Jewellery
-
Interview with Designer Vicky Lew
Interview with Designer Vicky Lew
Malaysian-born Vicky Lew started her creative life in her father's footsteps, excited by the gemstones and decorative elements that he used to create his footwear designs.
After realising that jewellery offered her greater opportunity to explore these sparkling gemstones - and across all of the the body, not just the feet - Lew travelled to London to study on the famous BA Jewellery course at Central St Martins.
Since graduating, she has gone on to secure the attention of Swarovski and Cartier, where she worked as a graduate, as well as winning a place on the prestigious Goldsmiths Kickstarter programme.
Vicky Lew refuses to be bound by traditional jewellery concepts, combining aluminium with gold, creating visual illusions with diamonds and sapphires as hidden flashes, and juxtaposing organic materials such as pearls next to geometric settings. The Winterson Journal explores Vicky’s design inspiration in this first interview in a series that will explore the love that contemporary designers have for pearls.
What are the main themes in your work?
My inspirations and ideas came from my own experiences, I like to reflect in what I have seen and some of these thoughts and ideas are often developed with the combinations of repeated forms.
The idea of accuracy and consistency in handcrafted jewellery resonates with me and highlights important characteristics of what I value in great craftsmanship. It takes skill and effort to produce and the result I think is both visually appealing and deeply comforting.
Image 1: Vicky Lew Chrysolampis Mosquitus Earrings
Image 2: Vicky Lew Yellow Chrysolampis Mosquitus Ring
Can you tell us a bit about the inspirations behind the Flight collection?
One morning like any other, I was out searching for inspiration in the parks of London when one of the photos I took happened to capture a moment in time I hadn’t previously paid much attention to - that short interval between a swan idling and flying off.
I thought that what if I could extend that moment somehow, maybe even capture in the way my camera could but with more care and effort, in metal and stone. And so Flight was born.
How has it evolved over the last few years?
My early research began with a study of the bird itself, before re-establishing my focus on the moment of take-off and theme of transience, in which the bird plays a supporting role. The primary sources of my inspiration for capturing these ephemeral moments were Felice Varini and his work in perspective-localized paintings and the graffiti duo Zebrating. Ultimately, Zebrating’s artworks allowed me to draw direct parallels between street railings, their choice of medium, and the linear and repetitive lines of bird feathers.
Image: Zebrating
The non-solid forms of the pieces present images of birds in perspective-localized angles. Employing a traditional pavé-setting method, the instantaneous moment of take-off is alluded to through the use of perspective-localized angles, whereby the birds are only revealed to the audience from certain angles. As a result, a fleeting moment is afforded to the audience, giving the gem-set birds movement as the wearer moves.
Material considerations were another important factor; the initial Flight pieces were made in aluminium, set with cubic zirconia. These designs were then refined further and made in precious metals and gemstones, after taking many considerations in weight and wearability.
The relationship between the geometry of the forms, the sparkling natural imagery and the organic quality of the pearl is really interesting.
Image 1: Vicky Lew Thalurania Colombica Earrings
Image 2: Vicky Lew Thalurania Colombica Brooch
Can you tell us more about this?
I always love strong and structural forms, however the lines can be quite harsh. By adding organic elements such as a figure of the hummingbird in gemstones and pearls soften the overall look. I also like the contrasting elements gives the pieces an unclassifiable and distinctive quality.
What drew you towards working with pearls?
There is something about pearls, they have an incandescent glow that is unlike any other gemstones. They are also historically significant, women of power were always adorned in strands and strand of pearls, and hence I associate pearls as regal and luxurious.
You've used golden south sea pearls in your work, is there something in particular about these that you find inspiring?
I have always thought that golden pearls have a mythical quality to them that it is almost fictional. I had a dream once about hummingbirds and they laid golden pearls as eggs, so it seems appropriate to use them in my work to project and giving them a fantastical quality.
Tell us a little about what's coming up for you in the next few months.
I will be presenting a capsule collection at Goldsmiths’ Fair this September.
View more of Vicky's work here. -
Yanmi Lui, Winner of the Winterson Prize 2017
Yanmi Lui, Winner of the Winterson Prize 2017
Yanmi Lui was announced as the winner of the 2017 Winterson Prize for the Best Use of Pearls at Central Saint Martins, London last night, where eclectic degree collections from jewellery's future designers went on display.
The influential arts institute’s annual graduate show saw students presenting original pearl pieces, created with advice and support from Winterson Director Andrew Fraser and Creative Director Alice Cicolini.
Yanmi Lui was named this year’s winner of the Winterson Pearl prize for her collection ‘Modern Self-defence Armour & Weaponry’, a playful set of self-defense weaponry that drew inspiration from bio-mimicry design and an interest in martial arts.
Each year the prize celebrates an appreciation and understanding of the qualities of the pearl. With such an original and diverse group of work this year, Yanmi was an excellent winner.
Image 1: Pearl dispenser necklace
Image 2: Bottle cuff
Yanmi described her collection to us: “My collection was inspired by the natural defense systems of animals and plants. I was already interested in the culture of martial arts and its relevance in today's modern society. I tried to mimic organic colours, functions and textures from insects and spiders in my work. The delicate and iridescent qualities of the pearl provided a perfect balance to the sharpness of the designs.”
Image: Shield
"As a designer, I continue to question, what outcomes do I want to achieve from the objects I create? What is the relationship, the interaction, between our most precious-valued objects and to wear them so close on our body? Through the process of exploring this unspoken language, I continue to develop a creative vision of what pieces I want to make and share with others. I enjoy using the artistic freedom in jewellery, aligned by functional design. It is always very delightful to see others wear my pieces, embodying it in their style and interacting with them."
Image: Lipstick shooter
"Through studying my Bachelor degree at Central St. Martins, I learnt the importance of craftsmanship because only by trying, failing and repeating, we gain true understanding as a designer. However, my experience in working with the industry, has also taught me the importance of mass manufacturing being essential to provide for a larger community. I enjoy introducing a craft dimension to functional, usually industrialized objects, for example, the lipstick piece in my graduate collection. My future plan is to gain more understanding of three-dimensional applied technologies on a Masters level, so that I can bridge the gap between the designer and maker."
Pearl blowguns, an eyeball necklace with a dispensing system for pearls, geometric knuckle rings, kevlar shields and an over-sized pearl bottle cuff with Braille lettering formed some of the equipment and hidden details in the collection.
Caroline Broadhead, BA jewellery Design Course Leader commented "Using pearls as a weapon for self-defense is a cunning idea. Yanmi’s collection of jewellery and objects is imaginative and inventive."
