media image

According to Argyle: “Since mining began in 1983 only six diamonds certified as Fancy Red…” and three of them will be sold this year. The biggest in the image above, called the Argyle Phoenix, is 1.56ct.

I do wonder about the culture of coveting fancy-coloured diamonds … yes they’re rare, I get that, and it could be considered human nature to desire rareness and specialness.

However, consider how feted a huge canary-yellow diamond is (sorry to say I think these often look like frozen wee; but a friend has described them as frozen sunshine, which is nicer) … how the press and some sections of the consumer community go a little bit silly for them. Now consider a stone of exactly the same colour and cut (perhaps a topaz?) … would it garner the same reaction from viewers if it wasn’t clear that it wasn’t a diamond? They look almost exactly the same (yes, there will be arguments that the diamond will sparkle more), yet when you know what one is versus the other, the value perception changes. [You can see why I liked Claire McArdle's concept, as it also focused on perception.]

I have the same question about pink diamonds: if you want a pink stone, why not a pink sapphire or a tourmaline or any number of other stones?

It seems to me that it comes down to two entirely different motivations: aesthetics and rarity … both of which are totally valid and fabulous in my view, as I often waver between the two myself. Either way though, I won’t be buying a red diamond.

Do you sometimes avoid your studio … for weeks and weeks (and perhaps months)?

Do you sometimes wonder why you even want to make jewellery?

Do you sometimes think that playing with ideas and drawings is way more fun than actually making at the bench?

Sometimes creativity is an uncooperative playmate.

• NGV ‘Top Arts 2013‘ [link]; “An annual event at the National Gallery of Victoria since 1994, Top Arts is an exhibition of outstanding work by students who have completed Art or Studio Arts studies in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) in the previous year.“; see list of exhibiting students and images of their work here; until 7th July 2013
• NGV ‘Containment‘ 2012 Cicely & Colin Rigg Contemporary Design Award [link]; “The participating artists in 2012 are: Garry Bish, Robin Bold, Emma Davies, Mark Edgoose, Neville French, Titania Henderson, Marian Hosking, Richard Morrell, Ian Mowbray, David Pottinger, David Ray, Owen Rye, Yhonnie Scarce and Katherine Wheeler.“; until 21st July 2013; see my review post
• Heide Museum of Modern Art, Fiona Hall ‘Big Game Hunting‘ [link]; “One of Australia’s most prominent contemporary artists, Fiona Hall is best known for extraordinary works that transform mundane man-made materials into vital organic forms with both contemporary and historical resonances. This trans-disciplinary survey exhibition highlights her recent practice and her continuing focus on the political interface between nature and culture. Compelling new bodies of work appear alongside related earlier pieces…“; until 21st July 2013
• ‘Afghanistan‘ at Melbourne Museum [link]; Hidden Treasures from the Museum of Kabul; until 28th July

1st June: Craft Victoria ‘Hatch’ market [link]

4th June: Gallery Funaki ‘the lunatic swing‘ Attai Chen / Carina Chitsaz-Shoshtary / Sungho Cho / Laura Deakin / Melanie Isverding / Emma Price [link]; until 29th June

exhibition media

4th June: Studio 20/17 (Sydney) Sean O’Connell ‘the monsters we make‘ [link]; until 22nd June

5th June: White Horse Jewellery (Box Hill Tafe) silent jewellery auction [link]

event media

8th June: last day for Lord Coconut ‘Indelible‘, “A group exhibition of men’s jewellery, created by local jewellers and artisans, inspired by vintage and contemporary Tattoo Art. Each of the Exhibition pieces have been inspired by vintage tattoos, dragons, Sailor Jerry, roses, Celtic symbols, roses and anime (as personal as your own choice of tattoo). Participating jewellers, artisans and designers include: Justine Austen, Emily Belcher, Sebastian Cilento, Metal Couture, Beth Croce, Silver Cyanide, Petr Hanzak, Frances Rose Jewellery, Windfall Jewellery, David Parker, Tim Peel, R M Perry, Melanie Rice and Roxanne Watts.” [link]; opened 23rd May

exhibition media

30th June: last day for application to Art Jewelry Forum’s 2013 Emerging Art Jeweler Award [link]

…

please tell me of other exhibitions or events
also check out Melissa Cameron’s excellent informative blog (especially for competitions)

…

Plan ahead:

14th August: last day for application to MAC-ITAMI International Craft Exhibition, Theme: Jewellery [link]

…

… last calendar post: Calendar: May 2013 …

With winter on its way, I’ve made a few cowls to keep my neck warm. I find them more convenient than scarfs, as they don’t unravel and fly off with the wind.

One in purple [if you're on Ravelry, see my project here]:

purple cowl

One in a dusky pink [if you're on Ravelry, see my project here]:

pink cowl

Pretty sure I’ll be all warm and cosy this winter!

