One of the best things about working in the arts is how creativity and fun always comes with the job. Here at Jewel Envy we love to play and experiment with metal and stone, and sometimes pumpkins.
With Halloween around the corner it’s time to get the decorations out, and what’s more symbolic of the Halloween season than carving pumpkins. OK maybe collecting free candy is better but pumpkin carving will always be a classic past time.
Here we are “working” to help bring the season alive, and very excited about it too. It all stars with a blank pumpkin. Then we “work” out the designs. We have the classic Jack
A witches shelf ready for sale. I mean, who wouldn’t want Unicorn Tears.
And of course we saved the seeds for roasting later. Also why not a little shameless free publicity when the kids show up. They may only be interested in the sugary candy but I know us big kids LOVE glittery eye candy.
Whether your taste in jewelry is classic and expensive or trendy and affordable, there’s a lot of new ideas from jewelry experts nowadays.
The trends shifts from season to season and year to year. I can almost rely on the fact that you have an assortment of jewelry, both fine and costume, that you keep on a tight rotation. But there’s always room for a few new pieces to freshen up your go-to selection.
Among the new trend are the pearls. This trend toward modern ‘cool-girl’ pearls is only getting bigger, you can wear them short or long, only one string or several ones, they can be fine or costume, white or in any other color, just pearls! Big pearl earrings are more trending than ever, do not be scare, you can wear a big display of pearls all at the same time! this Christmas the more you wear the better.
Pearl Necklaces from The Pearl Source
Vintage pieces are very trendy, be them signed or unsigned. I love the history of these pieces and the exceptional quality in which fine jewelry was made decades ago. A lot of the interest is also driven by the limited availability and the fact that many of these pieces are one of a kind. You can wear your grandmother Bakelite bracelet, they were made in neon colors, go for it, you will feel fabulous!
Bakelite’s bracelets from Pinterest
Hearts are back, in any size, only one or more, even rings with hearts are trendy now, if you wear a chain with hearts and a string of pearls in New Year’s Day you will be the queen of the party!
Color is back, lovely bands full of colors, the rainbow is trendy, I know you remember the bracelet with charms, those gorgeous charms big and colored, the ones with enamel, yes, the apples, the clowns, the cars, go back to your jewellery box and find the one you have since 1990! and wear it!
Tiffany/s Bracelet with charms
Come to us if your treasures are broken, if you need new desings for your old pieces, if you want something new and unique, come to see us and enjoy our display, everything is made thinking of you! you are the only reason we are here, to make you feel fabulous!
October’s birthstones are a two of my favourite stones-opal and tourmaline. Interestingly, both of them come in multiple colours. Opals are particularly known for their fire, and are mostly white or black with a variety of flash colours.
Rough opal example (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opal-53714.jpg)
Finished opal is often, although not always, finished as a cabochon, so not faceted. Opal tends to be soft and brittle, so not always the best everyday option to wear in a ring, but it’s great in earrings or a pendant, or some other jewellery where you’re less likely to knock it into something. It also works well in settings where the edges are more protected from impact as well!
Example of a finished piece of opal jewellery- I love the iridescent flash of this one!
(Taken from wikipedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jupiter_20_Opal_and_Diamond_Pendant.jpg)
Tourmaline is a bit different. A crystalline boronsilicate, it has various metal ions, including aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium and potassiu, leading it to have a variety of colours from deep forest green to a vivid pink.
My favourite is a really nice deep green. If I’d remembered, I would have taken some pictures of my favourite personal tourmaline pieces, featuring some beautiful, deep green stones, but sadly, I didn’t. I’ll have to show you some other time! Instead, here’s a cool picture of some watermelon tourmaline, instead. I don’t really go in for pink, but this combination always somehow appeals to me.
For anyone who loves colourful jewellery and an exploration of non traditional materials I encourage you to check out the upcoming exhibition “52 Weeks of Pendants” by Emma Gerard
The exhibition will be held at JJ Studio from October 16th – November 3rd with an opening reception Saturday October 19th from 2-4pm. If you can’t make it there in person, you can always check out all the pieces Emma created over the last year here.
Meg Adam‘s comic perfectly encapsulates my feelings on that transition from summer to fall. I could not wait to create Halloween window displays for Jewel Envy.
My Instagram algorithm keeps showing me posts about Cheltenham Badlands. A perfect fall escape that I feel like I should just choose a day to discover and make it happen!
No Fall post is complete without some fall leaves. These are my favourite metal versions made by Laura Martin Jewelry Design
Laura Martin Jewelry Design’s sterling silver Oak Leaves
Here’s hoping everyone gets a chance to enjoy the fall whether it’s by reading comics, checking out a Provincial Park, or by wearing some leaf jewellery! – Alexis
I know it doesn’t seem like it today with this amazing post (or almost post!) summer weather we’re having, but autumn is approaching, and with autumn, my mind starts to remember all my……brooches! I think they’re often an overlooked adornment, and they can be sooooo useful too, and not just in a “dress up your outfit” kind of way!
This is the first brooch I ever purchased for myself, I love the
whimsical blend of tech and more conventional jewellery components.
Made by hand, I purchased this about 25 years ago at the Cabbagetown
Fall Fair, made by a duo of women who called themselves JADS.
You can use them to jazz up a plain-ish shirt, or to pin a scarf in place as the weather gets a bit cooler, but my favourite, it to wear them on one of my many jackets (I do have alot of them!).
They can be fun and whimsical (like the ones below), or more substantial. Also, you know, once you have one, people start giving them to you!
A friend of mine gave me this one-it’s enamel on brass, I think it probably came from Fair November in Guelph.
the two on the bottom (the cat and origami) were stocking stuffers, and the tweedy one was a leaving present when I left Scotland last year (very appropos!)