Image 1: Knuckle rings and Lipstick shooter
Image 2: Utility rings
Commenting on the award, Winterson's Creative Director Alice Cicolini said "We were impressed with the way that Yanmi made a clear conceptual connection between the origins of the pearl and her sources of inspiration. It is thought that natural pearls are created by a mollusc as a form of protection, a concept that Yanmi placed at the core of her self-defence collection. The pearl necklace is one of the most enduring luxury jewellery pieces; Yanmi plays with this symbolism, creating a fanciful piece where the pearls represent a source of empowerment as well as adornment."
An original and very well deserved winner for this year's prize, congratulations Yanmi!
Read more about Yanmi Lui and the other CSM designers' work here. -
Winterson Prize 2017: Meet The Designers Part II
Winterson Prize 2017: Meet The Designers Part II
Each year we work with the student jewellery designers at Central Saint Martins in London, giving them an opportunity to experience designing with pearls for their final year collections.
We will be awarding the Winterson Prize 2017 to one of the students for ‘The Best Use of Pearls’ at the CSM Jewellery Awards Evening on 22nd June.
The BA Jewellery graduate collections are exhibited at CSM and open to the public from June 21st - 25th.
Here we feature the final part in a series of short interviews with designers from the CSM Jewellery 2017 show, including in this article - Maria Mungsommai, Ruhong Chen, Xiaoyu (Coco) Guan, Xindi Nie, Yanmi Lui and Yingping Shen.
Read about the other designers in Part I of this series and the winner of this year's prize.
Maria Mungsommai
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm from Thailand and I have lived in the UK for 7 years so far. I came from an academic background and London gifted me with the love for art. Growing up in two vibrant places, I have always been inspired by the eclecticism of both cities and the subject of psychology. Jewellery, for me, is very special. It's magical how such small objects can mean so much.
What was the inspiration for the 'Rose Glass' collection?
It started from a stroll down the jewellery bridge in Ponte Vecchio, watching people looking at fine jewellery window display and asking what is jewellery to them. When looking at fine jewellery such as an engagement ring, it's like there is an instant rose-tinted glass filter. Rose glass is about the romantic desire for fine jewellery. Seeing them and wanting them. Taking inspiration from window displays, for instance, the frame, the glass and the jewellery stand themselves, looking at how jewellery are presented. I wanted to create that romance of seeing jewellery placed behind a glass.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
Pearls are really romantic in a sentimental way. For me pearls portray a true nuance of romance. Fragile, subtle, a beautiful imperfection. The lustre sort of resembles human skin as well. There's a softness to a pearl that can't be seen in other gemstones.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
Every single one of them is unique. The dimples and colour differences in each one of them I find very beautiful. Handling them makes you feel instantly more elegant as well (hahaha).
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
There's so many! But if I have to choose I'd say I love the work of Louise Bourgeois and Raf Simons.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Hmm.. I think they'll look good on Mia Goth.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Can I say whenever there's a pearl in the design? Haha. Well, I think a design is classic when there's some sense of subtlety in it.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I'm planning to do an MA in art business at Sotheby's.
Ruhong Chen
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I have a passion in art & design and have known that I will work within these area since I was a child. In high school, I studied for two years an A-level in Product design, photography and fine art. Then I studied foundation in CSM and luckily got into BA jewellery. Last year I meet Jewellery Master Catherine Mannheim and studied with her for one month.
What was the inspiration for the 'Ornaments and Pearls' collection?
My collection was started by the idea of conveying a moment of pause and the peacefulness within. Inspired by Edmund de Waal’s project with the same title 'White' (2015- 2016), my research started by looking at the quality of the colour white. I perceive white as being silent, a very powerful quality. And that is why I make all my collection mostly in a silver white finish.
My design has been playing with second-hand ornaments for example; little toys, house decorative adornments, as well as something I personally owned. Ornaments I gathered from second hand market are sentimental objects, carrying the element of memories. By taking away the color, reworking from the form of those ornaments, I have been thinking how memories and white color can both deliever a new perspective to perceive the present world and what was in the past.
Inspired by the Maisie Broadhead art installation ‘pearls’, I like to use the forms of pearl strands in my design so that they appear to have airiness and movement. Initially the use of pearls wasn’t the main focus. However soon my first piece was made, which is a sleeping kitten playing with a pearl necklace. I think it conceptually challenges the traditional use of pearl jewellery. The pearl necklace in history, as seen in most classical paintings, often stands for decorum, hierarchy status and luxury. Here the pearls are being disrupted by the kitten’s sense of playfulness. The sense of subversiveness is strong, and so I adjusted my design direction to focus on the use of pearls, especially pearl strands. Considering how it can interact with the ornament, and how it brings out the preciousness of silver.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
Unlike a diamond, which often dazzling and sharp, the beauty of pearls is more subtle, natural and refreshing. I am inspired by its varied luster and colour, especially as it appears like a rainbow, and the pearl’s different shapes are also fascinating. Using pearls with precious metal, it can really transform the metal, bringing a new liveliness.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
I discovered that there are lots of ways to use pearls, It could simply be attached by gluing, or it can be applied by stone setting techniques, stringing, wiring, beading, crocheting and so on. More complex techniques to use pearls doesn’t make the work more valuable, the value come from how the use of pearl links to the context of the jewellery and how it makes a story as a whole. The visual quality of purity from pearls is also my focus when I work with pearls.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
For jewellery design, I admire Otto Kunzli with his minimalism and the use of a witty metaphor in his jewellery, for example the work ‘Gold makes you blind bracelet‘. The gold is concealed in black rubber, the shape forming a gold diamond ring that most people would have.
In fine art area, I like Henri Matisse for his art of strongly expressive human body forms, for example ‘the dance’, as well as his paper cut works that are energetic, and have a curiosity for wondering.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Middle aged women who have studied or work in fashion or an art associated area. Having a sense of humor, passionate about life, appreciates the beauty of simplicity and enjoys wearing pearls.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Knowing the aim of the jewellery, to be open and true to it throughout the design. Inspiration is important but there are lots of refinements needed. A design classic jewellery arising from new ideas should have a personality like people, which gives an intimacy between the wearer and itself. Continuing traditional techniques and to innovate are also important.
What’s next for you after CSM?
Study a Master degree jewellery in the UK, also start up my own jewellery business.
View more of Ruhong's work here.
Xiaoyu (Coco) Guan
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name’s Coco. I’m a Chinese girl, staying in London for four years since my foundation course. I learnt Graphic & Communication Design three years in another University in China before, and then I came to CSM to study Jewellery design, which is my favourite major.
What was the inspiration for the 'Beans & Pods' collection?
