Gold With Silk - Lynsey Pluck Jewelry

Lynsey Pluck creates jewelry incorporating

 ethically-sourced precious and 

non-precious materials.

Her current designs combine 

18kt gold and gemstones with 

intriguingly-colorful recycled sari silk.
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Some of her pieces showcase the 

intensely-colored silks utilizing just enough

 metal to create a bold setting.

 

Other pieces allow her metalsmithing techniques

 to shine while incorporating just enough

 silk fabric to serve as focal points.

 Each combination of metal and fabric

is eye catching. 

 

You can see more of Lynsey Pluck's work

on her website.

Carolyn Morris Bach Jewelry

Sometimes jewelry is
thought provoking.
That's how I feel about
the work created by
Carolyn Morris Bach.

Over the years I’ve come across her jewelry

again and again, and I feel drawn to her

instantly recognizable work

which is dominated by a strong

mysterious earth-goddess motif.

This feminine figure is frequently accompanied

 by symbolic creatures from the animal kingdom

including owls, rabbits, deer, bears and foxes.

 

Using all natural materials such as

wood, bone, metal and stone

this artist builds each of her pieces

one at a time, and each

 piece tells its own magical story.

yes, the owls are my favorite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carolyn Morris Bach's creative jewelry

may not actually

bestow magic upon the wearer.

But then again maybe it will.

 

See more of her work at her website.

 

Mixing the Precious with the Mundane - Elaine Cox Jewelry

 

Elaine Cox designs jewelry that suggests
 landscapes with especially irregular
 and eroded rock formations.

 

Working with silver and 18 kt gold
each of her pieces are created with
multiple layers of richly textured surfaces
 using both precious and nonprecious materials.
 

Her work explores contrasts such as,
 rough with smooth,
 matte with burnished, light with dark,
 and precious with non-precious.
 

And many of her pieces are usually encrusted
with non-precious materials like dirt or salt
giving her gemstones the appearance of
 having just been pulled from the ground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe the key to

creating art jewelry is

to find a way to express

one's inner vision.

This artist definitely does.

 There's alot more to see

at Elaine Cox's website.

 

 

Working from the Basics - Wendy Newman Jewelry

Jewelry created by Wendy Newman is a visual feast. As a lapidary and metalsmith Wendy finds many of her own raw stones and cuts them herself to create vibrantly-colored gemstones that she then showcases with exquisite settings.

As she describes on her website,

“It is always a challenge for me to balance the visual weight of the stone with the complexity of the metal work. It also provides a visual irony between the organic quality of the stone and the industrial quality of the metalwork.“

This lovely pendant features an Australian opal that she highlights with peridot, apatite, sapphire and a London blue topaz.

This piece focuses on a black druzy quartz that is punctuated with red, orange and yellow sapphires in a sterling silver and 18k gold setting.

This double-layered pendant in sterling and 18k gold is a showcase for a druzy quartz, imperial topaz, andalucite, and sapphire.  I especially like being able to see within the setting to the other side.

The interplay of gemstones and metals are a fearless mix of unusual patterns and shapes - they just make me want to keep looking at them.


There is a lot more information and images to be seen at Wendy Newman's website.

Jaclyn Davidson Jewelry

Hand forging is an ancient art

that Jaclyn Davidson uses to

create her jewelry.

The image of a metalsmith who uses

extreme heat to hammer and shape

metal leads to the image of this artist who

takes that energy and effort to

create pieces that evoke an impression

of delicacy and softness.

By directly manipulating the metal with pliers,

hammer and heat, the artist bends, stretches and

shapes the metal to do her bidding.

Her botanically-themed

jewelry resembles the soft tendrils and

delicate curves found in nature. Her work seems

to have life imbued into each piece.

Hand forging is time consuming. Working with

gold, sterling silver or steel, each piece must be

created and completed before moving on to

the next piece.  And so each has to be

different in some way from all the others; even

repetitively making the same thing over and over

one can't help but make them all unique. 

Let's look at some of her charming pieces.

This is exquisite. 

So delicate and strong at the same time.

Here we have more sweet tendrils. 

  

 These gingko leaves seem so fragile.

  Lots of detail work can be seen in this piece. 

 

Much of the charm and warmth of handwrought

jewelry come from the subtle variations in form,

shape and feel that hand crafting offers.

The true beauty of hand-forged jewelry is that

you can see the hand of the metalsmith in each piece.

That's what we love about handcrafted work -

it's obvious when an artist loves what they do.  

 

Enjoy!

Sonia Beauchesne Jewelry

Lately we’ve been seeing alot of
nature-inspired jewelry.
Maybe it’s the approaching springtime.
Maybe it’s a need
to feel closer to Mother Nature when
so much that surrounds us is
industrialized and harsh.

Whatever the reason, we find ourselves
gravitating towards a lovely collection
of organic jewelry offered by metalsmith
Sonia Beauchesne that features feathers
in many shapes, sizes, and range of details.
It’s a collection called “ If I Had Wings.”

