Pearls

One of the things I enjoy the most about jewelry, is that each piece weaves a tapestry of a story. Narrative details like stone settings and repairs are snapshots in time. Whispering about the technology favored, stones that were marketable, or even the skills that were available in different time periods.

Jewelry is intimate for most people, and more often than not, this sentimental item will outlive its owner to be passed on to next of kin or to be discovered by someone completely new. That's why I always love coming across tales like this one.

A fisherman sleeps restfully with a massive world record tucked soundly beneath his bed for 10 years. A treasure estimated to be worth $100 million and could feasibly be the largest natural pearl ever found, weighing 75lbs.

To be honest, the mystique of pearls has tarnished a bit for me. Then I hear stories like this one and it ignites the enigma of the pearl for me again.

Mikimoto introduced cultured pearls to the world by 1920, thus taking the element of natural wonder out of the recipe. No longer was it a daunting task to uniquely find a perfectly round pearl, the arduous adventure of doing that enough times to form a strand, and the even more tedious task of matching color/luster into a strand.

Pearl necklaces were rare feats of discipline and luck plucked by human hands to be admired and adorned. Mikimoto cracked this code and made it accessible for everyone, on repeat, devaluing the market. It's far more cost effective to cultivate than to hunt for a naturally occurring pearl.

As a budding gemologist and a jaded pearl gluer, I have lost that sparkle in my eye for pearls, but the rest of the world definitely has not. Pearls emote feelings of motherhood and femininity. Motherly in the sense that the pearl is carried by a mollusk, shaping, forming, and giving birth; an allegory for the miracle of creation. Mikimoto did make pearls accessible for everyone, and in a way, that is really beautiful. These precious gems are no longer reserved for the elite, but are now staples for first communions, weddings, and other special milestones.

It makes one ponder, how many more world wonders are successfully hidden? Kept out of the public eye due to either blissful ignorance that it could be valuable or the personal belief that it's a talisman of sorts, bringing good fortune and prosperity.

Admiring the Strength of the Elephant

One of my favorite animals is the elephant.  They're majestically massive and at the same time incredibly intuitive and nurturing.  They are complex creatures which explains why they are so prominent as a motif in several cultures.  Here I'm wearing some of my favorite LAGOS pieces while taking a look at the iconography of the elephant.

One of the most popular depictions of the elephant is through the Hindu religion.  The god Ganesha is easily identifiable with his large elephant head on a human body.  His likeness will be found across South Asia in countries like India, Nepal, and Thailand.  Ganesha is a patron of the arts and sciences and looked upon as the remover of obstacles.  A steadfast god to look to in times of trial.

In Buddhism you will find the presence of the elephant pair Kangiten, represented as male and female elephant headed humanoid figures embracing as a symbol of the unity of opposites.  Enforcing the belief of the oneness of all things though they may be seemingly different.

In Islam, the Quran has a chapter entitled "The Elephant".  A story of a Abraha's white elephant, Mahmud, that refused to cross into Mecca, foiling Abraha's plan to lead Yemen to conquer the holy city.  Mahmud could not be persuaded to cross by reason or violence, once again depicting the elephant as a creature of intelligence and resolve.

The elephant is not indigenous to Europe but was discovered through their exploration or Asia. Awed by the ferocity of the war elephant in battle, Europe adopted the beast as a symbol of militaristic strength. Napoleon even commissioned a giant cast bronze elephant fountain to be made from guns confiscated in victorious battle.  The fountain was never completed (hello Waterloo).

America adopted the elephant to represent the Republican party in 1884.  The origin is a political cartoon done by Thomas Nash.  The elephant is shown charging in dispersing other smaller animals representing other political interests at the time.  Another account of dominance and strength.

Lastly Elephants are native to Africa and usually where most people imagine them. In Africa the elephant is revered for its strength, wisdom, and memory. The elephant was depicted on several coat of arms throughout time in Africa including South Africa, The Ivory Coast, the kingdom of Laos, and the kingdom of Dahomey.

Globally you can see the elephant is respected and admired for it's strength, it is looked to for it's wisdom, and it is a symbol of conquering obstacles and embracing change.

How Does The Lesotho Diamond Measure Up?

Early this year the world’s fifth largest gem-quality rough diamond was found at Lesotho
Africa’s Letseng mine. D in color and weighing in at 910 carats, the gem is the largest
diamond to have been found in that particular mine and is estimated to be worth
$40million.

The size is striking, comparable to a baseball in size and weight, but how does it measure
up to other large gem-quality diamonds found?

Starting with the most famous and by far the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found,
the Cullinan.  It was discovered by Thomas Cullinan from the Premier No. 2 Mine in Cullinan,
South Africa in 1905. Weighing a whopping 3106.75 carats, the stone was ultimately cut into
9 stones total by the Asscher brothers.  The Cullinan I and II were used in the British Crown
Jewels while the other 7 stones remained with the Asscher family.  Even cut, the Cullinan is
still record holding.

The Cullinan I is the world’s largest clear cut diamond weighing in at 530.4 carats and D in
color. This Great Star of Africa, currently resides in the scepter of the British Crown Jewels
on display at the Tower of London.

The Cullinan II, the Lesser Star of Africa, is that second largest clear cut diamond weighing
in at 317.4 carats.  This stone is also part of the British Crown Jewels, set in the front of the
Imperial State Crown below the Black Prince’s Ruby (famously misnamed and is actually a red spinel).

The second largest gem-quality rough diamond is the Lesedi La Rona. It was found in the

Karowe Mine of Botswana in 2015 weighing in at 1109 carats.  The stone was purchased in
2017 by Graff Diamonds and has since been cut into smaller sellable stones.