The theme of this project is about beans and pods. Beans have long been interesting to me as a form and as a metaphor for positive, value, nourishment and potential. I’ve also been intrigued by how many different scales, shapes, textures and colors they come in. Due to the fact that we often eat beans in our daily life, I collected some different types of beans, such as mung beans, red beans and pea, thus, I want to use beans as a project starting point.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
I’m interested in the shape of pearls. The surface of the pearl could be smooth and free of marks while the overall shape could be round, oval, pear-shaped, or even misshapen. For this project, I chose to use freshwater pearls, because I like the natural shapes. I feel they’re really like the real beans in the natural.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
I feel quite good when I worked with them. It’s interesting to stitch pearls to metal.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
My favorite jewellery designer is Peter Chang, who produces mainly jewellery in the form of bangles/bracelets and brooches. He uses a variety of methods to achieve the bright colors and bizarre shapes. The colors red and yellow were especially popular, and form a color combination often seen in Chang's work.
From his work, I started to understand and explore how colors work together, the responses color provokes in a viewer, and what color symbolizes in nature. For instance, for this project, I made my own color palette and started to overlay many layers of colors on the bean’s surface, meanwhile, I still keep the single color for some of them.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
I think most of female will love my woks, because of the colors. For the whole collections, I used a lot of bright color, as the aim was to bring people limitless happiness when they try or see my works. And it’s also the main meaning of my works. I hope people can feel happy and get lucky when they wear them.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
I think it’s the meaning and story behind that piece. The appearance of a jewellery, the color, or the shape should be attractive for people to stop by, but when you understand the story behind it or what it really means, you will appreciate it forever.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I already got a MA Jewellery design offer from CSM. Therefore, I’ll still stay London to finish the course and learn more things.
Xindi Nie
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m 22 years old and interested in installation art pieces.
What was the inspiration for the 'Incidental Poetry' collection?
The integration of irrelevant objects fascinates me greatly with the sense of surrealism that is created by the process of clashing and combining. Such events occur accidentally all the time in our day to day lives, objects being turned into another form of existence which also serves an entirely different purpose.
On the other hand, does jewellery possess an ability to influence or even entirely replace the being of ordinary objects in a traditional manner?
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
Pearls are my favorite material, they are unique among other jewellery materials, such as metals and stones, as they are relatively softer and contains gentle sheen. Pearls play a essential role in my collection.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
The techniques of using pearls is a different category compared with other jewellery techniques that I learned before. I was very impressed with the way of stringing pearls, and french wire finishing techniques.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Artist: Giorgio Morandi, Roni Horn, Lois Weinberger, Mark Manders
Designers: Reka Lorincz, Marc Monzo, Bernhard Schobinger, Hands Stofer
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
I would like to think of my works as art pieces, which is a homage for Giorgio Morandi. His paintings inspired me a lot.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
The concept behind the design makes a piece of jewellery meaningful and classic.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I’m applying for an MA course at this moment.
Yanmi Lui
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am always curious about things and I let my mind wander when I’m travelling.
What was the inspiration for the 'Modern Self-defence Armour & Weaponry' collection?
Initially, I am inspired by the culture of different types of martial arts that do and do not use weapons in self-defence, because this form of fighting is integral to many security-related professions e.g. hostess, guards, military training. I enjoyed researching the developmental process of creating a weapon and analysing its changing values in the progress of a modernizing society.
Secondly, Biomimicry: I find the natural design systems in organisms fascinating, especially at a very small scale in insect defence mechanisms.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
Most defence mechanisms have sharp, warning shapes and textures. I chose to use the iridescent and ‘soft’ qualities of pearls as embellishments to counteract with ‘aggressive’ forms. The way that pearls are formed is a type of natural defence mechanism – molluscs use layers of iridescent nacre to wrap around the intruder, forming a pearl.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
They are very versatile to work with.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Jackson Pollock (Abstract Artist)
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
‘Cheeky’, playful people who like hidden surprises.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Memorable, stand-out elements in a piece of jewellery; something that is understood by a big audience. A technique that is shared and practiced by many people i.e. a class strand of pearl necklace is made from specific string knotting techniques.
What’s next for you after CSM?
Work to learn more about the industry hands-on, or if because of visa limitations, I am deciding to learn more about functioning systems on a Masters level.
View more of Yanmi's work here.
Yingping Shen
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am from China, I studied jewellery identification in China.
I like to combine other design elements into my jewellery, such as fashion and architecture. I think I don’t want to be an artist, I want to be a good jewellery designer in the future, making jewellery between fine and contemporary.
What was the inspiration for the 'Breathing' collection?
I was inspired by the cityscape. I saw the busy buildings in the city, and endlessly windows on the buildings, so many people working inside day by day. I wanted to express a fervent desire to escape from the city’s asphyxiating environment. I used different colours (black and white), different shapes, and some moving parts on the jewellery to express people's need to breathe. Pearls and precious stones express the people (precious) in the buildings.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
This is my first time that I have used pearls in my jewellery.
I think jewellery with a pearl, and without a pearl are very different, with a pearl that can make a jewellery more feminine.
I think it is very good for my collection, because my collection is based on so many cubes and straight lines, it looks very masculine, but the use of round pearls can change this.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
I bought some half drill pearls to work, and when I put pearls into the pins, around the holes, the pearls are very easy to break.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
I like Renzo Piano, the architecture designer.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
I want to make some jewellery for everyone, unisex, and all ages.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
I think contemporary jewellery needs a very good story or idea. And fine jewelry needs a good design and good material.
What’s next for you after CSM?
Find a job and make my own brand. -
Winterson Prize 2017: Meet The Designers Part I
Winterson Prize 2017: Meet The Designers Part I
Each year we work with the student jewellery designers at Central Saint Martins in London, giving them an opportunity to experience designing with pearls for their final year collections.
We will be awarding the Winterson Prize 2017 to one of the students for ‘The Best Use of Pearls’ at the CSM Jewellery Awards Evening on 22nd June.
The BA Jewellery graduate collections are exhibited at CSM and open to the public from June 21st - 25th.
Here we feature the first part in a series of short interviews with designers from the CSM Jewellery 2017 show, including in this article - Annie Kim, Biwa Pik Wa Wong, Ely Cao, Georgina Hopkin, Holly O'Hanlon and Jieun Kim.
Read about the other designers in Part II of this series and the winner of this year's prize.
Annie Kim
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Annie and I was originally born in Korea, then at the age of 13, I decided to study abroad in Manila, Philippines by myself to learn English. As I always had my passion towards Arts, I moved to London for high school and aimed to apply for Central Saint Martins where I could open my vision towards Jewellery Design. I did my foundation course in CSM and continued my study for BA jewellery design at the same college.
What was the inspiration for the 'Re:Heritage' collection?
This collection encapsulates my personal awareness of Korean heritage, focusing on traditional patterns drawn from architectural structures and details of temple facades.