Sonia has other collections and one-of-a-kind work
as well but it’s her "If I Had Wings" collection
 that seems to inspire us the most.
There is so much exquisite detail in each
piece and each is surprisingly
different from the others.
Embellished with pearls and 18K gold chips,
the richly detailed sterling silver
pieces evoke a closeness to nature that
we find appealing.

Here are some of our favorites.


This necklace is quite a
show stopper.

 

 

This brooch shows some of the detail

found in each of her pieces.

 

We find this one to be breathtakingly lovely.

 

We adore the richly textured work

with amazing details.

Meticulous detail, charming subject matter,

and an opportunity to get closer to nature.

We enjoy it all and hope

that you do, too.

Susan Chin Jewelry

We've long admired jewelry created by Susan Chin.
Her trademark work revolves around the use of
ebony and bone, and her signature forms are
sprinkled with silver or gold dots set against each
other in symmetrical yet seemingly
random arrangements.
But this artist works with other materials as well.

We gravitate towards her pieces
featuring freshwater pearls dotted with
those symmetrical mixed with random
accents of metal.
We enjoy following the sequences and repetition
of these elements which evoke a sense of
something ancient and tribal.

Whether densely packed together or set with ample
breathing space between them, we appreciate
how each metallic accent carries its weight
and brings delightful texture to the jewelry.

Together they become a synergistic creation -
the whole effect becoming so much greater
than the sum of its parts.
Let's take a look at some of our
favorite pieces of her work.


This is her “Forged Links” bracelet
featuring sterling silver, freshwater pearls
and18K gold.

We adore her Kelp Necklace
also featuring sterling silver, freshwater pearls
and18K gold.

 

These amusing "Pearl with Curl" earrings are
made with freshwater pearls and 18k gold.

 

These earrings are from her
one of a kind collection
and feature ebony, 18k and 22k gold,
and Australian boulder opals.

This piece features ebony, 18k and 22k gold,
and sterling silver.
It evokes a furry impression
that we find lighthearted and amusing.

It's fascinating to feel rough

texture created by the combination of several
types of smooth elements.

It's also fascinating to see
seldom used materials like ebony and bone
take center stage in an artist's work.

It would be most fascinating of all
 to wear works of art
such as these and to feel the spirit
of the artist in each piece.

We'd own her entire collection
if we could.

Enjoy!

Lisa D'Agostino Jewelry

There are times when we feel like wearing

 lacy, light, ethereal types of jewelry. 

There are other times when we don't.

That's when we seek an adornment

that evokes a bolder, edgier statement.

A lovely example of a metalsmith

who creates jewelry with this type of
edgy, contemporary

presence is Lisa D'Agostino.

Her signature handcrafted pieces

are created by using

multiple techniques to achieve

multiple effects.

This artist incorporates many techniques into each
piece using a variety of metalsmithing tools.
Shapes are fabricated with sterling silver or18k gold

and manipulated in various ways.
Some parts might be distorted through the

rolling mill achieving interesting effects.

Some surfaces are textured with the use of tools, 

or fused with silver dust or 18K yellow gold.

And she explores various combinations of matte
and polished surface areas to give us

an end result that is bold

 and imaginative.

Here are a few examples of our favorites.

We love these deceptively simple earrings.

And this bangle simply exudes strength and determination.

 

We are inspired by the many aspects
present in this pendant.

 

This bracelet is a veritable

smorgasbord of variety.

It showcases her

range of techniques

exquisitely.

 

This artist's work satisfies that need

for variety and detail.

Each detail adds something magical to the

edginess of the designs.

Each design is bold and imaginative.

Enjoy!

Randi Chervitz Jewelry

We admire jewelry that explores fiber

techniques in metal.

Jewelry created by Randi Chervitz

features fine-gauge sterling silver and

gold wire crocheted into the design,

transforming metal into a sense of fabric.
The linear fabricated framework of each piece

blends flawlessly with the

curvaceous, lacy needlework of the wire.

We appreciate her fine metalsmithing skills,
 delicate manipulation of fine metal wires, and
very selective choice of gemstones.


The repetitive, intricate, complex designs are stunning.
This cuff is a wonderful example of her work.
It's called "18K Wide Bamboo Cuff with 12 Diamonds,"
and features hand-crocheted yellow gold wire
with hand-set diamonds.

We also love this ring called
18K Wide Bamboo Ring with 5 Diamonds."
It has movement and intrigue.

These sweet little numbers feel delicate yet structured.
They're called,
"Skinny Rectangle Earrings."

And this solid, chunky square platform
makes a beautiful frame for a crocheted
nesting of pearls.

This one is named, "Square Top Ring," and

features a delightful assortment of freshwater pearls.

 

Here's another example of the underlying structure
that is a hallmark of this artist's work.
Called, "Grid Pin/Pendant," the hand-crocheted
silver wire clearly provides a lacy softness to contrast
with the rigid grid structure.
 

Mixing techniques from multiple disciplines

allows an artist's imagination to expand.

This artist's work delights us for her ingenuity
and original designs.
The effects are fabulous.

Enjoy!

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.