My jewellery collection #30

Holy kniption Batman.

I have ticked off one of the longest-standing and most heartfelt items on my lust-list … I own a Helen Britton ring.

I know!! There has been much dancing and squealing on the inside today.

I feel I must apologise a little – these are all photographs taken at night. I couldn’t wait until the morning, and decent daylight, to share such immense news.

with the Gallery Funaki photograph – all mine!

You cannot imagine how comfortable it feels on – it’s quite wide and thick, so it is almost a beautiful surprise to be so immensely comfortable. And the hollow construction means it cannot be resized, so lucky me it fit beautifully.

Of course its dimensions mean you really feel it on, and regular readers will know my penchant for jewellery I can feel.

beautiful top detail in red gold

I’m a little bit in love.

side detail, oxidised silver

This is a significant investment, and I feel I just may be on the verge of being able to call myself a genuine collector. Perhaps.

Sincere thanks to Katie at Gallery Funaki for being such a wonderful gallery owner, exceptionally knowledgeable and terribly patient with me as I wrestled with the purchase.

I am SO going to wear this like I MEAN IT.

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Other stories about Helen Britton:

• 13Oct14: My jewellery collection #29
• 24May14: Helen Britton ‘pairs of pieces‘ @ Gallery Funaki
• 04Feb14: ‘PROJECT: Jewellery for T-shirts‘ @ Gallery Funaki
• 21Jan13: Admiring: Speckner and Britton
• 01Dec11: Helen Britton ‘industrial‘ @ Gallery Funaki – part 2
• 01Dec11: Helen Britton ‘industrial‘ @ Gallery Funaki

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My jewellery collection #26

Do you remember my lust list?

Well … I’m beside myself with excitement to share that I’ve added one of the lusting-items to my collection.

I now own a Suzi Zutic ring.
You cannot imagine how delighted I am.

original photograph credit Suzi Zutic; images not to be reproduced without permission

A little while ago Suzi shared a photograph of some of her rings on her facebook page, and I instantly fell in love with one from the ‘King Solomon & Ophir’ series. I thought it was about time to invest in another beautiful piece of jewellery.

As I wrote in a recent post, I’ve been more and more attracted to quieter and more subtle pieces lately, and this ring is just perfect. And while I’ve mostly been wearing white gold for ages, I felt the need for a pink gold ring (I was also considering Raymond’s ‘dimple’ ring from Black Finch, but chose Suzi’s instead).

So this baby is 18ct pink gold with champagne diamonds.

Bless, I love it to bits!

… last post on my jewellery collection #25 …

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Update [4th November]: Suzi popped another photograph on her facebook page; if you love this ring too, it’s part of the collection at e.g.etal; I am totally in love with the “square ring” and the very special ‘”Marquise for Madame Pompadour” too…

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My jewellery collection #18

I have a new ring and I’m very very excited about it!

It’s a Katherine Bowman piece, white gold with the most beautiful parti-colour sapphire you’ve ever seen – gorgeous blue / green … a friend of mine said it was like looking into an aquarium.

published with artist permission; image not to be reproduced without permission

While I can’t seem to find the macro setting on my camera (I know, I really ought to read the instruction manual), I have done my best to give you an idea of the stone … though it is so beautiful it is truly difficult to capture it sufficiently.

published with artist permission; image not to be reproduced without permission

The part of my finger that the ring sits on is so much thinner than my (enormous!) knuckle, but it fits perfectly following Katherine soldering two little balls on the back of the band (which you may see in the top image) and this prevents the ring from swinging around.

I could not be happier with it – it’s just gorgeous.

published with artist permission; image not to be reproduced without permission

Regular readers will know of my admiration of Katherine’s pieces, and so will totally understand how excited I am!

… last post on my jewellery collection #17 …

My jewellery collection #17

In my last post on my jewellery collection, I thought I’d already written about all those I owned. However I had forgotten the longest-standing piece – a white gold and diamond ring I commissioned from my teacher in 2001.

my collection; not to be reproduced without permission

I had been studying evening classes at The Goldsmith School for a few months, and decided I’d like a ring. I designed it and talked with my teacher, Elmar Rothbrust, as I was not confident I yet had the setting skills for the stone and design. He sourced the diamond for me, and taught me how to look at it and determine its clarity and colour; and I commissioned him to make it.

It was funny to me that as I was looking at the diamond with Elmar during a class one evening, someone walked by and asked what it was and I naturally said it was a diamond I was buying; to which they asked ‘are you having an engagement ring made?’ … what a magical leap in reasoning (or not), I thought to myself! No, I replied, I am making an ‘I’m amazing’ ring.

I like that it’s simple, slightly art deco. And that I co-created it.

… last post on my jewellery collection #16 …