As a Korean person, who left my home country at an early age, I want to reconnect with my cultural roots and so I chose to work with details of my heritage as inspiration for my BA jewellery collection.
In my design research I focus on the graphic surface patterns and motifs found on ceramic tiles and also wooden panels in temples. I believe these to be culturally meaningful and too important to be forgotten and seen as “old” or “passé”. They represent Korean heritage, and so carry both visual and cultural value.
Inspired by the architectural constructions of the temples, each earring design is layered and at times articulated, in its construction. I was amazed how each space is filled out with such a fine detail, while also considering very much vivid colours.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
It is the first time I have used pearls within my work and I think this material has a strength and a characteristic representing elegance and purity. The colour on the surface not only has one dominant colour, it glows and shines in different angles. I was inspired by how adding a single pearl with my pieces changes the mood. Not only did it turn my piece from 2 dimensional to 3 dimensional, it allowed me to add another texture and colour that matches well with any kind of metal or precious stones.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
I have discovered that pearls do have wider possibilities of transforming, while they are also very fragile. For one of my pieces, I had to enlarge a hole size, up to 2mm with a 7mm pearl size, which was a big pressure given to the pearls. However, the pearls were stronger than I believed and also had so many different ways of connecting them together involving other materials. The simplest way of keeping up the pearls was able to show their best purity.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Throughout my researching of artists, I have admired the work of Susan Collis. She uses mother of pearl as one of her materials and I was intrigued by the way she displays the material with daily marks on natural objects. It was a simple display that showed the characteristics of the mother of pearl that matched really well with our everyday objects.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Not only this collection does this endorse Koreans, I wish to encourage others to wear it also. My main theme and inspiration comes from Korean heritage, however, I wanted to create a collection that others can easily adopt while wishing them to be attracted to wear my jewellery as well. Allowing them to get comfortable with my country’s craftsmanship was the aim and the invitation.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
I believe speaking out and directly showing what your inspiration is; in your design the main key is to be classic. Once a designer has a theme or meaning, I think it is important they show that straightforward towards the shape or pattern of the piece. Pieces that includes more meaning and asks the audience to think through might appeal more personal awareness of that particular designer.
Also, I think using materials that are commonly known to be classic or simple/pure should take up a big role. Textures and colours are also important while designing.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I wish to learn wider skills and understanding in jewellery world. I think there is so much more I need to discover and learn from designers and artists who are much experienced than me and that one day I will get a chance for me in future to teach others about jewellery and arts.
Biwa Pik Wa Wong
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am from Hong Kong, China. I like making things that really reflect myself and relate to myself. Combining traditional and comtemporary ideas together, to consider design conceptally and visually.
What was the inspiration for the 'Made of China' collection?
The title of my collection is ‘Made of China’ as I am using China,the porcelain mostly in this collection.
Porcelain may typically be associated with chinaware, but my Made of China, hopes to break that stereotype. By transforming the material into wearable ornaments, I introduce it as a versatile substance that can be utilised beyond its original purpose and reflects my heritage.
Combining traditional and contemporary techniques, the pieces are crafted from traditional porcelain beads embellished with handwritten texts, high-strength ceramic beads adorned with lithographic decals, and 3D-printed ceramics.
The result is a sleek and minimalistic set of grandes complications personifying Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi’s idea of damei or “great beauty,” the concept of understated elegance that originally inspired the collection. Truly embodying the “less is more” maxim, Made of China is a delicately refreshing alternative to today’s tendency towards excess.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
As I am using porcelains, challenging the techniques of making porcelains balls,I found a technique in a ceramic company in Jingdezhen which is a ceramic town in China which specialized in making porcelains ball with a pearl finish. The balls are as glittering and translucent as the pearls,so I used real pearls with my porcelain balls design to enhance its luxury.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
Whilst I have been working with pearls, I discovered that pearls are really easy to work with but also hard to work with. A single pearl is a piece of jewellery that has its own different colour, shape and gloss. Designing with pearls is not easy - how to bring the most out of a pearl and not going too far is what I should consider when I am working with pearls.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
A girl with real class.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Simple, but heart catching.
What’s next for you after CSM?
Being a jewellery designer.
Ely Yili Cao
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Trained to be an architect, changed mind before my BA to work with smaller scale 3D pieces.
What was the inspiration for this 'Silk Menagerie' collection?
My belief, my cultural background and my aesthetics, as a jeweler, an embroider, an animal-lover and a Chinese.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
Their unique aura, which is not provocative yet stands for itself.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
It is a fragile but strong material. With the right amount, colour and shape, it lights up the whole piece.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Tadao Ando and Christopher Lemaire, they work in different fields but share a unique sense of satiety, a balance between material (materials if necessary) and empty space.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Personally, I don’t wear jewellery as I don’t wanna label myself as a certain type of jeweller, similarly I don’t label my jewellery to certain group of wearers. I will leave the choice to wearers and my pieces.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
A sense of satiety. Every details tells the same story, yet represents its own reason of existence. The existence and emptiness create harmony.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I was offered two places - one in RCA Jewellery Metal and another in RCA Fashion millinery. I chose millinery to challenge myself as a more versatile designer.
View more of Ely's work here.
Georgina Hopkin
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I am a British jewellery designer and maker. I only create things that excite me and evoke a reaction from people.
What was the inspiration for the 'Organ Cake' collection?
I want to push peoples perception of jewellery, and also investigate the fine line between the grotesque and the sublime. I was inspired by artwork made of intestines and meat, which were presented in a way that didn't make them appear gruesome. I found it interesting how people only have a repulsed reaction once they realise what they're looking at.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
I love the imperfect shapes that pearls come in. They also acted as a nice counterbalance for my grotesque foam and ceramic pieces. I found it funny to add pearls (a symbol of luxury) onto oozing organ-like objects.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
It isn’t often that I work with precious stones or materials, so it was a new experience for me. I learnt how delicate they are and how to correctly string them, a technique which I was able to alter to suit my designs.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Karl Frisch. His jewellery helped me open my mind to ‘ugly’ settings, and seeing the beauty in the unconventional. Also Grayson Perry has inspired me to just be myself.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Someone who likes pink and has a sense of humour.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Something that stands out against current design, and it might help if a famous person wears it.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I am an open book right now, I can live and work anywhere. I would like to work in the city, or any city, but also live in the countryside.
View more of Georgina's work here.
Holly O'Hanlon
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Holly O’Hanlon and I’m from Galway, Ireland. I’ve been studying BA Jewellery Design in Central St. Martins for the past three years. The way in which people interact with everyday objects, the associations and feelings the familiar can evoke is central to my work. My priority is to draw attention to the overlooked, utilitarian or mundane and, in particular, to the traces and fragments that remain from a practical task.
What was the inspiration for the 'Excess' collection?
