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Archive for June 30th, 2011

Papal Jewelry

Posted by learntobead on June 30, 2011

Papal Jewelry

Papal jewelry has been in the news recently, because a jeweler in North Carolina, of all places, has offered up a cross and and a ring belonging to Pope   Paul VI      for sale.

 

Here are some images I found online of other Papal Jewelry:

This is the papal ring of Pope Paul II, who served as pope from 1464-1471:

Pope Paulus II bronze, rock crystal ring:

 

 

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The Japonisme

Posted by learntobead on June 30, 2011

The Japonisme
Influence of Japan on Western Jewelers, 1867-1917

There is a current exhibit at the Wartski Gallery in London entitled “The Japonisme: From Falize to Faberge: The Goldsmith and Japan”.     This exhibit showcases the influence of Japan on western jewelers, such as Tiffany, Falize, Cartier, Boucheron, Faberge.

Here are some of the kinds of things you would see at this exhibit:

Tiffany: Pearl Flower Brooch

 

Vever: Cherry Blossom Brooch

 

 

Wartski Promo for Exhibit

 

 

Boucheron: Brooches

 

Western jewelry artists took much inspiration from the artistic works of Japan.    Specifically, they:

1) Incorporated cloisonne (enameling) techniques
2) Used fragments to capture the essence,
such as using a flower blossom and branch to capture the essence of a whole tree, and nature itself
3) created more of a sense of delicacy in their pieces
4) Built in a sense of poetry into their designs.

 

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HIS and HER Jewelry

Posted by learntobead on June 30, 2011

HIS and HER Jewelry

 

Today, I decided to travel again on the Google Highway, and explore what came up when I typed in “His and Her Jewelry”.

I’m not a “match-y” kind of of person.     If I were coupled, I don’t think I’d wear matching jewelry with my partner.

I’m not androgynous.   I don’t like to were very feminine jewelry myself, although I make a lot of jewelry for women that have “male” elements and sensibilities.

I’ve never designed jewelry for a couple or two partnered people.    But I’ve had a lot of customers in the shop who came in looking for jewelry they could both wear, and somehow coordinated or matched.

What are my design options?   What should I consider when designing his and her jewelry?

Here are some of the things I found:

TRIBAL HOLLYWOOD
http://www.tribalhollywood.com/StoreFront.bok

Two piece pendants.

Design elements:
Two separate pieces designed as if they originally were one piece, and then cut in half.   Each piece is to be worn by 1 partner.    Here we have an image cut in half.

Four separate pieces designed with different images, 2 more male or dominant, and 2 more female or recessive.   Each pair is to be worn by 1 partner.

Two separate pieces designed as if they fit together like a puzzle.   Each piece is to be worn by 1 partner.

One pendant to be worn by each partner.   The fish supposedly symbolizes friendship.

 

REMIST
http://www.remist.com/his-her-couple-necklace.php 

Two coordinated pendants.
Design Elements:

Paired designs, one smaller than the other.

 

Paired designs, one cut out from the other, and smaller.

 

These ideas are cute, and I’m sure very saleable.    But this male dominance/female subordination thing subtly, or not so subtly, going on, makes me a little uncomfortable.    I don’t want my partner to be less than I am.    But I also want her to be cute.    Dilemma.     Aesthetics vs. social conscience.   And again, I’m not into the matchy-matchy thing.

 

 

DH Gate.com
http://www.dhgate.com/

 

Design elements:
Matchy pieces with engraving on each one.

 

 

DiamondVues.com
http://www.diamondvues.com/2008/01/nuts_and_bolts_wedding_rings.html

For some reason, I like these rings.   Must be the sexual innuendo.

 

 

COOLBABYJEWELRY.COM
http://www.coolbabyjewelry.com/servlet/StoreFront

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Design element:
Here we have similar pendants, with the design (the spiral) going in opposite directions — clockwise and counterclockwise.

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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