Surface Effects on Mixed Metals - Sharrey Doré Jewelry

Hand-fabricated pieces made in sterling silver

 and 14K gold, work by Sharrey Doré delightfully

 combines various elements, textures,

and pattern effects in the creation of

contemporary jewelry.

This artist is a metalsmith with innovative ideas
each beautifully expressed by
a compelling design with a strong
 architectural or Asian influence.

Using techniques such as reticulation, fusing
and embossing, she purposely sets out to explore
and develop her own processes in
surface texturing and patterning on metal.

The results are lovely one-of-a-kind
 miniature sculptures.

 

I especially love her pieces featuring
gold granulation over silver.
It enhances that striking contrast
between the gold and silver.

 

 

 

 Be sure to visit Sharrey Doré's website

to see more of this beautiful mixed-metal work.

 

 

 

Stingray Skin Jewelry by Carla Reiter

Carla Reiter’s original collection of jewelry is unmistakable.

Knitting metal freehand, using pliers and fingers,

each piece is a labor of love.

Her knitted silver, gold, and copper pieces

incorporate diamonds, pyrite, and precious stones.

She has now created a new collection

made with stingray leather that

she dyes and patinates.

The collection is called Shagreen and

it's the roughness of the stingray skin that lends

itself so well to this jewelry.

It creates a mottled, granular effect.

I especially like how the pebbly texture of the

stingray skin gives an eye-catching mosaic effect.

You can see more of this innovative work

at Carla Reiter's website.

So Many Rings, So Little Time - Nora Rochel Jewelry

Sometimes it's all about

combining a love of vibrant texture with a

passion for botanical design.

Jewelry created by Nora Rochel

overflows with textural elements.

And it celebrates her vision of hidden gardens

 and botanical domains. 

Her exploration of these themes leads to

jewelry that, as the artist says,

"turns one‘s hands into small landscapes and gardens."

These are like country gardens where the

vegetation is allowed to grow with

wild abandon in secret corners.

Secret corners of those unkempt gardens

tend to shelter the most exquisite

specimens. Discovering those hidden gems is where

curiosity meets delight. That sense of

discovery exists in her jewelry.

 

 

The golden warmth in this ring

is almost luminous.

She uses different metals and several types

of patination to achieve

different effects.

The key to

 expressing one's inner vision

is to experiment and play.

And throw caution to the wind.

This artist definitely succeeds.

This work has a sense of playfulness

and discovery and enchantment

that's not easy to resist.

Each piece holds a tiny treasure within

its recesses

that begs to be explored.

It's jewelry that's off

the beaten path - where

being an adventurous tourist can be

rewarding.

You can explore more of Nora's

work at her website.

Judith Kinghorn Jewelry

It's very easy to feel drawn to

Judith Kinghorn's jewelry.  Her work

is fabricated using a combination of techniques

 including fusing, embossing, die forming,

and granulation. Using a traditional

goldsmith's tool, a mouth-blown torch, she 
creates highly-detailed jewelry by working with
layers of sterling silver and high-karat gold.

 Using the power of one's breath as part

of the process of creating is a
thought-provoking concept.
She literally breathes life
into her work.

Her botanical pieces are enchanting.

The warmth of gold can be hypnotic,

 and the sharp metallic details

provide a vivid contrast to the gentle

blending of luminous color.

Her pieces are often comprised of hundreds

 of individual components that meld together

 exquisitely. Those separate elements seem
at first to be identical to the all the others
but each is distinctly unique.

 

 

 

Each strand is so similar yet different from the others.

 Multitudinous components are a defining
feature of this artist's work.

These surfaces create a delightful play

of darkness and light.

 We love the luminosity of the gold.

Texture and depth of color produce

a spectacular effect.

There is so much detail and
craftsmanship in these
contemporary designs.
It’s obvious the artist has a talent for
creating work of exceptional beauty.
Not only do we see the hand of
the artist in her work, we sense her
spirit is also ingrained in it.

We hope you enjoy it
as much as we do.

Isabelle Posillico Jewelry

Sometimes it's all about gorgeous gemstones.

Gloriously-colored jewels set in a matrix of metal.

And while often the metal matrix
can serve as mere background, 
easily ignored when compared
with the richness of the gem clusters,
at other times the metal is just as
spectacular and multidimensional
in impact as the gems.
The total effect can be
symphonic.

We admire works of art created
 by Isabelle Posillico specifically
because they are composed of many
 luscious gems each harmoniously
punctuated by equally strong notes 
of 14k, 18k and 22k gold.

We see her work not only as having been
created by a jeweler but as having been
composed as though by a musician.
She handcrafts these wearable treasures
using precious and semi-precious
stones and pearls with accents of gold
 that all seem to play together as a symphony.


For us, each precious gem represents
a note in a musical composition
and each harmonizes with the others
for balance and depth. Like notes in a melody,
 she creates music in her work and each
 piece presents itself as a
variation on a theme.

 
The artist has several series that are
dynamic and composed of melodious
elements with staccato rhythms.