Time to get back into the studio … soon … I promise …

In this issue she wrote a love letter to Contemporary Jewellery (CJ):

“I’ve been thinking lately, what is this thing that has become my life. I wanted to write it a quick note just to let it know how much it means to me. I though a love letter would be a lovely vehicle in which to express freely and informally my relationship with it, or what I more affectionately call it: CJ (aka contemporary jewellery).

Dearest CJ
Thanks for being the reason I jump out of bed in the morning!
Thanks for being the reason that I look for the edge and want to push past it.
Thanks for being the reason that I have so many BFF’s!
Thanks for being the reason I am I hardly content by just ‘pretty’ things.
Thanks for being the reason I am, who I am.
So much love, now and forever
ZB“

As she writes, she also “asked some of my good friends to drop a line to their lovers.“

This was my love letter … it took less than a minute to write and I was genuinely surprised by the content.

Dearest Contemporary Jewellery
You know of the deep admiration I hold for you.
In your rare quieter guise, I adore and relate to you.
I want to hold you close, be near you, be reflected in you.
But your wilder side is bewildering to me.
I wish I could like it more.
I wish I could be like it more.
I have tried. I am yet to succeed.
Can I not be brought into the fold until I am more like you?
Your uncertain lover
MelbourneJeweller

For more love letters see the latest ‘Overview’ newsletter #12.

Why?

During one of my sporadic cupboard clearouts I found an invitation to my 1st & 2nd Year exhibition ‘Construct‘, as well as the invitation for my graduate exhibition ‘Out of the Basement‘.

Whoo!

invitation for Construct

invitation for ‘Out of the Basement’

Aurora design; image not to be reproduced without permission

My workload, jewellery and otherwise, meant that they haven’t yet been made … though perhaps in the next few months they’ll materialize.

This collection had quite a number of components. I’ve already written about my most favourite ones, but thought I’d share some images of the other ‘minor’ pieces.

Exhibits 6 & 7 ; image not to be reproduced without permission

Exhibits 3 & 4 ; image not to be reproduced without permission

Exhibit 5 ; image not to be reproduced without permission

More below.

… last post in this series: RMIT Year 3: graduate exhibition  …
… see more projects from RMIT Year 3 here …

Exhibits 9, 10, 11 ; image not to be reproduced without permission

Exhibit 12; image not to be reproduced without permission

• NGV ‘Top Arts 2013‘ [link]; “An annual event at the National Gallery of Victoria since 1994, Top Arts is an exhibition of outstanding work by students who have completed Art or Studio Arts studies in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) in the previous year.“; see list of exhibiting students and images of their work here; until 7th July 2013
• NGV ‘Containment‘ 2012 Cicely & Colin Rigg Contemporary Design Award [link]; “The participating artists in 2012 are: Garry Bish, Robin Bold, Emma Davies, Mark Edgoose, Neville French, Titania Henderson, Marian Hosking, Richard Morrell, Ian Mowbray, David Pottinger, David Ray, Owen Rye, Yhonnie Scarce and Katherine Wheeler.“; until 21st July 2013; see my review post
• Heide Museum of Modern Art, Fiona Hall ‘Big Game Hunting‘ [link]; “One of Australia’s most prominent contemporary artists, Fiona Hall is best known for extraordinary works that transform mundane man-made materials into vital organic forms with both contemporary and historical resonances. This trans-disciplinary survey exhibition highlights her recent practice and her continuing focus on the political interface between nature and culture. Compelling new bodies of work appear alongside related earlier pieces…“; until 21st July 2013
• ‘Afghanistan‘ at Melbourne Museum [link]; Hidden Treasures from the Museum of Kabul; until 28th July

1st May: last day for application to Craft Cubed satellite events [link]

2nd May: Gaffa Gallery (Sydney), Rosanne Bartley ‘Seeding the Cloud‘ [link; blog]; workshops 3rd & 4th May; until 13th May

2nd May: COTA Gallery Launch (Sydney), ‘Breathe Into‘ group exhibition [link]; “will feature the work of Abby Seymour, Belinda Esperson, Blanche Tilden, Bin Dixon-Ward, Cesar Cueva, Cinnamon Lee, Diane Allison, Djurdjica Kesic, Emma Fielden, Helena Bogucki, Helen Mok, Justine Austen, Kaoru Rogers, Kate Dunn, Lawrence Woodford, Lauren Webster, Linda van Niekerk, Marina Antoniou, Mary Odorcic, Mitch Bailey, Pennie Jagiello, Peta Kruger, Robert Foster, Shan Shan Mok and Simon Cottrell.“

exhibition media

3rd May: last day for application to Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery ‘Contemporary Wearables 2013‘ [link]

