Author: Jewel Envy

Art Jewellery Spotlight: Jorge Manilla

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Today I
would like to do a spotlight on one of my favorite art jewelers, Jorge Manilla.
 
Jorge is
originally from Mexico, and currently lives and works in Belgium. His work is
large in scale, and somewhat unsettling in form. Making use of wood, leather,
bone, and metal, Jorge creates work which explores the finality of human life
and the metamorphosis each of us go through due to emotional and personal
processes.
 
I was able
to see his work in personal at the Munich Jewellery Week 2019 this March. The
exhibition is titled Consolidations and featured both Jorge, and Corrina
Goutos. Below are some images from that exhibition.
 
-Alex

 

Selection of work by Corrina Goutos & Jorge Manilla at Consolidations

 

Necklace by Jorge Manilla

 

Brooch/Object by Jorge Manilla

 

 

 

Necklace by Jorge Manilla

 

Textural Jewellery

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Most people are familiar with hammered texture on jewellery pieces, however there are so many great ways to add textural elements to jewellery designs. I’ve compiled a few examples from goldsmiths at Jewel Envy to check out with a description of the technique used to create the texture you see on these fabulous pieces of jewellery!

Don’t hesitate to inquire about variations and what we can do to create the texture you’ve been dreaming about. Even if you don’t see it, we can create it!

-Alexis

 

 

Reticulated earrings by Michelle Goulet of Mich Matched Metals

 

Roller printed texture on pendants by Robin Cassady-Cain of House of Cassady

 

Reticulated ring by Michelle Goulet of Mich Matched Metals

 

Roller printed pendants by Robin Cassady-Cain of House of Cassady

 

Etched Patterned cuff bracelet by Peter van Walraven

 

Roller printer texture cuff bracelet by Jerell Reichert

 

Charcoal casting ring by Jerell Reichert

 

Mixed Metal Jewellery

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One element I always like to think about in design is combining two different metals. It is an interesting way to introduce contrast and play up elements in jewellery design. With that on the brain I did a quick search of some of my studio mates to share some mixed metal work, enjoy!

And of course, hit us up so we can come up with a custom piece using mixed metals (and don’t forget we can reuse any old gold and gems in a new creation)

-Alexis 

Steel and yellow gold with blue topaz by Gillian Batcher of Pash Jewellery Design

 

Titanium, copper, sterling silver, brass with garnet and citrine by Peter van Walraven

 

18 karat white, yellow, rose gold bands by Helena Perez Lafaurie

 

Sterling silver with 14kt and 18kt gold details, topaz by Zef Radi

 

Sterling silver, enamel, 18kt yellow gold by Alex Kinsley
Sterling silver and goldfill wire elements by glaciale goldsmith, Alexis Kostuk

 

Yellow and white gold with diamonds and ruby by Gillian Batcher of Pash Jewellery Design

 

Sterling silver and yellow gold with emerald by Zef Radi
 

 

Tuesday Introduction!

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Hello readers, my name is Alex Kinsley Vey, a
recent addition to the Jewel Envy studio.

I’d like to introduce you to my work and my practice!
I am from Hamilton, O.N. where I received jewellery training
from my parents. I moved to Toronto in 2010 and studied jewellery at George
Brown College, receiving an Adv. Diploma in Jewellery Arts in 2013.
I’ve shown work in Canada, Europe, and the United States. I
have been a member of Craft Ontario since 2012, Klimt02 since 2017, and I was accepted
into Harbourfront Centre’s Artist-in-Residence program in 2015. After finishing
my residency, I joined Jewel Envy as a full-time member!
I split my jewellery practice into traditional fine jewellery,
and contemporary art jewellery, and jewellery education. I create engagement rings,
teach students gem setting, and exhibit work in art galleries.
My current collection of work is titled Iron Identity
which explores my personal and cultural identity defined by the particular
environment I grew up in. This identity is intimately entwined with the place
itself. Rust, corrosion, a sense of neglect, the commemoration of a fading
legacy, and the ability to endure are the concepts and visual language I
express in my work.
View from the Pier necklace

Gold für Eisen ring

View from the Pier necklace

This work is predominantly steel, coloured brightly using
paints, and then rusted by myself. Strong, geometric forms, and a heavy use of
scale.
I also take on client commissions ranging from engagement jewellery,
re-using old materials, to special projects. These are a selection of some of
these commissions.
Custom sterling silver dragon bracelet

Yellow gold feather earrings.

