Tag: #goldsmith | Jewel Envy

Exciting news, “Rooz” is here!

July 16, 2020July 20, 2020Jewel EnvyGeneral

Hey everyone, this is Roozbeh Rastegar, a new member of Jewel Envy. I am a recent graduate from Jewellery Art Program at George Brown College and glad to join to the Jewel Envy professional team where I can design and create.

These are some samples of the pieces that I made to familiarize you with my taste of design and style of fabrication.

Golden goose 18kwhite and yellow gold, RBC colorless sapphire and smoky spinel, hand fabricated.

Flight Sterling silver, 14K gold, hand fabricated.

Geometric commitment rings sterling silver, hand fabricated

Necklace from Broken Pieces of Clay and Ceramic Collection sterling silver, carnelian

Brooch from Broken Pieces of Clay and Ceramic Collection sterling silver

Warm Weekends

January 28, 2018August 7, 2019Jewel EnvyGeneral

Like any good Canadian, I love the wintertime. Fresh snow, rosy cheeks, and wool toques are just a part of life up here, and sweater weather is always an exciting time of year. But also, like any normal person, I am SO DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY when the weather pokes its head above zero, even if for just a brief respite. This weekend has brought a bit of rain, but it also brought milder temperatures that already has me daydreaming of springtime.

So I thought I would share a few pieces that brighten my day and make me think of sunshine, warm breezes, and flowers in full bloom.

Butterfly brooch by HPL Jewellery Design (Helena Perez Lafaurie)

Sterling silver with bright pink CZ $380

Flower pendants by Radi Brothers (Zef Radi)

Top: Sterling silver with 18k and 24k gold details $400

Bottom: Sterling silver with 18k and 24k gold details, and moonstone $660

You are my Sunshine by Glaciale Goldsmith (Alexis Kostuk)

14k yellow gold, 14k palladium white gold, yellow and orange sapphires $3,680

This week’s Artist Spotlight: Gillian Batcher!

February 28, 2016August 7, 2019Jewel EnvyGeneral

Gillian has an incredible portfolio of work spanning multiple styles: from pieces inspired by Textiles and Art Nouveau, to her Twig and Pebble collections.

With the textile theme, this line is made using traditional techniques using precious
metals. Pieces are knit, crochet and woven with gemstones added as
accents!

In the Twig collection, the pieces overlap and flow while keeping a delicate and light look, like the cuff below!

With the Pebble style, each piece has a unique blend of textures, colours and accents! Try out the rings, one of a kind with personality!

Lastly, with Art Nouveau These pieces incorporate
traditional icons from this time period like flowers and birds but
with a modern twist in the way they are represented and combined with
gemstones. The line is available in sterling silver and gold with a
variety of uniquely cut gemstones.

Each piece by itself is it’s own unique and powerful statement, and as a whole they represent a collection of exceptional quality and artistic talent: definitely an inspiration to a fledgling smith like myself!

-Dirk

Hey-hey-Hyewon!!!

January 11, 2016August 7, 2019Jewel EnvyGeneral

Hyewon Jang

This is Hyewon, a wonderful goldsmith who works out of Jewel Envy.

The following are all pieces from her Africa collection:

I love the contrast between the bold asymmetrical shapes, and the delicate colour of the stones. Plus, these stud earrings look like exclamation points don’t they!!!!!!!

The bright pop of colour at the bottom of these stepping stone earrings is just perfect. They’d look great with a black turtleneck in the winter, or a white t-shirt in the summer, amirite?!

Yet another great pair of earrings, with bold, asymmetrical detail and pretty pearls at the bottom. These tie in very nicely with a lot of other pieces that Hyewon makes, as she is very fond of pearls:)

Bet you thought it would be another pair of earrings! Nope, just the cutest lil’ pendant ever.

All Hyewon’s work is just as beautiful. Her pieces are delicate and strong at the same time, and she likes to play with shape and form in surprising ways. Gemstones and pearls add just the right amount of colour, and her work is always the perfect way to add ooh-la-la to any outfit. Come in and take a look!

Hello Judith!!!