3rd May: last day for application to Lord Coconut ‘Indelible‘ group exhibition [link]; “Jewellers were challenged to create a men’s jewellery piece which is inspired by tattoo art. They have been inspired by vintage tattoos, dragons, sailor jerry, roses, celtic symbols, anime, a loved one and a grand final. The jewellery pieces are as personal as your tattoo choice.“

6th May: last day for application to Viscopy John Fries Memorial Prize for Emerging Visual Artists [link]; “The John Fries Memorial Prize for emerging visual artists is a non-acquisitive award of $10,000. This annual prize is open to all artists resident in Australia and New Zealand who are not enrolled as a student and whose work is not represented in the collection of an Australian state, territory or national public art gallery.“

8th May: NMIT Jewellery Auction 2013 (thanks to Mel Miller for the tip-off!) [link]

event media; click on image for original source

11th May: last day for Hatch Contemporary Art Space, ‘Home: Reframing Craft and Domesticity‘ exhibition, artists include Robert Baines, Kris Coad, Susan Cohn, Gwynn Hanssen Pigott, Marian Hosking and Rosslynd Piggott [link]

11th May: last day for Studio 20/17 (Sydney), Betham Linton ‘Imprint‘ [link]; “Reflecting on history, place and the distortion of memory, ‘Imprint’ will be Linton’s first solo contemporary jewellery exhibition. Taking inspiration from antique lace work and natural science illustrations, she references the elevation and preservation of experience through the creation of motifs that allude to her encounters with the world.“

11th May: last day for Gallery Funaki, ‘new edition‘ curated group exhibition [link]; “New Edition is a curated exhibition; an exploration of the ‘multiple’ or editioned piece in contemporary jewellery. Works created as multiples are often overlooked in favour of the one-off, handcrafted piece, yet they form some of the most iconic and memorable statements in contemporary jewellery’s history. This exhibition features classic and recent editioned pieces from 20 Australian and international artists“

16th May: Square Peg Studio (Sydney), lecture by Helge Larsen and Darani Lewers [link; facebook]

event media

16th May: Artifice Store, Part B group exhibition ‘Noisy‘ [link]; “The traditional experience of a jewellery exhibition is primarily a visual one – work sits silently, seen but not heard. And yet, when actively worn and given half a chance, jewellery just loves to make noise! In this new installation, Melbourne-based research jewellery group Part B is reuniting jewellery with its sound in the gallery environment. See the pieces, hear their sounds… join the jewellery cacophony!“; opening 15th, until 29th May

17th May: last day for application to Artist in Residence at The University of Edinburgh School of Design [link]; I want to do it SO much!! maybe another year…

18th May: last day for Bilk Gallery, ‘Chained‘ group exhibition [link]

18-19th May: Northcity4 workshop, Kathryn Wardill ‘Lamp Working Hot Glass‘ [link]

event media

20th May: last day for Worth Gallery (Adelaide) ‘365 Cups‘ [link]; “A group exhibition including 73 artists working in ceramics, glass, metal, textiles, wood and found materials.“

exhibition media; click on image for original source

22nd May: last day for application to Stanley Street Gallery (Sydney) ‘Red to Wear‘ wearable art exhibition [link]

25th May: last day for Pieces of Eight, Pia Murphy ‘Saccade‘ [link]

…

please tell me of other exhibitions or events
also check out Melissa Cameron’s excellent informative blog (especially for competitions)

…

Plan ahead:

30th June: last day for application to Art Jewelry Forum’s 2013 Emerging Art Jeweler Award [link]

14th August: last day for application to MAC-ITAMI International Craft Exhibition, Theme: Jewellery [link]

…

… last calendar post: Calendar: April 2013 …

Exhibition media: “If an illusion deceives your perception does it make the first understanding invalid?
Does a gilt object betray us in some way or does it possess a truth of its own?
A skin of gold matches the contours of the bead in precise detail. It masks the underlying material of the piece which makes up 99% of its volume and 0% of its surface. How do you value the piece?
Is this piece pretending to be something else or is it exactly what it is and we have deceived ourselves with visual assumptions?
If you know the chain carrying the beads, the chain which is almost fully covered, is made of 18ct gold, how do you value the piece now?
Is this a truth wrapped in a deception? Or is it just a piece to be perceived with available knowledge and accepted for its form and known materiality?
Is this work guilty for being gilty?“

Together with the magic exhibition image below, you can understand why I was fascinated and was looking forward to seeing the show.

from facebook; click on image for original source

I was imagining necklaces just like the one above, in my eyes referring to ancient works, lining the walls and challenging us to wonder how we value them if they’re plated and not pure gold … or even a mixture of both … and how do we know …

Instead there were chains on black circles, accompanied by photographs of what must have been there before.
It was incomprehensible to me and my friend.
We were both incredibly disappointed.
What had gone wrong with our understanding of the exhibition media?

installation; 27th April

We sought out comfort (for me, churros and chocolate) and sat down to chat about it. It was only then, when I spent time reading the little take-away booklet from the exhibition, that it became clearer.