Pallasite meteorite set in 18k yellow gold frame.

Emerald cut diamond centre stone in platinum mount.
I’m excited to begin this new chapter in my career here at
Jewel Envy. Have a great week!

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    Happy Sunday everyone.  It’s Jess here at the store all day, holding it down at Jewel Envy in beautiful Rocny 🙂 It’s my turn on the blog, and I am feeling introspective. Today, I feel like writing about my WHY. Why do I do what I do?

    Depending where in life you have met me, you either know me as Jessica the martial artist, the banker, the dancer, the goldsmith, the teacher or all of the above. It is true; I chose to wear many hats in my life. I always have, and I do so because it feels like me. I am proud to be multi-faceted and to go through this life meeting beautiful people, learning about myself and experiencing the things that bring me joy. Isn’t that what life is about anyway?

    Sometimes I wear one hat more often than another, but make no mistake, I love them all and for different reasons. That being said, the hat I want to touch on today is the sweet hat of the goldsmith. Why do I wear it and why do I love it? That’s easy. 

   A
piece I create could be a symbol of love between two people or many, it
could be a memento honoring a milestone in someone’s life, it could be
an accessory that makes you feel empowered and unstoppable, or it could
be an item of adornment. Whatever the reason, it is beautiful and sacred
to me because it is a very special part of me that is in service to you.   
    A piece
I create may be for a moment in time, or it may outlive me and go on generation to
generation. In doing so, I get to look inside myself for inspiration, leverage the gifts of the earth, and morph them into pieces of art. Something
that I create enters someone’s life and makes them happy.  I get to take something ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary. From my heart & mind, through my hands and into the world. That my friends, is called alchemy. 

 

    No matter what we do in life, whether it be one thing or many, I believe it is important we that must show up at our best. Whether designing and creating a piece of jewellery,
doing someone’s hair to make them feel fabulous, serving a cup of
coffee that kicks off someone’s day, issuing a plane ticket that kick starts an adventure, making breakfast that gives someone the energy to go out and tackle their dreams, or landscaping a garden that will be the playground for
memories made – remember that a part of YOU is going out into the world, and believe me, that is super special and it really means
something.

Have a beautiful Sunday everyone!

Lot’s of love from #Jewel Envy,

Jess

Those lazy, hazy days of summer!

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Happy Saturday! I got up this morning to sun, but my goodness, it’s humid out.  It’s still nice and cool inside though, if you’re out and about in Roncy, come see us and have a brief respite from the heat and humidity!

I love wearing jewellery (hey, I’m a goldsmith, it’s a requirement, right?).  However, when it starts getting hot, I find myself being more reluctant to wear things.  So, what do I do with this dilemma?  Earrings!  Big ones, little ones, hanging ones.  The sky’s the limit!

We have an amazing selection of earrings, and here are just a few examples from our different goldsmiths in residence:

 Fiona Chen https://jewelenvy.ca/node/404    
Helena Perex LaFaurie https://jewelenvy.ca/node/179
Zef Radi https://jewelenvy.ca/node/368
Mauricio Franco https://jewelenvy.ca/node/388

The other thing I do is to wear my rings on a larger finger, or I have some rings that I specifically like to wear in the summer, that are a bit bigger than my regular rings. Sometimes one size really isn’t suitable for all occasions, and that’s okay! 

So, that’s just my two cents to help you stay comfortable with style in the heat.  Have a great day, and hope to see you soon!

Robin.

How long is forever?

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Dear Sunday Readers,
How long is forever? I don’t really know! When time passes so quickly and life is
so hepatic, it’s challenging to find time to enjoy life to the fullest.
When
was the last time you spent the evening reading a good book? The type
of book
that keeps you awake all night? Do you remember the joy of watching a
good movie while eating ice cream from the tub with a spoon? Do you think it is still
possible to go through the day without reaching for your cellphone?
When was the last time you enjoyed a long and
meaningful conversation with a good friend instead of sending her or
him a text message?
I
ask myself these questions and realize that life is short and the most
important
thing we have are our friends, our family and ourselves! So, it is very
important to find time for one another and ourselves, and find our
feel-good factor too!
Summer
is an incredible season, walk, enjoy the lovely weather, eat fresh
food, laugh,
wear that beautiful dress that has been in your closet untouched for
months, and give yourself the pleasure of being happy and festive!
The best it’s just to come, look forward to it, and love yourself more than ever before!
You are a lot of incredible things!
Come to visit us, let us know what your thoughts are about our work. We are
always interested in your input and ideas!
Have a nice Sunday!
Helena

The oldest gold jewellery

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Ancient cultures developed a fascination with accessories; materials like sea shells, glass and stone were very common on the first jewellery pieces found on archeological excavations. It was only when excavations in northeastern Bulgaria gave us an approximate date on the first time gold jewellery was crafted and worn.

