THE JEWELERS’ PALETTE, 7/15/2025
Posted by learntobead on July 9, 2025
From Warren and Land of Odds
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July 15, 2025
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Hi everyone,
Some Updates and Things Happening.
(Please share this newsletter)
In this Issue:
1. What If Waste Had To Be Worn Before It Was Thrown Away?
2. JEWELRY: The Sheer Look
3. PALM BEACH FINE CRAFT SHOW: Call For Applications
4. If your Instagram process reels aren’t getting the attention you want…
5. Jewelry Which Challenges Colonial Histories: Interview With Geraldine Fenn
6. 11th Annual Workhouse Glass International: Call For Entries
7. SIGNATURE READY? You Be The Judge
8. Marcus & Co: Three Generations of New York Jewelers
Some articles you may have missed
Featured
1. What If Waste Had To Be Worn Before It Was Thrown Away?
Yajie Hu in Conversation with Rachael Colley
KLIMT02, 7/2025
“When I decided to integrate sustainability into my practice, I became more aware of everything around me, especially in my daily life. I noticed that I ended up with a lot of paper waste every time I went grocery shopping, and that caught my attention.”
“Reflecting on the environmental impact of plastics, I began researching their long-term effects. While plastic is affordable and functional, its non-biodegradable nature poses major environmental challenges. This awareness pushed me to rethink my practice with a focus on sustainability, seeking materials that are environmentally responsible, resource-efficient, and creatively reusable. Paper soon stood out as a sustainable alternative. I noticed how much paper waste comes from daily life, such as shopping bags, packaging, boxes, and began experimenting with pulped paper waste.”
2. JEWELRY: The Sheer Look
A recent article in the New York Times entitled:
Jewelry That Reveals the Skin Beneath
By Nazanin Lankarani, May 20, 2025
Just as the sheer look has been trending in recent months, so have pieces with a barely there effect or peekaboo structure.
Designers of the various collections use such words as second skin, floating over the skin, gauzy, stones and metals like rose gold picking up on skin tones.
“Skin has been trending as a red carpet look for some time now, from Halle Berry’s sheer stripes at the Met Gala this month to Bianca Censori’s see-through mini at the Grammy Awards in February.”
“Recent jewelry collections have played with the style, too, featuring pieces that achieve a barely there effect on some wearers through the use of soft-tone metals and skin-matching stones. Other designs have open structures that would play peekaboo with any skin color.”
Cartier, Hyala Necklace
“The idea of a ‘second skin’ follows from a pursuit of softness, in color, in form and in the way the piece moves with the body.””
Vishal Kothari, the founder of VAK, has tried to blend his Indian heritage with a modern, skin-aware sensuality, like in his 18-karat rose gold Spectrum earrings that are part of his new Shattered collection.
Repossi’s Chromatic Sapphires collection was designed to create the illusion of the stones floating over the skin, as in this powder blush earring.
Earrings from Ms. Verstraeten’s Vienne collection. “The idea of a butterfly suggests the ephemeral,” the designer said. “But in nude shades, it becomes eternal.”Credit…Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times
Jewelry That Reveals the Skin Beneath
3. Palm Beach Fine Craft Show: Call for Applications
Read the details and apply here
Read the details and apply here
4. If your Instagram process reels aren’t getting the attention you want…
🪝 Hook Instagram viewers fast with your process videos.
If your process reels are getting fewer views, the key might be in the first few seconds.
Start your video with a dramatic change or high-action moment: like a bold brushstroke, a close-up texture, or your hand working on the canvas.
Show your face early if you’re comfortable, as people connect with people. You don’t always need to reveal the final artwork; just make sure the process itself looks exciting and visually satisfying.
Most importantly, experiment — what works today may shift as social media algorithms change, so keep testing and adjusting!
5. Jewelry Which Challenges Colonial Histories
An interview of Geraldine Fenn by Khanya Mthethwa, Art Jewelry Forum, 6/23/25
Read the interview with Fenn here
Geraldine Fenn, Colonial Comeuppance I, 2022, brooch in silver, found object (vintage painted miniature), glass, glass trade beads, steel pin, photo courtesy of the artist
Geraldine Fenn’s jewelry challenges colonial histories while inviting intimate reflection, offering pieces that are as thought-provoking as they are wearable. The work doesn’t clamor for attention, but draws you in with its layered storytelling and striking beauty.
Geraldine Fenn, Beads for Power Series: Patriarchy, 2019, brooch in silver, vintage African glass trade beads, steel pin, photo courtesy of the artist
“In this conversation, Fenn speaks with warmth and insight about Colonial Comeuppance, the series that earned her the award. We explore her evolving relationship with museums, her fascination with historical portraiture, and the new collaborations and techniques — such as micromosaic and beadwork — that are pushing her practice in exciting directions. What unfolds is a portrait of an artist deeply committed to craft, connection, and the quiet but powerful role jewelry can play in reframing the stories we carry and wear.”
Geraldine Fenn, Pin-Up Girl II, 2024, brooch in silver, glass, printed card, mother-of-pearl, photo courtesy of the artist
Read the interview with Fenn here
6. 11th Annual Workhouse Glass International, Call For Entries
Application Dates: 5/1/2025–8/13/2025
7. SIGNATURE READY? You Be The Judge
Follow our weekly column in the JEWELRY DESIGNERS’ HUB
Express your opinion, is the piece of jewelry displayed ready for prime time and the designer’s signature? You are the critic. Let the designer know: Yes, Maybe, No, Never!
All pieces shown have won international jewelry awards. But that doesn’t necessarily make them finished and successful.
Have fun with your critique. Don’t worry about being too harsh — no one will see your name with the responses.