*Spoiler Alert*

In the booklet: “an exhibition experienced twice …
Neckpieces experienced once as wearable gilt forms. Experienced again as edible gilt beads revealing the true gold chain beneath. The pieces have not changed, they are as they always were. But the circumstances of perception have shifted. …
Objects once untouchable, displayed on gallery walls are now free to be consumed. Something on the body to become something of the body.“

Oh, so the beads were edible-gold-covered chocolate on gold chain. So the beads have been eaten at some point. Which explains only the chains remaining.

This is a fantastic and genuinely intriguing shift in perception and a great idea for an installation/performance, and it’s understandable why this was not obvious in the media as the surprise is the whole point.

However, if I knew that the there was to be a one-off ‘reveal’ of kinds, I would have made every effort to make it to the opening night. Perhaps it would have been best as a one-night-only event? With a week-long exhibition, it has left those of us not seeing the original work (well, at the very least me and my friend) really very sad.

Claire McArdle’s ‘Gilty‘ was at No Vacancy Gallery from 22nd – 28th April 2013.

—

Update (2nd May): please do also see Claire McArdle’s blog post (posted yesterday), and it has so many incredible images of her work and Zoe Brand’s excellent essays; and I love how Melissa Cameron describes it. You cannot imagine how much I wish I could have been there for the opening night – it looks like so much fun. AND there’s a video!

—

exhibition media

Exhibition media: “Signature Style is a major group exhibition exploring models of collaborative practice in contemporary jewellery. Featuring the work of some of Melbourne’s most exciting artists and jewellery practitioners Signature Style will be a significant addition to the emerging discourse around collaboration and contemporary craft. Collaboration poses a very different method of working – by its very nature, collaboration eschews individual artistic identity in favour of some kind of ‘third’ position. Signature Style will examine new methodologies of working and ‘work’, thinking through the potentials of collaboration within craft and design.“

Meredith Turnbull & Manon van Kouwijk

The combination of pieces by Meredith Turnbull and Manon van Kouswijk is stunning; their display gorgeous and sympathetic. I noticed though that their collaboration was more a conversation, as there didn’t seem to be any pieces with both of their names against them. This differed from other artists collaborations, as most of these were attributed to both artists.

installation; Katherine Wheeler & Polly van der Glas

I also loved the work by Katherine Wheeler and Polly van der Glas. Even though hair and teeth are not really my thing, and the fingers freaked me out initially, it must be said that their materials seemed well-matched. Katherine has written on her blog about the collaboration, with some lovely images; I especially enjoyed reading that: “We have both found the most successful pieces within our installation are the ones that have been made together- and taken on the 3rd entity through the collaborative process- not entirely either artist’s signature style, but a successful merge of the two.“

Tessa Blazey & Alexi Freeman

Thirdly, the dress by Tessa Blazey and Alexi Freeman is arresting. The shadow it creates on the wall is too beautiful.

Participating artists are:

• Nicholas Bastin [site] & Matthew Dux
• Dan Bell, Bianca Hester, Charlie Sofo, Nathan Gray, Christopher LG Hill, Liang Luscombe & Oliver van der Lugt
• Tessa Blazey [site] & Alexi Freeman [site]
• Michaela Bruton & Kane Ikin [site]
• Milly Flemming [site] & Dani Maugeri [site]
• Natalia Milosz-Piekarska [site] & Katherine Doube
• Nina Oikawa & Bridget Bodenham [site]
• Meredith Turnbull & Manon van Kouswijk
• Karla Way [site] & Dylan Martorell [site]
• Katherine Wheeler [site] & Polly van der Glas [site]

installation

Karla Way has written about her work on her blog too, and has some amazing images of her incredible work with Dylan; while I found the sheer number of objects to look at a little overwhelming, my friend loved LOVED it [see her blog post here].

Natalia Milosz-Piekarska has also written about her work on her blog too. Her body piece is incredibly beautiful and the video shown alongside it, worn by dancer Katherine Doube is mesmerising.
Update (30th April): also see VettiLiveinNorthcote’s post for some lovely images of the installation.

Bridget Bodenham has also shared an image of her work with Nina.

‘Signature Style‘ was at Craft 8th March – 27th April 2013.

news media; click on image for original source

The image on the auction house website shows a slightly lighter colour stone, and in its original ring setting.

auction media; click on image for original source

I browsed through the whole auction result list, but my eyes quickly glazed over … big stones, little creativity or interest.

