I thought I’d spotlight some of the less usual materials and finishes that our goldsmiths use in their work at the studio.
(Starting from the left)
ribbon earrings by Eunice Lin with e-ceramic coating over sterling silver
steel inlay ring by Hyewon Jang
glass micromosaic earrings by Alexis Kostuk
Copper and sterling silver mokume gane ring by Gillian batcher
Steel rust brooch by Alex Kinsley Vey
Acrylic and pearl earrings by Edna Milevsky
Needled felt and sterling silver pendant by Robin Cassady-Cain
Come visit us and check out what else is here! Don’t forget, the studio is celebrating its 20th anniversary, with fun swag and jewellery for lucky golden ticket winners. Get a chance to win with all online purchases in August!
I’m low-key obsessed with this emerald drop necklace by studio member Shafiq Sarwari. Drop in to see it in person (as well as the other amazing pieces he has available!).
Here is a sneak peak of award-winning Jamie, preparing for her return to high profile exhibitions this summer, including TOAF, at Nathan Phillips Square.
At Jewel Envy, many of our goldsmiths have created beautiful pieces to adorn the wrist.
These examples posted today are all from our retail space, ready to bring its beauty to a new beholder.
Some have been inspired by process, some by history, some by fashion.
Most of these beauties can be adjusted, many can be resized, and some remade.
These examples are all in silver, but they can be ordered in gold as well.
Whether you are looking for a comfortable, everyday piece, a whimsical conversation-starter, or a stunning piece of frosty hardware, our goldsmiths make something that fits the profile.
And on a totally unrelated topic, Mother’s Day is next weekend.
Whether you want to send someone a hint, or you want to decorate the wrists that guided nurturing hands, we are ready to assist!
Since the beginning of time, people have worn jewellery. The earliest known traces of jewellery date back to the Middle Stone Age, showing that personal adornment has been part of human culture for tens of thousands of years. Archaeologists have discovered some of the oldest examples in Bizmoune Cave in Morocco, where 33 perforated marine shell beads made from the species Tritia gibbosula were found. These beads are estimated to be around 142,000 years old, making them the oldest known jewellery currently identified. The shells were deliberately pierced and likely strung together as necklaces or attached to clothing. Because the shells originated from the coast—roughly 50 km away—researchers believe early humans intentionally collected and transported them, suggesting symbolic or social meaning rather than accidental accumulation.
Another important discovery comes from Blombos Cave in South Africa, where archaeologists uncovered 41 perforated shells from the species Nassarius kraussianus dating to about 75,000 years ago. These shells were selected for their similar size and had small holes drilled through them, with wear marks indicating they were strung together as beads. Some also contain traces of red ochre pigment, suggesting they were either painted or worn by individuals who used body pigments. The discovery provided strong evidence that early humans were already engaging in symbolic behavior, using jewellery to communicate identity, social status, or group membership. (Scientific American)
Evidence from other archaeological sites supports the idea that jewellery-making was widespread among early humans. Similar pierced shell ornaments made from Nassarius shells have been found at sites in Israel, Algeria, and Morocco, some dating to around 100,000 years ago. These artifacts are considered early forms of personal adornment and are often associated with the emergence of symbolic thinking and social communication in early Homo sapiens. The consistent design and evidence of wear suggest these objects were not random decorations but meaningful cultural items used to signal identity, relationships, or group affiliation in prehistoric societies.
Sources
Guinness World Records – “Oldest jewellery” (Bizmoune Cave beads) (Guinness World Records)
Scientific American – “Ancient Shells May Be Earliest Jewels” (Scientific American)
The African History – “The world’s oldest jewellery is from Africa c. 75,000 years ago” (The African History)
Wikipedia – Nassarius (archaeological use and early shell beads) (Wikipedia)
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine, and it is a beauty. It has been found in quite large crystals, as in Brazil. Although still rare and at a dear price, they can be found in large sizes, which makes for some absolutely stunning possibilities.
Aquamarine is in the Beryl family, which makes it a relative of Emerald and Golden Beryl. It can be transparent to opaque, and it has a decent hardness of 7.5-8, which is softer than sapphires, rubies, or diamonds (keep your jewellery separated!), but harder than amethysts or citrines.
The name comes from the latin for “water” and “sea”. It is said to represent courage, loyalty, and happiness. Sailors would use it as a talisman for safe travel.
It is also the gemstone for a 19th wedding anniversary, with the 20th being its very famous sibling, Emerald. Personally, I’d rather be sent to the Aquamarine City than the Emerald City, would you?
Some notable pieces include the “Dom Pedro” obelisk, Eleanor Roosevelt’s very large gem, Lucille Ball’s stolen treasure, QE2’s royal parure, and Meghan Markle’s knockout ring, inherited from Princess Diana.
Charles Lewton-Brain invented Fold Forming. Fold Forming is a way of forming sheet metal quickly into 3D organic shapes as well as textures. This method uses sheets of metal without the need for soldering. Basically, you use sheet metal, fold it, work it and then unfold it.
It was developed in the 1980s. It emphasizes forming using the metals characteristics. It is about following what the metal likes to do as opposed to forcing form upon the metal, keeping in mind the plasticity ductility and elasticity of the metal.
You can fold form with most metals like aluminum, niobium, titanium, gold, silver, platinum and steel.
Silver prices have gone up mainly because more people want silver than there is available. It’s no longer used just for jewellery — it’s a key material in solar panels, electric vehicles, computer chips, and modern electronics, all of which are growing fast. Mining silver takes time, and new supply can’t ramp up quickly, so demand is outpacing production. On top of that, when the world feels uncertain due to wars, economic slowdowns, or debt worries, people often turn to precious metals like silver as a safer place to put their money, which pushes prices higher.
Another reason prices are climbing is financial investing. Large investors are buying silver through funds that physically store the metal, which means less silver is available on the open market. When supply is tied up in vaults and exchange inventories are low, prices rise. At the same time, things like a weaker U.S. dollar, expectations of lower interest rates, and fears about inflation make silver more attractive as a way to protect money’s value — adding even more pressure for prices to keep going up.
What this means for handmade jewellery?
Material Costs for Jewelry Makers Go Up
When silver spot prices rise sharply, the raw material cost for your pieces goes up too — whether you’re using sterling grain, sheet, wire, or casting grain. Jewellers don’t usually buy metal at old prices indefinitely: suppliers tend to base casting grain & wholesale metal costs on recent spot price averages, so costs rise with the market.
Result:
Your cost per ounce of silver increases — which directly raises the cost of production.
Profit margins shrink if you don’t raise prices.
Many makers raise retail prices of silver jewelry accordingly.
Retail Prices Likely Rise (Consumers Pay More)
Because silver is now more expensive, most brands and artisans will either:
Increase retail prices, or
Reduce the amount of silver in designs to keep prices accessible.
That means:
Simple earrings that once sold for, say, C$50–90 may edge upward.
Larger, heavier pieces (e.g., chunky bracelets, large pendants) become proportionally more expensive.
In Canada, this is amplified because the silver price saw record levels in Canadian dollars as well as USD.