This one is pretty cool, it’s silver wire and beads, with twirled paper, and I think it’s made from Architectural Digest pages–It’s a lot of fun! And orange, which I don’t wear much of, but I love!
There are lots of cool forms you can get, especially in metal. And I like them because although I don’t necessarily want huge jewellery, I do like a nice substantial metal brooch.
This is a multi-layer enamel panel that I made some years ago, it’s
about 2 inches by 1.5 inches, and it’s fairly heavy, so I sent it in a
sterling frame, making it very wearable as a decorative brooch.
A couple of examples of whimsical animals. the one on the bottom left is a little wren (although I like to think it’s a robin :), made for me by my good friend Morag Hickman, in the UK.
Although I have to admit, my all time favourite is this one:
I bought this in an auction as part of Ready, Steady Jewel, a number of years ago, which was pretty cool (and not just because I love this brooch!). A UK goldsmith called Deme Wolfe-Power made it, it’s sterling silver , cubic zirconia and leatherette. All told it’s about 3in by 4in, and it really makes a statement!
So, hopefully I’ve encouraged you to think about brooches! Come into the studio and check out our selection from our resident goldsmiths, including Helena, Vera, and Fiona. Can’t see quite what you’re looking for, but like the style of something in the studio in particular–that’s okay, we do that too!
Have a great Saturday, and I hope to see you soon!
Hello Jewel Envy Readers! I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about myself as a maker. I am Skye Stutt, the newest part time member here at Jewel Envy. My journey into jewellery making began when I was nine years old and started taking beading classes. From that point on I was hooked and wanted to learn as much about jewellery making as I possibly could. This eventually lead me to OCAD University where I studied jewellery design and metalsmithing in the Material Art and Design program, which I graduated from this May and now it has led me here. Most of my inspiration comes from nature and lately a lot of it has been coming from insects specifically. My graduating body of work Metamorphosis (which won the Lily Yung Memorial Award for strong experimental and conceptual components), was based on understanding society’s fear of insects and representing the sources of this fear through jewellery (I’ve included a few pictures of this work below). I enjoy creating one of a kind art pieces as well as lines of unique & wearable jewellery. I am so excited to be able to keep creating both styles of work here at Jewel Envy! You can check out more of my work on Instagram @cosmicskyejewellery Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Yellow Banded Bumble Bee Bracelet Sterling Silver & Brass Winner of the 2019 National Vaccaro Scholarship
Kinetic Pill Bug Pendant Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver
This past March I was able to travel to Munich for a week to check out Munich Jewellery Week 2019 and see the finalists for the Schmuck competition.
Schmuck has been organized since 1959 at the international trade fair. It is the eldest special jewelry show in the world. Both young talents and experienced artists working in the applied arts and technology will have the opportunity to show their work in the international competition. The finalists are exhibited at the International Trade Fair for the Skilled Trades in Munich.
Munich Jewellery Week is an offsite event which has a multitude (over 100 in 2019) of exhibitions and events throughout the entire city. Munich Jewellery Week showcases avant-garde contemporary jewellery by both established and up-and-coming designers from all around the world. This yearly gathering is by far the most significant event on the contemporary jewellery calendar; it’s a unique phenomenon, and it sets the pace for the contemporary jewellery field.
Below are some of the highlights of work I was able to see during my brief visit!
Seven, Seven by Yan Congcong from the exhibition 21 gramsAve Marie by Nanna Melland from the exhibtion Schmuckismus made from copper IUDs687 years by Nanna Melland at the exhibition Scmuckismus made from Copper IUDsEnameled brooches by Christoph Straube (these are flat objects!)A selection of work from Platina Gallery in Stockholme
Munich Jewellery Week was quite the event and I hope to be able to return next year! – Alex Kinsley Vey
Art is defined as ” the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power”.
Art is also the way humans communicate with one and using their imagination, love, design, and creativity.
Art is a gift to create and multiply the best we have within to give light and beauty to incredible pieces.
Art comes in all different forms and Paris is a perfect example of a place art is present for everyone to enjoy.
Paris’s Building
Every single facade, regardless of the period ( Ancient architecture, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Modernism and Postmodernism) , tells a story. A fountain like the one bellow is an master piece of design and incredible proportions, even among very modern furniture keeps his glory as ever.
Courtyard Fountain
Painting are another popular art form that can evoke emotions and make people think A painting is an image (artwork) created using color (red, wait, black, etc.) on a surface such as paper or canvas, wood, hard surfaces like walls, etc. Any type of painting ( There are different styles of painting like abstract art, conceptual art, Hyper-realism, pop art, Futurism, Impressionism and so on ) communicate a wide range of messages.
Portrait of Juan Manuel Theotokopoulos. El Greco
Music is another very popular form of art; an expression of emotions through harmonic frequencies. … Music is one of the magic arts that make you smile and close your eyes and remember great moments in life. Music is a treat to the soul. I can give you one of my favorites, The Four Seasons of Vivaldi. ( among the four seasons, Spring is my very favorite)
Jewelry has been an Art for centuries ones of the great artist of this Art were Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Piaget among many others, today their Ateliers or Workshop Houses keep their legacy.
Cartier Bracelet
Jewelry is my passion and my art; its makes me to keep creating and growing. I discover the art of jewelry not too long ago, and I have been enjoying and creating ever since . Jewelry is an Art, in wish I play with volume, weight, aesthetic and imaginations to make every single time my best and unique piece.
Custom made engagement ring:18 karat white gold, 10 mm 3.87 ct. Diamond Two baguettes of diamonds 3 mm x 1.5 mm 0.06 ct. Three rubies and six accents diamonds. h.p.lafaurie.ca
The whole secret of what I do is love and imagination, my work makes my life so amazing!