However, I did find that Bonham’s has a more interesting auction coming up: it’s listed as Antiquities, and there’s jewellery to be had! I’m not sure if I’m genuinely serious enough to actually do any purchasing (not only because it’s pretty difficult to buy sight-unseen), but these have definitely piqued my interest:

• (lot 118) Four Egyptian repoussé gold sheet mummy amulets; Late Period – Ptolemaic, circa 664-32 B.C.
  

  click on image for original source

• (lot 119) A group of Egyptian glass and glazed composition amulets and beads; New Kingdom – Late Period, circa 1550-30 B.C.
  

  click on image for original source

• (lot 141) A collection of Ancient glass beads; Phoenician – Islamic Period
• (lot 169) Three Greek sheet gold diadems; Hellenistic, circa 2nd Century B.C.
  

  click on image for original source

• (lot 224) A Roman green jasper intaglio ring; Circa 1st-2nd Century A.D.
  

  click on image for original source

• (lot 253) A pair of Roman gold earrings; Circa 1st-3rd Century A.D.
  

  click on image for original source

• (lot 262) A group of Roman gold jewellery; Circa 2nd-3rd Century A.D.
  

  click on image for original source

I could continue … but I shall stop and you can see more yourself.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the construction was a little different to work I’ve made before. The adaptions to construction were due to these being brooches, not pendants – so I needed to find a way of incorporating the brooch backs / pins.

in progress

My Australia group; image not to be reproduced without permission

My Australia group; image not to be reproduced without permission

They were essentially made upside-down, with the bezel set on the back. I could probably refine the method with more practice.

I added a single thread of fine gold cloisonné wire to the back of the ‘Sunrise‘ brooch … I love surprises just for the wearer.

I’d love to see the exhibition in its entirety – the collection of makers looks diverse and interesting!

‘My Australia‘ is at Seven Spirit Bay Eco Resort until November 2013. [see update below]

—

Update (26th April): The exhibition was originally to open in April and go through to November; however I understand that due to unforeseen circumstances, the exhibition will be moved to a new location and will open in a few months.

—

Some sneak peek images were shared a little while ago; and it’s my practice to wait until an exhibition is up before showing in detail images.

Jasmine put the call out for artists to join her exhibition: “Create a body of work that details ‘your Australia’, what Australia holds true to you with a focus on the natural landscape.” Naturally, my thoughts immediately turned to my little collection of opals; and to expand my exploration of combining opals and woven paper panels.

I felt it was time to reduce reliance on (or perhaps the prominence of) the woven paper component … so my three brooches show a progression seeing a large portion of the weave to seeing very little of it.

My Australia; group; image not to be reproduced without permission

From left to right: ‘Sunrise‘, ‘Rockpool‘ and ‘Riverbed‘.

My camera / photography set-up isn’t too fancy, and as such I find it pretty tricky to find the best way to photograph the incredible beauty of opals.

Sunrise; image not to be reproduced without permission

Rockpool; image not to be reproduced without permission

Riverbed; image not to be reproduced without permission

These were constructed in a manner a little different to previous work … I’ll detail in another post tomorrow.

—

Update (26th April): The exhibition was originally to open in April; however I understand that due to unforeseen circumstances, the exhibition will be moved to a new location and will open in a few months.

—

“The world’s best contemporary jewellery shops” has the byline: “Contemporary jewellery designers are producing beautiful, decorative pieces that cater to all tastes. Dr. Susan Cohn selects the world’s best places to admire – and buy – their handiwork.“

For the full article, go to The Telegraph site here; Susan Cohn makes some observations about each space.

By way of summary, she mentions:

• Klimt02, Barcelona, Spain
• Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Galerie Louise Smit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Galerie Rob Koudijs, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Galerie Marzee, Nijmegen, Netherlands
• Gallery S O, Solothurn, Switzerland + London, England
• Caroline Van Hoek, Brussels, Belgium
• Galerie Biro, Munich, Germany
• Platina, Stockholm, Sweden
• Galerie Reverso, Lisbon, Portugal
• Velvet da Vinci, New York, USA
• Charon Kransen Arts, New York, USA
• Sienna Gallery, Lenox, Massachusetts, USA
• Galerie Noel Guyomarch, Montreal, Canada
• Deux Poissons, Tokyo, Japan
• Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia

Note that the article was written for the travel section of a UK-based publication, so seems to be necessarily Euro-centric.

What are your thoughts?

This was the first time I’ve been commissioned by someone I didn’t personally know, through a representative gallery (well, they’re my only stockist to date).

Platinum Commission; image not to be reproduced without permission

Initially the client wanted a gift for her partner for their 20th anniversary, and as such platinum was to be a significant component. I understand she liked a number of the cufflinks in the gallery, and after a few iterations of ideas she asked if I could do my round weave cufflinks in platinum (with the settings in sterling silver). After investigating that A&E Metals could make me the platinum cloisonné wire I needed, I agreed.

It was then a bit exciting that she also asked for a matching pendant for herself (with the bezel in sterling silver; if you’re wondering, the bezels are deliberately file-textured).

In sending Lord Coconut the quote for the work, I had to make very accurate calculations for the pure platinum cloisonné wire requirements – as it was approximately $345 per meter (and the minimum order was one meter). So each little row of a 20mm weave (including the turns) was around $10 or so.