Here's an example from
her Conga Line series
made with pearls, tourmaline,
chysocolla, blue topaz, diamond, opal,
and various karats of gold.

and here's a pendant from the same series

As a counterpoint to all that syncopation,
we adore this necklace featuring a solo
performance of one kunzite stone.
Supporting players include diamonds,
 pink tourmalines, pink sapphires, garnets and gold
accompanied by pearls.


 

 

We also enjoy her Dance Partners series
featuring asymmetrical designs yet
perfectly balanced compositions.

This is one of our favorites.

Made with pearls, aquamarines, pink & green
tourmalines and various karats of gold.

And this pair features

garnets, chalcedony, pink sapphires,

and tanzanite with various karats of gold.

There is so much to admire in this work. 

We admire the magnificent gem choices.

We admire the fact that
the metal is not subservient to the
 intensity of color and
preciousness of the gems.

We admire the
tempos and rhythms of
each composition.



Each piece is a performance of
timeless grace and beauty.


 They hit the right note every time.

Lisa Jane Grant Jewelry

Mokumé gane is awesome.
It's a 300-year-old jewelry technique
invented in Japan that is mind-bogglingly
labor intensive and incredibly time consuming.
 The effects of all this time and
labor are elaborate. And worth it.

One of the best examples of this technique

can be found in work created

by Lisa Jane Grant.

 Mokumé gane (pronounced mo-koo-meh gah-neh)
translates as "wood-grain metal" and that effect

is what we find so intriguing. The finished

jewelry shows myriad layers of metals

swirling and flowing in all directions and 

the final effect is rich and exciting.

Lisa's collections are named after specific

exotic destinations she has visited in her various
travels, and each piece evokes a memory or
special fondness she feels for that location.

Here are some of our favorite pieces
from her collections.

These earrings have an intense rosy hue

that we just love. From her Luang Prabang

collection they're made with

18k yellow gold, 14k palladium white gold,

14k pink gold and sterling silver.

Here is a great example from her Jaipur collection
made with 18k yellow gold,14k palladium white gold,
and sterling silver. It's a reversible pendant
featuring the mokumé in front
while on the back it has patterned sterling silver
with 18k yellow gold accents.

And these earrings from her
Cusco collection have a great pillow effect.
They're made with 18k yellow gold,
14k palladium white gold and sterling silver.

Each piece is truly one of a kind.

The distinctive layered patterns

of mokumé gane are exactly what

we love - fluid, asymmetrical,

and downright mesmerizing.


Enjoy!

Judy Lazar Jewelry

Jewelry created by Judy Lazar
is distinctly bold and full of impact.
Her masterful use of the ancient technique
of lost wax casting results in
gold and platinum jewelry
that is naturally elegant and opulent.

It is very apparent that Judy has an
impassioned love affair with
gemstones in all their
spectacular shapes and colors.
This love translates well into her
jewelry designs.

She specializes in carving one-of-a-kind
wax models that she individually designs
 to set off each gem to its utmost beauty.
Each piece is then cast specifically for
that particular gem.
The result is a wonderful showcase
for the natural beauty
and color of the gemstones.

We have so many favorites;
let's take a look at a few.

We think this necklace epitomizes romance. 

This brooch is absolutely delightful.

 

Here's a great example of her signature
asymmetrical designs.

Her work evokes a marriage of superb

quality and meticulous design.

Every piece provides a broad

range of visual interest.

The gemstones are vibrantly colored.

The settings are exquisitely designed.

The overall effect is lush and elegant.

We love them all!

Cynthia Eid Jewelry

Jewelry created by Cynthia Eid is awe-inspiring.
Sometimes delicate and sometimes strong,
it is always dramatic.

Her sculptural jewelry is created by
various metalsmithing techniques;
her main tools are hammers
and a hydraulic press.

We tend to appreciate an artist's work

better when we understand the techniques

and processes that go into its creation.

As she explains on her website, Cynthia uses

techniques such as fold forming where

a flat sheet of metal is folded in various

ways (she mentions terms like

anticlastic forming and synclastic forming),

and the effort results in a dramatic new

three-dimensional form.

We especially love the addition of a

thin layer of gold to many of her silver pieces,

a process known as keum-boo or kum boo.

And we appreciate the way she expresses

 her love for her work:

The paradox that “soft”, fluid-looking metal has evolved from flat, stiff rectangles though force, determination, and tenacity enchants me. I am entranced by the metal’s progressive transformation --- through hammering, persuasion, and struggle --- from a lifeless plane of metal toward an object of vibrancy, unity and fluidity.

Let's take a look at some of our favorite pieces.

This necklace is called Changing Sides -

made with Argentium Sterling Silver

with 22K Kum Boo, Reticulated Silver,

and 14K Gold. 

 This necklace is called Sea Grass-

made with Reticulated Silver, 22K Kum Boo,

Argentium Sterling and Patina.

 

 

Here is a bracelet called Sea-Ish IX

made with Sterling Silver.

Here we see "3 Floral Folded Rings" -

made with 18K Gold and Sterling bi-metal.

 

We are inspired by her unique jewelry designs.
Each is the result of intricate processes, 

superb craftsmanship and an eye for subtle detail.

Elegant and organic, each piece
is delightful and dramatic.

Are you inspired?
Let us know what you think.

We welcome your opinions.