My starting point for the collection was exploring different forms of excess. Through using slate as my primary material I aimed to emulate surfaces of walls and signage that change through corrosion or human contact and intervention. In doing this I hoped to show how the absence of an object can be communicated through its former location and the material that previously surrounded it- framing the unseen. The fragility of the slate juxtaposed with the lustrous quality of the pearls really highlighted the versatility of the two natural materials - precious merging with non- precious which executed the concept well.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
Pearls have such an inherent preciousness that only increases once you begin to work with them. They have such a rich history and I find it interesting to subvert this to a level of utility for example, pearl washers attached to brooches using a silver staple or screw and earring backs that support individually crafted and enamelled silver thumbtacks.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
To execute my designs , I used a process where I ground each pearl down to emulate the form of a washer- flattening both sides and keeping the finish of the rounded edges intact , the different layers of concentric colours and tones that were revealed were so beautiful and exciting and really added a new dimension to the pearls that previously remained hidden and unseen.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Naomi Filmer, the dialogue and balance she creates between her jewellery and the body is so sensitive and equally impactful. She is such a jewellery hybrid and her innovative approach to contemporary jewellery by visualising negative space through her knowledge of materials and processes is something I found really inspiring this year.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
As my pieces are unisex, I would hope they will appeal to anyone with an appreciation for detail, contrasting surfaces and materials within jewellery which applies a deceptive and playful approach!
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
A piece that utilises an innovative use of craft with a skilled application of techniques in combination with a considered design capability that has a sense of wearability.
What’s next for you after CSM?
As of now, my aim is to continue to develop and improve my knowledge and skills within industry in order to learn from people more experienced than myself. However, I am an open door to any opportunity that would still enable me to do what I love - jewellery!
Jieun Kim
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am from South Korea where I studied oriental painting before starting the jewellery course here at CSM. Tradition comes quite naturally as an approach to my work as I enjoy applying skills specific to metal in my work. Nevertheless I state that I am a contemporary jewellery designer using tradition with a twist.
What was the inspiration for the 'Crowning Moment' collection?
This collection goes along the lines of the work by renowned artist Jeff Koons, in the sense that I am using visual trickery and challenging what is expected of a material. I transform metal into fluid shapes. Each piece from the collection represents a different stage of the tying and untying of a bow knot – a gesture that I have enjoyed decomposing to reveal the simple beauty in movement, the celebration of a moment.
What do you find inspiring about pearls?
My designs tend to develop into simple forms that have boiled down my idea to its essence. Pearls represent the simplicity and purity of form that I try to reach in each of my projects. The subtlety in colour, the strength in quality and yet pale and fragile appearance of a pearl seem adequate with any kind of material. It is more of a universal than neutral quality that can be associated with it. In my eyes, pearls against fabric bring forward to extremes of smothers, creating an intriguing contrast. This is why I have integrated a pearl into my centre piece.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
With the round pearl I used specifically for my collection, I learnt ways of setting in a measured gap.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Alexander McQueen has been a great inspiration. He has managed to create his own world with all its intricacies at the top of the immense fashion industry. His pieces are expressive and tailored to perfection.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
I see my jewellery as accessible to a wide audience. I try to make my ideas clear and I keep them simple so that people can relate or interpret them in their own way. The size of my pieces vary but mostly they become relatively large but remain wearable. I see them as little narratives at hand.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
I think a design classic is an object that represents the culture and society or group within society from a specific epoch.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I would like to get various work experiences within the field of jewellery. -
The New Precious Gems
The New Precious Gems
How are precious gems defined by today's jewellers and how has this changed over the years? Precious and semi-precious gems have become more difficult to define and distinguish from each other. At the same time more and more extraordinary, but less well-known stones have been added to the fine jeweller’s palette.
In this article we look at some of the key qualities of precious gems and how we look at these in our approach to jewellery design.
Early classification of precious gems
Traditional systems of gemological classification date back to the ancient Greeks when a young philosopher, Theophrastus, began to define the material composition of stones, based on their behavior when heated. His work called On Stones was the first exploration of gemstones to move beyond the ancient mythological fables, magical or talismanic properties that had been associated with them in the past.
Theophrastus was amongst the first to attribute preciousness to a limited number of gemstones. Although the term semi-precious was only coined later in the Victorian era, On Stones established the idea that particular gems were precious due to a set of natural qualities such as colour, clarity and carat weight. It remained a key text for jewelers throughout the Renaissance.
The Cardinal stones
Emerald, ruby, sapphire, diamond and amethyst were known as the Cardinal stones, a core group of gems that symbolised the power and wealth of the church and aristocracy.
Amethyst in particular was marked out as a regal stone; Queen Elizabeth I banned all commoners from wearing purple, including amethyst, the rarity and cost of the dye echoed in the rarity and the cost of the gem.
Image 1: A pair of Lief Earrings in Yellow Gold with Green Beryl and Tahitian Pearls
Image 2: A pair of Lief Earrings with Pink Tourmaline and Akoya Pearls
The distinction of preciousness reflected not only the scarcity of these stones in ancient times, but their material quality. All of the Cardinal gemstones are translucent with fine colour in their purest forms, even the diamond whose purity is judged on its lack of subtle colour. These gems are also very hard materials, registering 8 to 10 on the Mohs hardness scale.
Questioning precious
The established definition of precious does not necessarily encompass all ancient beliefs though. Pearl, opal and amber were equally revered as precious gems, and handcarved stones (emeralds, rubies, spinels and banded agates) were the height of perceived authority and craftsmanship. Great value was also placed on visual beauty, mythic and healing properties.
Nor does the traditional definition of precious reflect the contemporary value of gems. For example, while some garnets are relatively inexpensive, the tsavorite garnet can be far more costly than a mid-quality emerald.
Image 1: A pair of Tsavorite Garnet and Akoya Pearl Drop Earrings with 18ct Gold
Image 2: Lief Ring with Pink Tourmaline and Morganite
If preciousness is a quality of rarity, there are a number of coloured gems that might also lay claim to the description. Gemstones such as the paraiba tourmaline and tanzanite are found in only one location, and in limited, finite quantities.
Beryls such as morganite, aquamarine, helidor and green beryl, all of which share the mineral composition of emerald, and imperial topaz with its natural peach and orange tones are highly prized especially when they are found with strong depths of colour. Bold coloured stones such as mandarin garnet, tourmaline and even peridot are increasingly difficult to source in their most potent shades.
A new definition of Precious
At Winterson, we look for gems that have strong colour, whose tones complement the overtones and orient of our fine quality pearls.