By way of comparison, at the time (from memory) one meter of fine silver cloisonné (0.8 * 0.15mm) was $2.20 and one meter of fine gold cloisonné (which I think was 0.20mm) was $240 … the difference to platinum being in part due to the metal being more expensive, but I think mostly due to the special manufacture.

Platinum commission; image not to be reproduced without permission

I hadn’t worked with fine platinum cloisonné before, and was uncertain it would behave the same way that fine silver did. I probably should have expected it would, given the thinness of the flat wire sheet; though I did fear it may split and not be as malleable.

I swear I didn’t breathe the whole time I was weaving the panel … one mistake, one split in the metal, one break in the paper (which would mean attempting to unwind the weave and again risking breaking the metal) … the thought of making a mistake and having to buy more metal (and at a minimum of a meter per order, not to mention the week for manufacture and postage) was terrifying!

The fact it was platinum may seem extravagant at first viewing – with the exceptional cost of the metal compared to silver – but I do understand the desire for integrity and symbolism for such a special gift.

You can actually tell the difference to silver when they’re side-by-side: the platinum is less shiny, a slightly more matt grey. I like the platinum a lot, in fact I think I prefer it to silver … though cannot see myself playing around with platinum any time soon (except for commissions)!

My thanks to Mark at Lord Coconut for this opportunity.

screen shot of Christie’s website; click on image for original source

Woah – there is a huge difference between the estimate and realised price – someone, well at least two people, really wanted this. Unless of course this is a typo and the result was US$6250 instead of US$62,500…

I’ve taken a number of approaches myself and thought I’d share:
[note: no images in this post to be reproduced without permission]

• My first was a ring made by my jewellery teacher – obviously direct contact; I knew exactly what I wanted and gave him a technical drawing (as such, not allowing much individual maker creativity!).
  

  my collection

• My second was a pendant for my mum’s 50th birthday – again I made a technical drawing and cannot exactly remember how I found the jeweller but I’m pretty sure it was via internet search. A ‘technical drawing’ is very detailed with measurement, kind of like an architectural plan – it needs to be accurate enough for the jeweller to make from it without any other information or need for interpretation (see my example below).
• My third was a ring by Jessica Morrison – through Studio Ingot. I’d been loving her work for ages and on a regular visit to the gallery decided to go ahead with getting a piece. There was a similar ring in the cabinet, though it’s size wasn’t right for me. I asked Sarah, owner of the gallery, to commission a ring – the only boundaries were that I’d like something similar to the ring in the gallery, same colours, I loved the gold addition, and just the size. So this is an example of trusting the maker, with an exemplar for the maker to go by.
  

  Jessica Morrison

• My fourth was a brooch by Claire O’Halloran – being a friend, this was directly with the maker. I saw a piece of hers at the RMIT auction and wanted one! We talked about size and colouring, and apart from that I trusted I’d love what she made me.
  

  Claire O’Halloran

• My fifth was my magnificent ring by Katherine Bowman. I’d been a long-time admirer of Katherine’s work through reading her blog, and that’s how we’d made contact and connected through our love for making. I knew I wanted a ring, and that I wanted a large stone; Katherine showed me some of the rings she’d made for herself and I immediately fell for this shape. From there I described the kind of stone I wanted and it took a little time (naturally) to source some – again, I knew immediately which one was for me. From there it was trusting the maker.
  

  Katherine Bowman

• My sixth was another Katherine Bowman ring. Again by personal contact, but using an exemplar that I saw at the NMIT auction. It was kind of like saying ‘I want one like that, to fit this finger here’ … simple!
  

  Katherine Bowman

• My seventh was a pendant by David Neale. Again, David is a maker I’ve been admiring for many years through his blog. I’d been in love with his Aster earrings for years, though I don’t wear earrings. So I emailed David and asked politely if he’d consider making a pendant. We talked about size and materials, and again it was a matter of knowing I’d love the outcome.
  

  David Neale

• My eighth was the pendant for my Mum’s birthday. I made a technical drawing and knew exactly what I wanted made; and I also already owned the stone. So it was then a matter of what I wanted from the maker – this time it was technical expertise and time capacity (I think first contact was made two months ahead of her birthday). All jewellers have their own preferred aesthetic, and as one gallery staffer once said to me: ‘not all jewellers are okay with making conservative pieces’. I knew this design was the very definition of conservative; and so the more organic and more alternative jewellers wouldn’t have matched it. I know Anna Davern through her blog and work at NC4 (and just generally in the community I think!)… and I thought she’d be perfect. By no means do I mean this to belittle Anna’s expertise, it is fair to say this was less about creativity on the jeweller’s behalf (I did have a technical drawing after all!), and more about making.
  By way of example of a technical drawing, this is the one I made for Mum’s gift (you can see we changed the bail after this drawing):
  

  my technical drawing; image not to be reproduced

Not everyone is going to be inclined to make a technical drawing! Most jewellers are happy to just chat about your (even vague) ideas and distill them and perhaps sketch some ideas for you. It can also be helpful if you have pictures of jewellery with features or aspects you like.

