kleine Rheinperle:The Goldsmith Workshop Brand of RETINA®
Our in-house brand – everything began in 2007 with the kleine Rheinperle, our “little Rhine pearl”. From it emerged the RETINA®-Concept in 2016, which led to the founding of RetinaDesign AG in 2023.
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Handcrafted, individual designs straight from the workshop
In our atelier, the kleine Rheinperle, we combine traditional goldsmithing with modern sustainability. Every piece we create is as unique as the people who wear it. We use only carefully selected, sustainable precious metals to create jewelry that is not only timeless but also responsible.
This attitude has tradition: as the first goldsmith’s atelier in Basel, we began working with eco gold – and relied early on sustainably sourced and processed precious metals overall.
2007: a classic goldsmith’s atelier – like many others
When the kleine Rheinperle opened in Basel’s old town in 2007, it was a classic goldsmith’s atelier like many others: workbench, fire, file, patience. We grew with pearls – and above all with what mattered most to us from the very beginning: handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces.
Even then: one-of-a-kind pieces instead of a catalog
Individual one-of-a-kind pieces were never created from a template here, but in conversation – and even then they were designed together with our customers using 3D visualization before the workshop crafted them by hand. What made us special then is now at the core of everything we do.
Basel knew us as pearl knotters – and then as goldsmiths for individual wedding rings
Pearl necklaces from our workshop almost never broke. The knots were set so beautifully tight that even after years there was no gap to be seen between the pearls – something you can observe on many other necklaces over time. Word of this care got around in Basel.
We also knotted our popular gemstone necklaces, while many others merely strung them on wire – far less secure, for if the wire breaks, the stones scatter. So we first became known as pearl knotters and then as goldsmiths for individual wedding rings – as Google still says to this day.
Basel’s largest pearl selection
Tahitian pearls, South Sea pearls and natural pearls: for years we carried the largest pearl selection in the city. Anyone looking for a special pearl came to Rheinsprung. And so did anyone who wanted a necklace that lasts.
From pearl atelier to the RETINA®-Concept
From this insight, the RETINA®-Concept emerged in 2016: jewelry whose template is not invented, but lies within the person themselves. In 2023 it led to the founding of RetinaDesign AG. The workshop, however, has remained the same – with the same standard of handwork, only with a task that exists nowhere else in the world.
Still at the same location
For a time we even opened branches in Zurich and Riehen. But we stayed where everything began: at the same location in Basel’s old town, where today we welcome you as RETINA® in the atelier at Rheinsprung.
Even back then our reviews were top – and they have remained so.
“Stefan is amazing at what he does. We got our wedding rings here (lava flows in Mars) and recommended it to our best friends who also got theirs too. Unique and different.”
Saying goodbye to the pearls
At some point the decision had to be made: pearls or RETINA®. We chose to give up the pearl business in favor of RETINA®. Many offer pearls – with RETINA® we are still unique worldwide. And the work is far more fulfilling: it is always about deeply meaningful pieces of jewelry, which is often not the case with pearl earrings, for example.
No pearl sales, no pearl necklace repairs
Unfortunately, we no longer sell pearls or pearl jewelry – and we no longer knot or repair pearl necklaces either.
One-of-a-kind pieces with meaning
All the care that once went into tight knots now goes into pieces that exist only once: RETINA® jewelry, developed from a person’s own template. There Is Only One.
Why the website still exists
The website of the kleine Rheinperle still exists – as our classic goldsmith website. It is still found by people looking for something unique, or at least handcrafted. Many of them become RETINA® customers: the path from the kleine Rheinperle to RETINA® is the same one we took ourselves.
The same workshop. A new chapter.
Whether you know the kleine Rheinperle from the old days or are just discovering RETINA®: the conversation begins as it did back then – with time, listening and your story.
Get in touchFrequently asked questions about the kleine Rheinperle
What is the kleine Rheinperle?
The kleine Rheinperle is the in-house goldsmith workshop brand of RETINA®. Everything began with it in 2007: as a classic goldsmith’s atelier in Basel, grown with pearls and above all with handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces. From it emerged the RETINA®-Concept in 2016, which led to the founding of RetinaDesign AG in 2023.
Can I still buy pearls or pearl necklaces at the kleine Rheinperle?
No. We gave up the pearl business in favor of RETINA®. Many offer pearls – with RETINA® we are unique worldwide. We no longer sell pearls, pearl necklaces or pearl jewelry.
Does the kleine Rheinperle still repair or knot pearl necklaces?
No. We no longer offer pearl necklace repairs or restringing either – although this request still reaches us regularly. We concentrate entirely on handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces based on the RETINA®-Concept.
What was the kleine Rheinperle known for in Basel?
Basel valued us first as pearl knotters: our pearl necklaces almost never broke, and the knots were set so tightly that even after years no gap could be seen between the pearls. We also knotted popular gemstone necklaces instead of merely stringing them on wire. With Tahitian, South Sea and natural pearls we carried Basel’s largest pearl selection, were the first goldsmith’s atelier in the city to work with eco gold – and then became known as goldsmiths for individual wedding rings.
What became of the kleine Rheinperle?
One-of-a-kind pieces, designed together with customers via 3D visualization even then, made people happiest. From this emerged the RETINA®-Concept in 2016 and RetinaDesign AG in 2023. The workshop itself has remained – at the same location in Basel’s old town.
Where is the goldsmith’s atelier today?
Since the beginning we have stayed at the same location in Basel’s old town – even after temporarily opening branches in Zurich and Riehen. Today we welcome you there as RETINA® in the atelier at Rheinsprung 10 in Basel.
Why does the website of the kleine Rheinperle still exist?
The website kleinerheinperle.ch is our classic goldsmith website. It is still found by people looking for something unique, or at least handcrafted – and many of them become RETINA® customers.
Does the workshop still make handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces?
Yes – more than ever. Handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces were the core of the kleine Rheinperle from the very beginning. Today they are created as RETINA® jewelry: deeply meaningful individual pieces that are visualized photorealistically in 3D before they are made.