Let's talk about...Jewellery

I'm alive! Yes, yes, I know it was long, but I do have a good reason for not writing - I found jewellery design job in a company, and currently I'm still undergoing training. So far I have 2 jobs, and commission I'm working on, so it's all about juggling the workload. This will be a very brief post, just a small sneak peak of commission I'm working on.

My brother is getting married, and I was asked to make wedding rings. His fiancee had very specific design in mind, and I ended up carving it in blue wax. I got the castings back yesterday - they are in yellow 14ct gold. I'll need to clean up sprues as soon as I have some time (today is a job day for me). I'll talk about it in more detail, when I have some more time.

I'm back!!! I know, I know - I should have written a short notice to explain why I was gone for so long. But as a matter of fact, I was really busy over the past 2 months. I got a job! Not exactly what I wanted, because it's customer service on a zero-hour contract basis, but it's a start so that I can gain experience while looking for jewellery designer jobs. I was completing a lot of online training to start work as soon as possible, and I completely forgot about the blog. Then I remembered about jewellery design competition deadline, which I wanted to take part in, and with a deadline tomorrow, so I was doing a lot of design development. Then I got some intel about jewellery designing job and was calling back and forth to organize interview (I have it this Tuesday), so overall - crazy time. I finally told myself, that Sunday latest, I need to prepare something and update.
So here I am.

Now that this is done with, the competition!


 Fairtrade Gold Design Awards is a competition organized by Ingle&Rhode. The competition is "open to UK-based jewellery students, apprentices, and those at the start of their jewellery careers, these awards will showcase the talents of emerging jewellery designers, while raising awareness of Fairtrade gold amongst the people who are the future of our industry."

Designs are to be either engagement ring, wedding ring or a set of both.

"Designs may incorporate yellow, white or rose gold (maximum of 10g of fine gold or 13.3g of 18ct gold) and a maximum of 0.5ct of round brilliant cut white diamonds (in total, whether all set in one ring or shared across two rings). Diamonds should not be smaller than 0.8mm diameter (approximately 0.003ct)."

Winning design will be manufactured in Fairtrade gold through the process of casting.


 So as you can see a lot of things to consider. When creating initial moodboard I instantly wrote down the keyword - Fairtrade. It instantly made me think about the source of gold, mines, and earth gold was taken from. There is this link between honouring nature through environmental protection and supporting Fairtrade. The key for the ring design was natural landforms, mountain terrain, rock/crystal formations. I wanted something simple and slightly modern.











 As you can see I got to the part of making models - I originally planned to make a set of wedding and engagement ring, and for them to be quite nicely fitted, engagement ring with 3 stones. But I looked back at my previous designs, and I felt that I wasn't fully satisfied with my design - it wasn't as creative as some of the older sketches.



 I wanted something more unique but at the same time I struggled with visualising it on paper (I usually don't - I can imagine designs from different perspectives), so it was pure torture.  I took a step back. In the meanwhile, I was given a commission (I will talk about it in more detail another time) and made few small samples in blue wax. That gave me an idea to try carving shoulders of the ring - relief that was giving me so much trouble. So I made a tiny model in wax and drew design based on it.

We are at the end of the Christmas Wonderland journey!
Today's post will focus on the final step of Clara's visit in magical Land of the Sweets from Nutcracker -meeting Sugar Plum Fairy. In the story, she governs over the Land of Sweets in absence of the Nutcracker Prince with her Cavalier.
This ultimate symbol of a ballerina, dressed in lovely tutu sweeps through the stage accompanied to some of the most beautiful music created by Tchaikovsky - romantic yet full of melancholy Pas de Deux and ethereal Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

It's interesting to note that in the original book the story is based on, there is no Sugar Plum Fairy. Nutcracker Prince has sisters that Clara meets. There is also a story within a story, explaining how he became a Nutcracker in the first place - he was saving Princess Pirlipat cursed with ugly form, but after an accident became cursed himself. Pirlipat rejected him, after which he was stuck in the form of Nutcracker.
None of it seems a good explanation for Sugar Plum - who personalises everything good and sweet. It is my personal opinion that she is meant to be a representation of Clara from the future.
Well, enough of that - let's get to designing!

I wanted to design something extra special for Sugar Plum, so I've designed a set of pendant and earrings.

 Did all of you have a lovely time at Christmas? I hope you did because mine was great! It's last day of the year 2016 - so as a special gift, another triple feature from Christmas Wonderland series inspired by Nutcracker.

This time we will see Russian Dance celebrating candy canes, Dance of the Mirlitons/Danish shepherdesses celebrating marzipan and Waltz of the Flowers.





I knew almost instantly that for my Russian piece I will draw influence from kokoshnik - traditional Russian headpiece. Seeing how - so far- all the pieces were different parts of jewellery, this time I decided to go with a comb.



 As I learned Dance of the Mirlitons is a play on words, because mirliton is a type of flute, as well as a pastry. Quite fitting for the Land of the Sweets!
In an original version, it was to be danced by Danish shepherdesses or French mirliton players, but I couldn't find anything that interesting costume wise - what I looked at instead were French shepherdess costumes inspired by Watteau paintings.



 While I did have necklace already, I was pretty much set on designing choker necklace - so there you have it!


 Finally Waltz of the Flowers. This is a self-explanatory piece and the theme of my design is clear as well. I was a bit torn between designing a bracelet and/or a brooch - I went with a brooch, but I might design bracelet as well when time allows. Enjoy!

It's been a while, but here it is! Triple feature of Christmas Wonderland series inspired by the Nutcracker! The last post showcased Waltz of the Snowflakes, this post will be about Spanish Dance, Arabian Dance and Chinese Dance.
As a side note - dances that take place during Clara's visit to the Land of Sweets celebrate sweets themselves. Spanish Dance, for example, celebrates chocolate, Arabian - coffee and Chinese - tea.
Today I  will begin with Spanish Dance - Chocolate.


The most distinct feature of flamenco - traditional Spanish dance - is a wonderfully ruffled costume of the female dancer. Additionally, I looked at some traditional Spanish jewellery to see if I could find any inspiration, but ruffles- that seemed a perfect starting point.





The bitterness of the coffee is represented in a melancholy melody of the Arabian Dance, yet the costumes worn by dancers are usually quite flamboyant.

For more inspiration, I've looked at Arabian jewellery. It's very bold and full of stones. I wanted to somehow incorporate coffee bean motif into my design.



 Final earring design - front and side view

Originally I've looked at elaborate Chinese headpieces for inspiration, but while beautiful, I wanted something quite simple and more modern looking.
 I've turned to fans for inspiration.

 Final studs design