As an example, I once just had a feeling I wanted a ring for my middle finger and I wanted it to be ‘statement’ and a dark coloured feature (pretty vague right). Through chatting with a gallery staff member within a few minutes that was refined to something more square or rectangular, a flat top, a white metal, less organic and more geometric, perhaps carved onyx. I didn’t go through with making that piece however, as at the time I was distracted by Jessica’s ring.

I’ve also been commissioned a few times by others to make pieces for them – you can read more about them on my 2012 page. Jewellers honestly LOVE being commissioned – there’s something so very special about making for an involved client who wants your artwork.

There is so much to love about commissioning jewellery – go ahead, I’d love to hear about your stories of commissioning.

2. Gold price in A$ for last 12 months

as at 0830 17th April 2013

Holy dooley!!

Update [20th April]: if you’re interested in the financial market influences and the attempt to find ‘the culprit’ for the gold price crash, this article may be of interest.

The experience can be as simple as spotting a piece of jewellery you want but asking for it to be in a different size or with a very minor adjustment, up to creating something entirely unique. If you’ve not commissioned jewellery before, there are a few things to keep in mind.

• In the simple case of spotting a piece of jewellery you want but asking for it to be in a different size or with a very minor adjustment, this is likely to happen through a gallery and is pretty easy – though do keep in mind that you’ll need to wait three or four weeks for the new piece to be made to order.
• If you’d like something in particular and you’ve got a few ideas about what you’d like, though know of no jewellers yourself, you can spend lots of time on the internets going through the many websites (check out my Links page). There are some great sites around! Though I would caution that some makers, even some of the most celebrated, don’t have their own websites and can only be seen in galleries. Therefore I’d strongly recommend visiting galleries as well as websites.
• An advantage of going through a gallery is that you can chat about your ideas with the staff and they can recommend which of their jewellers may be an ideal match for your ideas. Further, gallery staff are usually makers themselves and are experienced in distilling what may feel to you like rather vague ideas about what you want into something a little more defined.
• If you’ve seen the jewellers’ work in a gallery, or on a gallery website, it’s good etiquette for you to commission through the gallery. It’s considered quite poor form to find a jeweller via a gallery and then contacting them independently. You may think that you’ll receive a lower price for the work this way, however all makers value their gallery relationships and it’s usual industry practice for makers not to undercut their galleries.
• If you have found a maker outside the gallery system, perhaps through blogs or friends or websites or recommendations, then for sure contact them!! I can’t imagine any jeweller ‘forcing’ you through a gallery if you’ve found them via other channels.
• Understand that the designing phase can take some time, and it’s important for both you and the jeweller to talk about every aspect of the design – it’d be a shame for you both if all the work is done and it’s not quite what you wanted. An alternative approach is for you to give the artist broad boundaries and then trust them to make something within their own creativity – this is likely to be for more experienced and confident collectors, and requires you to know a lot about the maker and their oeuvre, and to trust that whatever they make you’ll love. Expect a little to-and-fro with the designing process.
• Plan ahead! Independent makers generally have many projects running in parallel and require a reasonable lead time. If you want something to give in just a few weeks, don’t let that stop you – definitely ask and you may be lucky and the jeweller may have a gap in their workload; though I am saying the more time the better. My recommendation is a minimum of a month, but if you’re unsure exactly what you want it’d be best to allow two months or even more. Why? Makers are not cookie-cutters and you are asking for a custom-made artwork. If the materials need to be special-ordered, it may take weeks for just that to happen (eg. I recently made cufflinks with platinum cloisonné wire and this is a special order manufacture, and can take up to a week to make and then there’s the time for it to be posted etc). Further, if the jeweller is also sourcing stones especially for you, it can take time to find the right one(s).
• Enjoy the process – you’ll appreciate the piece so much more!

Please do comment and add any other tips.

Commissioning is so much fun!