We also highly prize a gem’s intrinsic natural beauty. Like many gemologists today, we perceive the value in each stone and each pearl based on their unique individual qualities - the new definition of preciousness. -
Design Inspiration: Radiant Overtones of Pearls
Design Inspiration: Radiant Overtones of Pearls
One important and enduring design inspiration in jewellery is colour. The beautiful and unique qualities of a pearl and other colourful gemstones bring a unique aspect to jewellery design. At Winterson, we draw on our love of colour to create our contemporary heirlooms.
A pearl’s colour may be observed in its ‘body colour’ and ‘overtones’. The dominant colour and shimmering surface radiance of a pearl are influenced by a number of factors. The natural tone of a host mollusc's shell, the genetic fingerprint of its tissue and epithelial cells, and the quality of its external environment, give the most significant clue to a pearl's eventual colour.
Image 1: Luna Moss Tahitian Pearl Ring
Image 2: Lily Eclipse Pearl Ring
Even then, colour remains one of the few things that the pearl culturing process cannot entirely anticipate – where nature’s unpredictability plays its most important and majestic role. Discovering a Tahitian pearl with cherry, peacock, or pistachio overtones is part of the enduring magic of working with this fascinating gem and a true design inspiration.
Matching pearls for colour and lustre – the quality of light reflected from the gem’s surface – is a job that requires morning light and an experienced eye.
At Winterson, pearl grading has been the family business for decades. For us, grading by colour is as important a value factor as grading for lustre, size and shape. Our access to and selection of high quality Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls is at the heart of Winterson’s distinctive approach to designing pearl jewellery.
Image1: Classic Pear Drop Earrings in Ruby
Image 2: Luna Rose Tahitian Pearl Ring
Our designs celebrate the unique quality of a pearl’s colour, selecting precious and semi-precious stones that enhance this individual beauty, drawing out the subtle differences in every pearl.
Whilst the timeless combination of white diamonds against the rose blush of Akoya pearls will never tire, coloured stones emphasise every delicate movement in the overtone of a pearl; a grey Tahitian with steely tones responds to the languid blues of aquamarine, whereas a peacock Tahitian pearl flashes with vivid colour alongside the variegated blues of tanzanite, sapphire and blue diamond.
Image 1: Lief Earrings in Yellow Gold with Amethyst and Tahitian Pearls
Image 2: Lavender Eclipse Pearl Ring
This playfulness with colour, complementing tones in the pearl with colour in natural gemstones, is a distinguishing feature of the design inspiration behind a Winterson jewel.
To learn more about what causes a pearl's colour, read our Guide here. -
Bejewelled Treasures from the Al Thani Collection
Bejewelled Treasures from the Al Thani Collection
Winterson's Creative Director Alice Cicolini takes a retrospective glance at the celebrated Al Thani collection of jewellery. The exhibition, which first appeared in Bejewelled Treasures at London's Victoria & Albert Museum, is set to open this Spring at the Grand Palais, Paris in March 2017.
The Al Thani Collection is a unique collection of jewels from an unusually broad chronological period that spans the Mughal period of the early 1600s to the present day. With such a diverse group of objects to select from, the V&A exhibition's curator Susan Stronge paints an impressive, if partial, picture of the development of Indian jewellery techniques and tastes.
Jewellery in Mughal society
The focus in the early part of the exhibition emphasises the almost ubiquitous presence of gemstones and jewellery throughout the Mughal court: from fly whisks and wine cups, to backscratchers and huqqa bases. The prevalence of precious and semi-precious gems led visitors to India in this period to remark on the magnificence of courtly life, its gem-encrusted thrones and imperial bodies that sparkled with jewels.
Hindu rulers lived under clear instruction as to the importance of establishing of an almost God-like regal body politic, through dress, jewellery and grooming. This remarkable profusion of jewellery, which their Mughal successors appeared to share, went far beyond the ruling classes to encompass men and women at all levels of society.
Image 1: Spinel and pearl necklace
Image 2: Silk sword sash with jewelled gold fittings
This is very revealing of the important role that jewellery played, not simply in the creation of status, but in what modern historian Daud Ali has described as “the spiritual and literary life of Indian societies” and the “association of jewels with light, virtue and beauty”. It is in early Sanskrit texts such as the arthashastra and brihatsamhita that the spiritual, cultural and healing values of stones, grading & assessment and jewellery techniques began to be established.
A love for pearls and gems
Many of these central tenets of gemlore still inform contemporary Indian jewellery making and buying practice, today with the navratna, or nine-stones, continuing to play a alismanic role in jewellery culture. Of these, the five great stones, or mahararatnani, - diamond, pearl, ruby, sapphire and emerald - dominate Indian jewellery culture as they did several hundred years ago.
As a result, for pearl lovers the Bejewelled Treasure exhibition offers a wealth of extremely fine examples. Visitors to India frequently remarked on the ropes of pearls that covered the bodies of both men and women, rulers and lesser subjects alike, upon which it would have been difficult to place a price. The arthashastra particularly notes methods for grading pearls, and the types of necklaces into which they could be strung, including one gravity-defying necklace of 1,008 rows.
It may be that one of the reasons that visitors saw pearls worn by non-royal courtiers was that, much like their British equivalents, Indian rulers charged their servants with wearing their pearls during the day to keep them both warm and luminous. Although the geographical proximity to the pearl fishers of the Arabian Gulf and Sri Lanka would have given Indian rulers greater access to pearls than some of their European peers, the pearl was still regarded a symbol of status. Some rulers were believed to drink powdered pearls as an aphrodisiac, and the Sanskrit word for pearl, manjari, means “bud” denoting the sensuality the gem has come to symbolise.
Image 1: Diamond turban jewel made for the Maharaja of Nawanagar
Image 2: Cartier Brooch set with emeralds, sapphires and diamonds
Other notable aspects of the exhibition include several exquisite examples of spinel, a stone which has long been celebrated in the subcontinent whilst remaining relatively unknown in the West. A combination of increasing scarcity, the price of tourmaline, the prevalence in the market of glass-filled and heat treated ruby and the spinel’s relatively low profile, however, marks this gemstone out as a major jewellery trend.
One of the main centerpieces of the show, and one of the few pieces in the exhibition not from the Al Thani Collection, is the Timur Ruby, rather abstractly titled since it is neither a ruby nor was it ever owned by the famous Indian ruler. Now part of the collection of Queen Elizabeth II, the stone was given to Queen Victoria by the East India Company in 1851, and then set in gold, enamel and diamonds by Garrards in 1853. The gem itself demonstrates the significant value placed on these stones by a succession of Mughal rulers, engraved as it is with the names of five royal owners from Jahangir, son of Akbar, in 1612 to Sultan Nadir in 1741.
