This year I was able to attend Munich Jewellery Week & Schmuck at the Internationale Handwerkmesse in Munich, Germany. This annual event represent one of the largest meeting places for international contemporary jewellery. Here are some of my favourite pieces I saw during the week, some more traditional and some more avant-garde.
Art Jewelry Forum Young Artist Award winner Benedict Haener’s glass necklace.
Silvie Altschuler – Earrings
Keith Lewis’ Descend (Icarus)
David Bielander’s ‘Cardboard’ Ring (made from gold!)
Recently I was able to attend and exhibit at Contemporania in Barcelona. Here are some highlights from my time there! The event took place at the extravagant Palau Reial de Pedralbes.
Emeralds are green stone, highly valued for its moss green or forest green colour, though as mentioned by the Gemological Institute of America;
“Gem experts differ on the degree of green that makes one stone an emerald and another stone a less-expensive green beryl. Most gemologists, gemological laboratories, and colored stone dealers call a stone green beryl when its color is “too light” for it to be classified as emerald. Even among that group, however, there’s a difference of opinion about what’s considered “too light.””
A handful of rough Emeralds from Colombia
As mentioned in the quote above, emeralds are the name we give certain colours of Beryl, a family of minerals which comes in a variety of colours, some useful for jewellery purposes, and some too fragile.
This Brazilian Morganite is also a type of beryl!
Emeralds can be either naturally mined, or made in a lab. Lab grown emeralds tend not to have the ‘jardin’ (the internal inclusions which give it its mossy look), though this does make them less prone to breaking during gem setting.
Emeralds are often cut octagonally, sometimes referred to as ’emerald cut’ due to how common it is. These stones can present a large challenge for setting in metal. Although they are a ‘hard’ stone for a coloured gemstone, they are often riven with internal flaws and inclusions which creates an unstable material prone to breaking.
A 3.25ct emerald by Lagaro Jewellers
Although beautiful emeralds should only be cleaned with a soft brush, and a light soap to prevent damage!
I’ve been teaching how to create flush settings in my Gem Setting course recently and decided to have some fun with one of the samples and to share it here!
Flush settings are a very versatile setting style which can be applied on almost any surface, though they work best on curved surfaces. You can also flush set just about any shape of stone, though round stones are most common.
This little guy was created using some random Cubic Zirconia we had laying around, and a small synthetic ruby for his clown nose!
When we craft jewellery, we begin with a small step in what may be a project that involves many different processes, challenges and new learning. Even an experienced jeweler regularly tackles things they are less comfortable with that may involve new challenges and techniques. Below you can see a selection of the numerous steps that go into making a custom 18 karat and opal necklace. Head to our instagram to see a more in depth video reel of the creation of this piece. This piece was created by Aurora Simmons of Handmade Revolution.
Gemstones are graded by hardness, this helps jewellers choose appropriate minerals and gems based on the wear and tear they might encounter.
The Mohs scales uses 10 minerals as its reference, these are:
1.Talc
2.Gypsum
3.Calcite
4.Fluorite
5.Apatite
6.Orthoclase (Feldspar)
7.Quartz
8.Topaz
9.Corundum (rubies/sapphires)
10.Diamond
Generally jewellery appropriate gemstones fall in the 7-10 range with some exceptions being Amber, Pearl, Opal, and Coral (Organic Gem Materials)
The Mohs scale measures a minerals resistance to scratches (hardness) using a reference mineral. Developed in 1812 by German mineralogist, Friedrich Mohs. The scale uses a NON-linear numbering system from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest)
The scientific definition of hardness is the ability to resist scratching. Hardness depends on the bonds that hold the atoms together within a crystal structure. If a material is harder it will disrupt those bonds leading to what we would call a ‘scratch’.
Using this chart for reference jewellers can get a rough idea of how delicate a material is.
Having just come through an intense holiday season, you may not be ready to talk about Valentine’s. However, if you are thinking that you or a loved one would adore a gorgeous custom creation on February 14th, this is exactly the time to get that started.
Custom pieces do not fall to a specific timeline, so it is good to come to us with an idea as soon as you can. We can start the ball rolling by email, in person, or even over the phone. Not only do we assist people directly, we also can take notes or create a wish list of someone’s desires for a special piece. This way, a loved one in need of direction and guidance is sure to get it right, just by coming into the studio with their loved one’s name as a reference.
Recently, we made a gorgeous gift for a couple who wanted their connection to be reflected in a couple’s creation. They requested matching necklaces that come together to form a symbol of harmony and balance – the Yin and Yang.
SketchMake sure everything fitsMake sure they work separatelyLovely TogetherLovely on Their Own
If you have ideas about special people or moments you would like to express in a beautiful custom piece, reach out to us and let us create something wonderful.
