November

November has been a very busy month in my workshop, and I have been making some great new work. I thought I would share a couple of the pieces I have worked on lately -

One was a beautiful handmade princess cut diamond engagement ring. 9ct yellow gold with a white gold setting, 0.34ct diamond, created for a woman Kate.

Kate knew she wanted a princess cut diamond so we decided on a solid and chunky simple band that would show off the diamond.

Another piece that was lots of fun was for my friend Shonah. She wanted something to match a ring that she already has with quite detailed engraving work, so we wanted to create something that would tie in with the engraving but still be a beautiful piece on its own and not overpower.

We recycled an old antique mirror with beautiful engraving and set it into the side of the ring, to keep with the similar style of my lace ring that she had previously liked.

I always enjoy creating jewellery out of recycled and unobvious pieces. The mirror backing that we re-used was just a beautiful piece of material that otherwise would have gone to waste, but now be enjoyed again.

I enjoyed making these pieces so much and hope that both of these women enjoy wearing them!

Maria Cristina Bellucci

Maria Cristina Bellucci
Ring: Only wood 2007
Coloured pencils

This morning whilst browsing Miss Kaye's new blog Kreate Concepts, I stumbled upon the work of Maria Bellucci.

Maria Cristina Bellucci
Ring: 12 colours 2007
Coloured pencils, silver
27 x 14 mm

From what I can find out about her on Klimt02 (a great place to be browsing and exploring, by the way, for anyone interested in jewellery) Italian Jeweller, Maria began her career as a theatre costume and accessories maker, creating jewellery for stage use. Here she developed an interest in contemporary jewellery and now designs and creates her own jewellery collections, as well as working on commissions and collaborations.

Maria Cristina Bellucci
Ring: Sphere 2007
Coloured pencils, silver

"What characterized my early work was the use of very thin metal sheets and wires, experimenting with hollowness and fullness.
In later work, I started using even thinner metal sheets, as if working with paper sheets, creating pieces that were voluminous and light at the same time.
My more recent work is characterised by having more solid looking elements and also by the introduction of colour, not previously explored."

The use of colour from the pencils Maria uses in her current work is what caught my attention. I love the shape of her pieces and the use of unusual materials.

Thanks to Miss Kaye for the heads up.
Information and images used with permission from Klimt02.

Eco Jeweller

For anyone interested in the impacts the jewellery industry has upon the earth, Eco Jeweller is a new(ish) blog I have recently stumbled upon, with some great discussions about these matters. It is a great site for jewellers and jewellery buyers, a wonderful resource for issues and links. The best part is that here is a site finally looking at these issues from an Australian perspective.


The most recent article posted is about "cell phone mining"...

"Thinking of throwing out your old cell phone? Think again. Maybe you should mine it first for gold, silver, copper and a host of other metals embedded in the electronics -- many of which are enjoying near-record prices.

A tonne of ore from a gold mine produces just 5 grams (0.18 ounce) of gold on average, whereas a tonne of discarded mobile phones can yield 150 grams (5.3 ounce) or more"

I thought it was a really interesting read and worth sharing, for anyone who might be interested. Head over to Eco Jeweller to read the rest.

It's that time of year...

No, not christmas.... but Jewellery Student exhibition time...

One of my favorite times of the year is about this time, when all the jewellery schools are winding up and everyone is sharing their work in exhibitions. Seeing all the jewellery students work is such a refreshing and exciting experience.

Tomorrow is the last day for the RMIT 1st and 2nd year gold and silversmithing exhibition Found in Translation

I will let you know how it is! But by all reports I think this years final exhibtion is a good one!

Starting tomorrow is also the NMIT student exhibition which I will hopefully get a chance to check out next week!

image from School of Art website

New notebooks

There is something about the first page of a new notebook that makes it so hard for me to just START!

Sea-bamboo earrings

Here is some of the latest earrings I have made for myself. It is not often that I spend time working on things for me to keep but I love the colour of this sea-bamboo and just couldn't bear selling these ones once I had finished! I have made another pair which are available in my shop.

Sea-bamboo is a sustainable alternative to coral. It is farmed to be used in place of coral which is under threat from climate change, pollution, overfishing and consumer demand. It is dyed red, but it is permanently coloured - it will not fade or wash out.

Read more about coral here.

A sneak peek at bit of new work