Contrasting traditional with modern
The Timur Ruby also demonstrates the differing understanding of value that remains central to much of India’s more traditional jewellery making practice. Unlike Western cultures, where brilliance, fire and perfect precision cutting constitute extraordinary gems, the Indian subcontinent holds true (in its more traditional manifestation) to the notion that a stone’s natural character and form – its scale, luminance, colour and clarity – are what defines its beauty.
One of the main techniques that the exhibition focuses on is kundan, the practice of using highly refined gold to set natural, irregular stone shapes within fine, symmetric settings. Its aesthetic is one that has come to define traditional Indian jewellery, and its abandonment by India’s contemporary high jewellers is one of the most notable characteristics of their perceived modernity.
It is the quite clear break with traditional jewellery making practice that the exhibition makes visible, which is one of the show’s most interesting features. Alongside the rejection of traditional setting techniques, it is the widespread preference for platinum (with yellow gold removed to the reverse or interior structure of these new jewels) that has seemed to define “modernity” in contemporary Indian jewellery.
Western influences
Certainly this trend is most evident within the fertile Art Deco period that saw such a volume of commissions from Indian rulers to luxury high jewellery houses in the West such as Cartier, Boucheron, and more recently JAR, and more recently in contemporary jewellery from India itself.
Image: Gold and diamond hair ornament
Stronge implies that the increased cross-fertilisation with Western tastes has resulted in a loss of regional difference across Indian jewellery, although it's perhaps difficult to conclude about a wider trend from the prism of a very personal selection of objects. It is certainly true that the contemporary jewelers that Al Thani has favoured lean very heavily towards the language of Westernised Indian-ness that Cartier, his Indian clients, and the many other 1920s Western jewellery houses who operated in the country, helped to establish.
The exhibition catalogue relates a lovely vignette of Jacques Cartier’s first visit to India as part of the Delhi Durbar of 1911, marking the coronation of George V as Emperor of India. Cartier had brought, Stronge relates, a selection of jewellery for women, but rapidly realized “the enormous potential of this market was that the princes bought mostly for themselves”.
The legacy of the Al Thani treasures
Perhaps what makes this exhibition so unique in its presentations of high jewellery is that the majority of the pieces chosen have been created to be worn or used by men rather than women, and this in itself is something worth visiting for.
As masculine jewellery cultures diminish so dramatically across the world, the exhibition profiles a dying way of life – both that of the makers, as their traditional arts appear to fade from fashion, and the wearers, and ways of wearing, that these extraordinary gems represent. -
Coline Assade, Winner of the Winterson Prize 2016
Coline Assade, Winner of the Winterson Prize 2016
Eclectic degree collections from jewellery design’s future stars went on display at Central Saint Martins last night (June 23rd), where Coline Assade was announced as the winner of the 2016 Winterson Prize for the Best Use of Pearls.
The influential arts institute’s annual graduate show saw students presenting original pearl pieces, created with advice and support from Winterson Director Andrew Fraser and Creative Director Alice Cicolini.
Coline was named this year’s winner of the prestigious pearl prize for her collection ‘Unconventional Femininity’, an exploration of identity and self-expression. Graduate Chlóe Valorso also received a special commendation from the judges for her work.
Each year we look for work that demonstrates an understanding and appreciation of the pearl and, with such a high standard on display this year, Coline was an excellent winner.
Coline described her collection to us: “My collection was about femininity and identity. I wanted people to be more playful with their identity and make them raise questions about what is gender and who they really are. I used the pearls as playful moving parts of the jewellery. On the ring there’s a contradiction between the very round and colourful shapes, so you can choose what you want to wear and what you want to hide.”
Commenting on the award, Winterson's Creative Director Alice Cicolini said "Coline embraced the pearl and put it at the heart of her collection, celebrating the uniqueness of the baroque pearl as a symbol of feminine individuality. We were impressed by her willingness to experiment and her bold, distinctive voice."
A throughly deserving winner for this year's prize, congratulations Coline!
Read more about Coline and the other CSM designers' work here.
-
Meet the Designers for the Winterson Prize 2016 - Part III
Meet the Designers for the Winterson Prize 2016 - Part III
Each year we work with the student jewellery designers at Central Saint Martins in London, giving them an opportunity to experience designing with pearls for their final year work.
We will be awarding the Winterson Prize 2016 to one of the students for ‘The Best Use of Pearls’ at the CSM Jewellery Awards Evening on 23rd June.
The designs are also open for viewing by the public at CSM during June 22-26th.
Here we feature the final part in a series of short interviews with designers from the CSM Jewellery 2016 show, including in this article - Kay Zhixin Guo, Stacey Huang, Stephanie Chase and Tia Liang.
Read about the Winner here and the other designers in Part I and Part II of this series.
I CANNOT LAST - KAY ZHIXIN GUO
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A Buddhist, enjoy helping people. Like simple things. Interested in how people go through difficulties in their lives, where they put their bodies and how they cope inside of it.
What was the inspiration for this collection?
My first time of experiencing break-up and depression and the doctrine of impermanence.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
Fragile and easy to be manipulated at the same time. Can be drilled, cut and carved in specific ways. Good to combine them with different types of material or just use them straight which fits in various designs.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Marina Abramovic
What’s next for you after CSM?
I am going to apply for jobs and work for companies
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
People who admire minimal aesthetic, matured people, both men and women.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Simply, with a highlight on special details that communicates with the viewers and wearers easily. Good craftsmenship.
STACEY HUANG
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m an observer of daily life and have a full passion for jewellery design.
What was the inspiration for this collection?
My inspiration is from Tesco, to tell viewers my point of view about the promotions in supermarket by using cheap packaging as the main visual language.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
The colour and the luster of pearls are attractive for me, and the contrast between metal and pearl is attractive as well.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Sebastian Errazuriz
What’s next for you after CSM?
I’ll work for a company and prepare my own studio in the following 5 years.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Every girl or lady
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Delicate appearance with strong concept and high aesthetics.
View more of Stacey's work here.
MY BAKING MEMORY WITH NAN - STEPHANIE CHASE
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Well this is going to be tough haha, Okay, I am a 21 year old student that is sadly coming to the end of my studies. Out of uni I display a keen interest in music as I enjoy playing piano (that’s when I get the chance!). I also have a strong interest in photography.
What was the inspiration for this collection?
After losing my Nan I began to form a sentimental relationship with my grandmother’s objects. By studying Alice Anderson Memory Objects Memory Movement exhibition I continued to embrace this idea of preserving “mummifying” an object therefore encouraging its sentimental value.
The memory of baking with my Nan was my next step. On choosing the sieve, I wanted to preserve the memories shared with her by creating my own wrapping technique.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
The use of pearls in my pieces symbolise the sugary cake decorations i.e. hundreds and thousands, rainbow circus mix and chocolate silver pearls. This initiates a playful side to the emotional feelings already displayed.
