If the jewellery craftsmen of ancient Greece were to impress a makers mark on their creations today, it is likely to be a distinctive 'Z'.

In a marriage of myth, culture and contemporary design, Zolotas breath new life into the antiquities of Greece displaying in their pieces an homogenous blend of the ancient and the modern wrought from the simplicity of gold and silver. Perhaps the key to the Zolotos philosophy of design can be found in the titles of the lectures that the company's President and Director General, Maria Papastamou frequently gives: Mythology in the Art of Old and the Affinity between Women and Jewellery. In its own way, a Zolotas creation can bridge the chasm between the mortal and the immortal as images of Danae, Aphrodite and Athena adorn the necks and wrists of modern day muses.

Conjuring the past with a token acquiescence to detail is not an unusual occurrence in design, but Zolotas are unique in that they are the only company permitted to make exact replicas of museum pieces; from general dimensions to the most intricate linear stroke, a privilege afforded them in 1972.

"It was a most difficult authorisation to secure," says Madame Marianne Papalexis, Manager of Zolotas. "We had to be passed by a committee who were concerned about the quality of our reproductions but of course such care is justified because they were protecting Greek history. We secured the right and now we work closely with the Greek Museum.