Follow our weekly column in the JEWELRY DESIGNERS’ HUB
8. Marcus & Co.: Three Generations of New York Jewelers
By Sheila Barron Smithie and Beth Carver Wees
The New York jewellery firm of Marcus & Co. created exceptional examples of Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewellery. This volume chronicles their story, from the founder’s apprenticeship to the firm’s premises on Fifth Avenue, neighbouring Tiffany and Cartier.
The New York jewelry firm of Marcus & Co. (1892–1942) created exceptional examples of Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewelry for an art-loving, wealthy elite. Innovative in their collaboration with contemporary artists, and in their captivating window displays and advertisements, the firm captured the imagination of Gilded Age families such as the Rockefellers. This volume chronicles their story, from the founder’s apprenticeship in Dresden to the firm’s grand premises on Fifth Avenue neighboring Tiffany and Cartier. The triumphs and tragedies of three generations of Marcus jewelers, both artistic and entrepreneurial, are presented here together with exquisite jewelry and archival design drawings spanning 50 years.
As a leader among American jewelry firms, Marcus & Co. were patronized by families such as the Rockefellers, the Wades, the Flaglers, and the Vanderbilts. Their plique-àjour designs of the early 1900s were particularly sought after; these artistic, three-dimensional enamels featuring extravagant shapes, natural motifs, and glowing colors represent the pinnacle of Marcus & Co.’s creations. Further, the family’s travels in India undeniably influenced Marcus & Co.’s designs for decades, while other styles drew on antique models that were very much in vogue, inspired by archaeological discoveries of the time. Marcus & Co. remained important participants in both the American and European jewelry scenes, through family ties as well as personal and business relationships.
Thus the book also traces the development of the New York jewelry industry from the 1850s to the 1950s, in addition to the impact of such major global events as the Gold Rush, the Great Depression, and World War II. Those interested in the history of New York City will discover intriguing details about lost streetscapes and social customs, conveyed through period photographs, personal letters, and business records.
Upcoming Workshops by Warren Feld
Sat, 7/19, 9am-Noon, INTRODUCTION TO WIRE WEAVING and MAYAN PENDANT
Middle Tenn Gem & Mineral Society, Donelson Fifty Forward
Registration begins June 21http://www.mtgms.org/schools.htm
Sat, 7/19, 1–4pm, WIRE WORKING INTRODUCTION and MIX N MATCH BRACELET
Middle Tenn Gem & Mineral Society, Donelson Fifty Forward
Registration begins June 21http://www.mtgms.org/schools.htm
Sat, 7/26, 1–4pm, WIRE WOVEN MAYAN PENDANT, Hoamsy, Nashville, LC Goat, Germantown, 1220 2nd Ave N
Register: www.hoamsy.com
Sat, 8/16, 9am-Noon, WIRE WRAPPED CABOCHON PENDANT
Middle Tenn Gem & Mineral Society, Donelson Fifty Forward
Registration begins June 21http://www.mtgms.org/schools.htm
Sat, 8/16, 1–4pm, WIRE WEAVE 2 and SUN PENDANT
Middle Tenn Gem & Mineral Society, Donelson Fifty Forward
Registration begins June 21http://www.mtgms.org/schools.htm
Sat, 8/23, 1–4pm, WIRE WRAP MIX N MATCH BRACELET, Hoamsy, Nashville, LC Goat, Germantown, 1220 2nd Ave N
Register: www.hoamsy.com
Sat, 9/20, 9am-Noon, LEARN BEAD WEAVING: RIGHT ANGLE WEAVE and CURVY RAW BRACELET
Middle Tenn Gem & Mineral Society, Donelson Fifty Forward
Registration begins June 21http://www.mtgms.org/schools.htm
Sat, 9/20, 1–4pm, INTRO TO EVEN COUNT, FLAT PEYOTE and JUNGLE FLOWER BRACELET
Middle Tenn Gem & Mineral Society, Donelson Fifty Forward
Registration begins June 21http://www.mtgms.org/schools.htm
9/15/2025–10/15/2025
Art Jewelry Exhibit at Pryor Gallery, Columbia State Community College
My pieces will be showcased an this exhibit. In the works is a possible Seminar and a beading workshop.
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SOME POSTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
How do you balance creativity with practicality and wearability in your designs?
Write Your Own Getting Started Story
HOW DO YOU LEARN? On My Own, Books, Tutorials, Classes?
Learning Technique: Finishing Off The Piece
Explaining Who You Are As A Designer
Repairs Stumping You?
Let Me Take A Look
I take in a lot of jewelry repairs. People either bring them to me in Columbia, TN, or, I pick them up and deliver them back in Nashville. I am in Nashville at least once a week. It’s been convenient for most people to meet me at Green Hills Mall. But if not, I can come to your workplace or your home. This is perfectly fine for me. My turnaround time typically is 3–4 weeks.
I do most repairs, but I do not do any soldering. I also do not repair watches. These are the kinds of repairs I do:
o Beaded jewelry
o Pearl knotting, hand knotting
o Size/Length adjustment
o Re-stringing
o Wire work/weave/wrap
o Micro macrame
o Broken clasp replacfement
o Earring repair
o Replace lost rhinestones or gemstones
o Stone setting
o Stretchy bracelet
o Metal working which does not involve soldering
o Bead woven jewelry and purses
o Beaded clothing
o Custom jewelry design
View my How-To-Repair-Jewelry videos on our Jewelry Designers’ Hub.
My most recent how-to: Converting 3-Strand Stretchy Bracelet to Cable Wire W/ Clasp
WARREN FELD JEWELRY (www.warrenfeldjewelry.com)
Custom Design, Workshops, Video Tutorials, Webinars, Coaching, Kits, Group Activities, Repairs
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