TODAY 15th April: Craft seminar, ‘Craft to Consumer: Best Practice‘ [link]

16th April: Pieces of Eight, Pia Murphy ‘Saccade‘ [link]; until 25th May

exhibition media

23rd April: Studio 20/17 (Sydney), Betham Linton ‘Imprint‘ [link]; “Reflecting on history, place and the distortion of memory, ‘Imprint’ will be Linton’s first solo contemporary jewellery exhibition. Taking inspiration from antique lace work and natural science illustrations, she references the elevation and preservation of experience through the creation of motifs that allude to her encounters with the world.“; until 11th May

exhibition media

30th April: last day for application to A&E Metals ‘Explorations 2013‘, this year’s theme is Bi-Metals [link]

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Now for May 2013

all month

• NGV ‘Top Arts 2013‘ [link]; “An annual event at the National Gallery of Victoria since 1994, Top Arts is an exhibition of outstanding work by students who have completed Art or Studio Arts studies in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) in the previous year.“; see list of exhibiting students and images of their work here; until 7th July 2013
• NGV ‘Containment‘ 2012 Cicely & Colin Rigg Contemporary Design Award [link]; “The participating artists in 2012 are: Garry Bish, Robin Bold, Emma Davies, Mark Edgoose, Neville French, Titania Henderson, Marian Hosking, Richard Morrell, Ian Mowbray, David Pottinger, David Ray, Owen Rye, Yhonnie Scarce and Katherine Wheeler.“; until 21st July 2013; see my review post
• Heide Museum of Modern Art, Fiona Hall ‘Big Game Hunting‘ [link]; “One of Australia’s most prominent contemporary artists, Fiona Hall is best known for extraordinary works that transform mundane man-made materials into vital organic forms with both contemporary and historical resonances. This trans-disciplinary survey exhibition highlights her recent practice and her continuing focus on the political interface between nature and culture. Compelling new bodies of work appear alongside related earlier pieces…“; until 21st July 2013
• ‘Afghanistan‘ at Melbourne Museum [link]; Hidden Treasures from the Museum of Kabul; until 28th July

1st May: last day for application to Craft Cubed satellite events [link]

3rd May: last day for application to Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery ‘Contemporary Wearables 2013‘ [link]

3rd May: last day for application to Lord Coconut ‘Indelible‘ group exhibition [link]; “Jewellers were challenged to create a men’s jewellery piece which is inspired by tattoo art. They have been inspired by vintage tattoos, dragons, sailor jerry, roses, celtic symbols, anime, a loved one and a grand final. The jewellery pieces are as personal as your tattoo choice.“

6th May: last day for application to Viscopy John Fries Memorial Prize for Emerging Visual Artists [link]; “The John Fries Memorial Prize for emerging visual artists is a non-acquisitive award of $10,000. This annual prize is open to all artists resident in Australia and New Zealand who are not enrolled as a student and whose work is not represented in the collection of an Australian state, territory or national public art gallery.“

8th May: NMIT Jewellery Auction 2013 (thanks to Mel Miller for the tip-off!)

event media; click on image for original source

11th May: last day for Hatch Contemporary Art Space, ‘Home: Reframing Craft and Domesticity‘ exhibition, artists include Robert Baines, Kris Coad, Susan Cohn, Gwynn Hanssen Pigott, Marian Hosking and Rosslynd Piggott [link]

exhibition media

11th May: last day for Gallery Funaki, ‘new edition‘ curated group exhibition [link]; “New Edition is a curated exhibition; an exploration of the ‘multiple’ or editioned piece in contemporary jewellery. Works created as multiples are often overlooked in favour of the one-off, handcrafted piece, yet they form some of the most iconic and memorable statements in contemporary jewellery’s history. This exhibition features classic and recent editioned pieces from 20 Australian and international artists“

exhibition media

16th May: Artifice Store, Part B group exhibition ‘Noisy‘ [link]; “The traditional experience of a jewellery exhibition is primarily a visual one – work sits silently, seen but not heard. And yet, when actively worn and given half a chance, jewellery just loves to make noise! In this new installation, Melbourne-based research jewellery group Part B is reuniting jewellery with its sound in the gallery environment. See the pieces, hear their sounds… join the jewellery cacophony!“; opening 15th, until 29th May

exhibition media

17th May: last day for application to Artist in Residence at The University of Edinburgh School of Design [link]; I want to do it SO much!! maybe another year…

18th May: last day for Bilk Gallery, ‘Chained‘ group exhibition [link]

22nd May: last day for application to Stanley Street Gallery (Sydney) ‘Red to Wear‘ wearable art exhibition [link]

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please tell me of other exhibitions or events
also check out Melissa Cameron’s excellent informative blog (especially for competitions)

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Plan ahead:

30th June: last day for application to Art Jewelry Forum’s 2013 Emerging Art Jeweler Award [link]

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… last calendar post: Calendar: April 2013 …

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MA!!!

For her 50th birthday I designed and commissioned a five-diamond pendant (I was living in London at the time, and cannot remember the name of the jeweller). So for this significant birthday I wanted to make a companion pendant.

I commissioned the wonderful Anna Davern to translate my design into reality.

I have been asked why I didn’t make this myself – the reasons are complicated, but include the fact that I wanted a more experienced jeweller to make this; plus I don’t yet make in gold and it seemed cost prohibitive to me to collect all the necessary materials (eg. solder, and to buy wire and chenier it’s usual to have to purchase a minimum length) for this piece.

Mum’s pendant

Happy birthday – love you Ma!