The Varna civilization, a culture from the late Neolithic period, created amazing gold implements and jewellery, and because of their respect for the dead, this pieces were preserved for posterity in vast Necropolis and Cenotaphs.

Daring from  4560-4550 B.C. this pieces of jewellery show the abundance in riches the Varna culture had on their period, so much that one of the Cenotaphs contained more gold than it has been discovered anywhere else in the world for the time period.

The Varna culture was able to procure this riches thanks to the amount of lakes on the region and waterways from the Black Sea.   

Such and amazing discovery!

Mauricio.

July’s birthstone is Ruby…but apparently it’s not the only one!

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Personally, I love using rubies! They come in so many different variations (you can read a bit more here).  I’ve done quite a jewellery pieces using rubies, partly because my best friend has a birthday in July (and you can never have enough jewellery, right?).

Here’s a rough ruby crystal that gives you an idea of what they look like:

photo: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=320953

and here’s an example of a faceted stone:

photo: By Humanfeather – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6969673

I kind of assumed that was the whole story on birthstones, but I recently found out that there are a whole host of other options.  For example, in the 15th century, turquoise or onyx were considered to be the birthstones. 

Turquoise pebble, photo: By Adrian Pingstone – w:Image:Turquoise.pebble.700pix.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=121438

onyx, photo: By Simon Eugster –Simon 14:41, 11 April 2006 (UTC) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=697130

If you’re from Britain, you might prefer carnelian.

carnelian beads, photo: By 欅 (Keyaki) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12405199

Alternatively, if you’re a Cancer, you might prefer to consider the emerald as your birthstone.  
Don’t like your “month” birthstone? There’s also a stone designated for each day of the week!  I really never knew there were so many traditions around birthstones! 

As you know, we all love stones at the studio!  Regardless of your birthstone, why not come and check out what’s new at the studio, check out making your own piece of jewellery featuring a gemstone, or discuss having a new piece made featuring your favourite gemstone, birthstone or otherwise!

Happy Saturday!

Robin.

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The 4C of a Diamond
Hello Sunday Readers,
The 4Cs, or most important qualities on a diamond are; Cut, Color, Clarity and Carats
The cut is the most important of all the qualities on a diamond because it has the greatest influence on a diamond’s sparkle.
Not
only do well-cut diamonds appear more brilliant, they also tend to
appear larger than other diamonds of the same carat weight. 
 

The Beers Centenary Diamond, at 273,85 carats

The color.
A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond is
perfectly transparent with no hue,
or color. However, in reality almost no gem-sized natural diamonds are absolutely perfect. The color of a diamond may be affected by chemical
impurities and/or structural defects in the crystal. Depending on the hue and intensity of a diamond’s coloration, a diamond’s color
can either detract from or enhance its value.
The Cullinan Diamond, weighing 3,106.74 carats. It was cut on 105 stones of assorted cuts.
The Clarity.
Diamond
clarity is the assessment of small imperfections on the surface and
internally. The surface flaws are called blemishes,
and internal defects are known as inclusions. These tiny, natural
blemishes and inclusions are microscopic and do not affect a diamond’s
beauty in any way. Diamonds with
the least and smallest inclusions receive the highest clarity grades.

Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weigh. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams….. This allow very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place. A jeweler may describe the weight of a diamond  below one carat by its “points” alone.


The Golden Jubilee Diamond. 545.67 carats brown diamond.
Diamonds come in many different colours; yellow, blue, black, white and
many more. The shape can be round, oval, rectangular, square, along with many other shapes! They can be small
or big. They are one of the most beautiful stones. They have always
symbolized love and richness.
The one that you have is the most incredible one! (Assuming you have a diamond ;)) Treasure it every day! You know what they say… “they are a girl’s best friend”……
Come
to see us, we can enhance what you already have, or change the design of
an old one from a loved one. Jewel Envy works to make the best of what you
have or to create
the incredible piece you are dreaming of.
Have a nice Sunday!
Helena


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