The most beautiful neckpiece, maybe ever

Neckpiece
c.1900, Papua New Guinea
Uncut stones in natural fibre (grass?) setting, woven and wax-hardened

During the JMGA Perth 2010 conference, at Gallery East, Fremantle, I met a beautiful lady wearing this beautiful piece. I could not stop looking and admiring it, there was something about it that completely captivated me. The contrast between the rough, natural stones and the soft, dark weaving; semi-transparent and opaque, the way light played on the piece, and the way it looked a perfect fit for the wearer who appeared luminous herself – something that particularly interests me in the aesthetics and culture of wearable jewellery.

The lucky owner was happy to engage in conversation and kindly let me take a photo. She, a well-travelled owner of a boutique specialising in Asian imports, told me that she found this necklace in Papua New Guinea, and estimated it over a hundred years old. The substance used to harden the woven setting must therefore be very durable, to last and be able to hold the heavy stones. The design is also timeless as this (to me, at least) could be a contemporary neck piece as well as an ancient, ancient work of art.

I realise I should have taken a peek at the attachment system also, it would have been interesting to see how and with what materials the "catch" had been resolved.

reve(name)lations ...

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege to attend a workshop by the renowned enamel specialist Elizabeth Turrell (UK) in Perth, as a part of the JMGA conference. It was an amazing experience. Hello fellow enamelists around Australia and back in Bristol : ) A fellow jeweller, Melissa Cameron, talks about the workshop in her blog, too, and check out the beautiful images of work also!

In short, liquid enamel on steel is my new passion. It is like painting and drawing, but on metal and glass. I love it.

Here are a few small samples (90 x 90 mm) from the three intensive and unforgettable days, and a very recent attempt (this afternoon at rmit) which began my experiments with enamel on 3D steel objects, for a silversmithing research project.










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melbourne morning – a pin for perth

I feel very happy and very lucky to be going to the 14th biannual JMGA Conference from 9-11 April (this coming weekend) in Perth. So many great guest speakers and exhibitions to look forward to!

This is a pin I've made for the traditional pin swap–hoping it's not supposed to be a secret–with a Melbourne morning in mind … wood, brass, steel, enamel paint and 925 silver, very light and quite tiny in size. Maybe it also works as an antenna to tune into some things?

Can't wait to visit my old stomping grounds and catch up with the jewellers who originally pointed me to the right path, especially the amazing teachers with hearts of pure gold, Brenda Ridgewell, Claire Townsend and Sarah Elson.