December 15, 2015August 7, 2019Jewel EnvyGeneral

Judith Noldin is a resident goldsmith here at Jewel Envy. She makes incredibly unique and beautiful pieces, and is also a whiz at doing repairs! I highly recommend stopping by to take a look at what she has going on, you will not be disappointed.

Here she is, hard at work on another repair:

Here are some of my favourite pieces. The far left is part of the Turrets Collection. I love the cutout detailing, and of course, the 18K yellow gold accent isn’t too bad either! She has other similar pieces as well, with coloured glass instead of gold. The shape of the turrets is inspired by church steeples, and they definitely make me think of medieval architecture. The middle pendant is a lovely and serene mother-of-pearl face, with a pretty moony surprise on the back for you, as well. The brooch on the right is made of coloured, textured glass, and sterling silver.

Come in and say hi to Judith!

Everybody meet Helena!!!

November 29, 2015August 7, 2019Jewel EnvyGeneral

Oh hello there, Helena!

Helena Perez-Lafaurie is a Jewel Envy goldsmith after my own heart. She designs
these chunky sterling rings that are pretty much everything I look for in a chunky
sterling ring.

Some are classic chunky, and some have a big, beautiful onyxs.

Some have colourful and sparkly stones.

And others still have texture and great detail.

Each ring has a bold, strong shape that really accentuates the attention to detail. They are heavy, but so comfortable on my finger it’s almost like they were made just for me. Helena does custom work, so she can make one just for you, too!

Forever Young

August 23, 2014August 7, 2019Jewel EnvyGeneral

Young Ko is one of our resident goldsmiths here at Jewel Envy. She loves working with cocobolo wood, and I thought I would share a few of her super pieces with you.

Take a look!

So interesting and unique, and I love the contrast between the cool silver and warm wood. She has lots of other pieces available at the studio as well, but you’ll have to come in to see them for yourself!

Happy Saturday y’all

-sash

Juicy Gemstones

August 17, 2014August 7, 2019Jewel EnvyGeneral

Oh hey, hai you guys!

I just wanted to share a bit of a sneak peek. I have decided to add a lot more colour to my jewellery,

so I picked up a few pieces of rough gemstone this week.

Getting stones custom-cut isn’t necessarily cheap, but it adds so much to the design and value of the piece. Plus, I love getting EXACTLY what I want. You know?

Take a look at these beauties:

Rainbow obsidian, rhodochrosite, amazonite, chrysoprase, ruby, larimar, lapis, and orange calcite.

Can you tell which is which?!

Stay tuned, I will definitely update with the finished products within the next few weeks. Yay!

xx sash.

PS – I want a million dollars to spend on more gemstones!

Archerade Spotlight!

June 8, 2014August 7, 2019Jewel EnvyGeneral

Just wanted to shine a little sun on Sasha Oda and her company, Archerade.

She has been a resident goldsmith here at Jewel Envy for about 2 years now.

Take a look at some of the pieces she has on display here at the studio.

Arrowhead Bracelet in sterling silver

GoGo Ring in sterling silver

Hoodie Earrings in sterling silver with turquoise

Snake Wrap Ring in sterling silver with rubies

Come visit us at the studio to check out the rest of her pieces!

The Circle of Life

September 8, 2013August 7, 2019Jewel EnvyGeneral

I think we can all agree that Mufasa pretty much covered the circle of life, for lions and hyenas everywhere. If you happen to be a goldsmith, the circle of life is a little different. Luckily, I am here to impart some wisdom.

Here is me imparting wisdom:

The circle of life, for the sterling silver in my toolbox, begins as trial and error in wax carving. Here are some early attempts at carving balls:

Once I have a satisfactory wax carving, I use sterling silver casting grain to cast the ball into metal.

Surprisingly enough, I am not perfect, and when trying something completely new it can take a few attempts before I am happy with the results. Here is my ball graveyard, where bad balls go to die:

Thankfully, the trial and error period does not last forever. Below, success!

All the old sterling silver gets recycled, because recycling is part of the process. In this case, I raided the ol’ ball graveyard. The bad balls visited the chop shop (er, metal shears), and now have a brand new purpose in life as casting grain.

In fact I am casting tonight, and this casting grain will actually become two sets of weddings bands and a pair of earrings.

And that, my friends, is the sterling silver circle of life, goldsmith edition. Hakuna Matata!