Working with the pearls has been wonderful, I have enjoyed using all the different colour variations that has helped me create the idea of sweets.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Alice Anderson is my biggest inspiration, however I did research many artists in my previous uni that helped me to come to the conclusion of my collection. Jo Pond’s ideas behind her jewellery piece & Caroline Broadhead and Maria Militsi’s Second hand First hand exhibtion also inspired me.
What’s next for you after CSM?
To be honest I’m not entirely sure, I would like to use the funds I raise in my degree show to build my own workshop to use at home. I have others interests as well so I might use some of the funds to build a small photography set along my own workshop after finishing uni.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
I don’t want to characterise a particular individual as that’s not my aim in this collection. My pieces display a precious effect that immediately catches the eye, I want individuals to question the meticulous wrapping method and choice of object as my pieces are for the wearers to embrace the story behind it.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
The simplicity of the pieces; from only using a wrapping technique combined with the pearls gives it elegance. I have used simple combination of materials to emphasise a story that is so dear to me.
SHAME - TIANYI TIA LIANG
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
An active and engaged student who has an individual way of observation.
What was the inspiration for this collection?
Shame is a fact of human life. throughout the researching of history, a couple of pictures about Chinese first lady Wang Guang Mei have been attracted my attention, as the first visited foreign country First Lady of the new China, she wore a long pearl necklace as national pride.
But just one year after, because of the Cultural revolution, she suffered public humiliation and wore a heavy-looking fake pearl necklace, forcing her body to be banned in order to show her guilt.
Thus highlighted the relation between shame and pride again, also explained shame as a common topic, whatever their wealth or status.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
The sphere structure of pearls is the main discovery of my visual aim.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Michael Wolf
What’s next for you after CSM?
I would tidy up my mind again, then continue with master courses.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Anyone who has incomplete reduction of interest or joy, spend much of their life blushing.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Sense.
-
Meet the Designers for the Winterson Prize 2016 - Part II
Meet the Designers for the Winterson Prize 2016 - Part II
Each year we work with the student jewellery designers at Central Saint Martins in London, giving them an opportunity to experience designing with pearls for their final year work.
We will be awarding the Winterson Prize 2016 to one of the students for ‘The Best Use of Pearls’ at the CSM Jewellery Awards Evening on 23rd June.
The designs are also open for viewing by the public at CSM during June 22-26th.
Here we feature the second in a series of short interviews with designers from the CSM Jewellery 2016 show, including in this article – Coline Assade, Haorui Wang, Jessica Trafford and Joanne YiFang Tan.
Read about the Winner here and the other designers in Part I and Part III of this series.
UNCONVENTIONAL FEMININITY - COLINE ASSADE
Tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Coline and I was born in France. I am passionate about jewellery, objects and colours in general.
What was the inspiration for this collection?
The inspiration came from a jewellery supply Christmas catalogue. The double page dedicated “to her” was full of cliché objects such as pink pliers and heart pendants. It made me both laugh and cry.
From there I created a collection that aims to make the viewer question his opinion around gender and hopefully help him to be more playful with his identity and jewellery.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
I never worked with pearls before this year and was astonished by the diversity of their shape and colours. I fell in love with the baroque pearls.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
Delfina Delettrez for her bold, colourful and surrealist take on fine jewellery.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I will stay in London, look for a job in the jewellery field and try to start my own studio.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
I would love to see my jewellery worn by Jemima Kirke because I admire the way she thinks. But truly, I will be happy to see anyone wearing my work because I hope to touch as many people as possible.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
I would say a timeless design and beautiful materials. But everyone has a different opinion.
View more of Coline's work here.
NATURE AND MANMADE - HAORUI WANG
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Harry Wang, I come from northern China.
What was the inspiration for this collection?
I got inspiration from the natural form of twigs.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
I very much like pearls. Some of them have very regular shapes and very smooth surface. I try to set them into plastic. I think those two material have very similar surface. And they join together in harmony.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
I admire a German artist called Geirg Dobler.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I got a place form Royal College of Art, already.
However, I have delay the place until 2017. I want to try to do some of my own designs next year and travel to some places collecting ideas.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Asian women.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
I think time is important. A classic jewellery design needs a lot time to design and redesign. A masterpiece need time to making and try to archive high quality.
Also, an idea is another foundation of a classic design. It should let people give people a feeling, it may be beautiful, it could be interesting, any kind of feeling is fine.
THE ART OF IMPERFECTION - JESSICA TRAFFORD
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm originally from the Lancashire countryside but have lived in London for 5 years now. I am 26 and this is my second arts degree, my first was fine art photography. I made this change due to photography jobs becoming increasingly digital, I'm only happy when I am using my hands!
What was the inspiration for this collection?
The inspiration for this collection was the mess and chaos of traditional artists studios, and how this reflects the beauty and serendipity that can occur when working with your hands.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
Through working with pearls in this collection – it has opened my eyes to the sheer variety of shapes, colours, and sizes within pearls, which I found really inspiring.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
In regard to jewellery, I'd say I most admire designers who have a playful and eclectic approach to both material choices and concepts – such as Delfina Delettrez and Solange Azagury-Parker.
What’s next for you after CSM?
Immediately - continuing to improve my making skills and learning more about the industry – to eventually (hopefully) have my own jewellery business!
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
Anybody who takes a shine to it! I think my work is quite accessible and wearable – although a little adventurous! So somebody who likes to make a statement and who also has an appreciation for the handmade.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
Wearability, durability, quality, beauty.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE BEAUTY - JOANNE YIFANG TAN
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Originated from Malaysia, I came to the London when I was 17 to further study in Arts. Prior to coming to London, I was a science student. My science background influences and inspires most of my work. I’m interested in conveying and interpreting scientific images/information in an aesthetic form.
What was the inspiration for this collection?
The collection is inspired by the growing plastic surgery culture in Asia in relation to the Asian beauty perception and standard.
What have you discovered about working with pearls?
Working with pearls, I do realise that they are more delicate compared to precious stones. The pearl requires gentle handling when setting to prevent scratches.
Which designer or artist do you most admire?
The designer I like most is Shaun Leane. I like how traditional craftsmanship is infused with the contemporary designs of his works.
What’s next for you after CSM?
I’m currently planning to move to Italy to further study jewellery making techniques such as stone setting. I’m hoping by gaining more knowledge on different making techniques, I will be able to further develop my ideas and designs.
Who could you imagine wearing your jewellery?
For my final collection, anyone who is into face jewellery of the avant-garde kind is welcome to wear them.
What is it that makes a piece of jewellery a design classic?
I think classic jewellery is a piece with minimal design yet it conveys a strong background story or idea. Besides, it could be worn comfortably throughout our daily life. I also think that it is important the piece is well crafted to increase the durability of the piece.