinaSignature?
The RetinaSignature is a personal signature developed from a person’s individual retinal pattern. The pattern of fine vessel lines at the back of the eye is different in every person. RETINA® translates this line work artistically into a form that is worked by hand into a piece of jewelry.
Is the RetinaSignature a biometric or medical product?
No. The RetinaSignature is a purely aesthetic design element. There is no biometric identification and no medical evaluation. The pattern is artistically abstracted and reworked in the design process – from the finished piece, no person can be identified and no medical finding can be derived.
How does the RetinaScan work?
The RetinaScan takes about a minute. You sit comfortably, look at a point, and the image is captured without contact. No contact with the eye, no drops, no preparation. Afterwards we discuss together which section of your pattern yields the most beautiful line work.
Does the RetinaScan hurt?
No. The scan is contact-free and painless. Nothing is put into the eye and nothing touches it. Most people are surprised by how unspectacular and quick the moment is.
Why is the retinal pattern unique?
The pattern of blood vessels at the back of the eye forms before birth in a growth process that never repeats. It differs between all people, even between identical twins – and even between the left and right eye of the same person.
Can my piece of jewelry be traced back to me?
No. The line work is artistically abstracted, selected as a section, scaled and reworked until it becomes a jewelry design. The result is an ornament, not a data record. It cannot be traced back to a person.
Can you tell from the piece that it is a retina?
Only if you tell the story. To outsiders, a RetinaSignature is a beautiful, organic line. That is exactly what we mean by hidden symbolism: the meaning belongs to you, the beauty is seen by all.
Can I combine two signatures in one piece of jewelry?
Yes, and it is one of the most beautiful ways. Two signatures can be led into one another, set opposite each other or divided between two partner pieces. Many couples each wear the other’s signature this way – a sign that is only complete as a pair.
Is a RetinaSignature of a deceased person possible?
Only if a suitable image already exists, for example from an earlier ophthalmological examination, and the relatives are entitled to use it. We review every request individually and with the care it deserves. Talk to us – we will tell you honestly whether it is possible.
What happens to my scan?
The scan is used solely to design your piece of jewelry. It is not passed on and not used for any other purpose. On request we delete it once production is complete; just let us know.
On which pieces of jewelry is a RetinaSignature possible?
On almost all of them. Most common are rings, especially wedding rings, as well as pendants, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and cufflinks. The line work is adapted individually for each piece so that it suits the surface and the way it is worn.
How long does it take from scan to finished piece?
After the scan, you first receive a photorealistic 3D visualization of your design. Only once you are satisfied does production by hand begin in our atelier in Basel. We describe the full journey on the How it works page; for urgent occasions there is an express service.