Then we have the Excelsior Diamond which was the world’s largest gem-quality rough

diamond prior to the discovery of the Cullinan and is currently ranked third among its peers
in that category at 970 carats. The Excelsior Diamond was found in 1893 at the Jagersfontein
Mine in South Africa and has since tragically been cut into 21 insignificant stones that were
sold to several different buyers. One of the famous jewelry pieces to come from this stone is
a bracelet holding the 69.68 carat pear Excelsior I.  The stone was cut by the Asscher
Diamond Company in 1903 and eventually sold to and set by Robert Mouawadin 1996.

Finally we have the fourth largest gem-quality stone, the Star of Sierra Leone, extraordinarily

close in weight to the Excelsior Diamond at 968.9 carats. It is the largest alluvial diamond
ever discovered and was uncovered by miners in 1972 in the Diminco alluvial mines in Sierra
Leone. Harry Winston purchased the diamond and had it cut into 17 stones. Six of these
diamonds are present in Harry Winston’s “Star of Sierra Leone” brooch.

It seems that Africa is still the juggernaut when it comes to large gem-quality rough.
Impressively, only two of these diamonds are known to have been found using modern LDR
technology, the Lesedi La Rona and the Lesotho.

I can’t wait to see if how this magnificent stone ends up, whether it is cut into several smaller
pieces to be auctioned or if a mighty stone is cut and set into a work of art. Either way it is
definitely a stone to stay tuned into.

Van Cleef & Arpels' Noah's Ark Exhibition

Last weekend I had the pleasure of embarking on an enticing visual journey curated by Van Cleef & Arpels’ interpretation of Noah’s Ark as imagined by famed set designer Robert Wilson.  The Parisian designer is known for producing masterful pieces of high jewelry that set a scene for the wearer or admirer.  The whimsical figures are expertly produced allowing a person’s focus to shift from execution into intention.  What is the story being told through the piece’s movement and color?

To immerse the viewer into the story of Noah’s Ark, Wilson selected an art space in Chelsea New York City, which he transformed into a page out of a children’s story book.  As we walked into the space, I needed to lower my head as if I was garnering passage upon a vessel.  Once inside I was encapsulated into a serene bluish room whose walls rippled like waves due to projected lighting.  Suspended from the ceiling was a wireframe wooden model of an ark, gently suggesting we had set sea and the only place that existed anymore was what was in the room.  Within the room were shadow boxes set into the walls beckoning us to peep in on the jeweled creatures inside as if they were residing in a stall on the ship.

What was on view was breathtaking, each animal was coupled with a partner as dictated in the old bible story having them boarded “two by two”.  Some jewels were expected, such as colorful sapphires and garnets, but there were unexpected treats on view as well such as snowflake obsidian carved into the likeness of rabbits.

One of my favorite minerals is jasper and I was elated to see it carved into a majestic depiction of resting rams.

Viewers were only given about 20 minutes to view the room, while experiencing light and sound effects articulating heavy rainfall.  Needless to say 20 minutes was not enough time for me to take it all in, thankfully the staff was very kind and allowed my friend and I to cycle through again while treating us with a canvas bag containing a booklet explaining the event.

On the second viewing I noticed a little more intention in the way the room was set up.  Similar colors and figures were set parallel from each other across the room.   Such as the geometrically heavy in design giraffe was set directly across from the similarly colored and set chameleon.  

The more polar like animals were set to the back of the room, decadent in pearls.

In the center of the wall a large opal with lively play of color and creatures giving off the illusion of movement.

And the feeling of texture.

The exhibit is on display for another week, more information can be found on the site here.

In celebration of the world renowned exhibit the Van Cleef & Arpels store is also displaying the jeweled creatures, though the same in figure, much different and warmer in hue.

The whole experience was otherworldly, giving a sleepy dreamlike illustration of a familiar story.

Ladies Night Art Crawl

Fall is my favorite time of year for several reason;, scarves, foliage, spiced cider, but most of all craft fairs.

My pumpkin spice fiance and I decided to enjoy the newly crisp fall air by moseying through the Ladies Night Art Crawl.  The event consisted of a string of predominantly female owned studio spaces opening their doors to the public to come look, touch, and buy made in Philly art.

Scrawled below is the map distributed by the vendors, the starting point being The Common Room , a creative space to curate woman created art.

There I came across two new artists to follow.  The first being Sadie Francis of Only in the Forest.  Francis has worked in the environmental field for 15 years, in doing so she carried her hobby over to shareable wearable art.  The flowers she encases in resin are found during long daily walks through Philadelphia’s expansive park system. I’ve seen this type of jewelry before, so what really makes these pieces poignant is knowing they’re local and made by someone who deeply cares about sustaining nature.  They’re not just flowers, they’re flowers from our community.

The second artist I came across was MEO-C.28  who created an exciting take on the necklace bib. She paints exaggerated baubles onto re-purposed fabric to create the look of a bib without the heft of it.  Light weight and handcrafted, these works give new life to a tired trend.

Last but not least is always a favorite of mine, Forge and Finish.  A trio of Temple ladies working together to handcraft jeweled treasures.  My current favorite collection is Talo, jeweled with a tasty bluish green tourmaline.  Forge and Finish does an excellent job of echoing shape between collections allowing a wearer to mix and match between collections. Each piece is a work of art with a slight edge that sets it aside from it’s peers. Very wearable while still making a statement.

 

Pyle on the Jewels

Fresh off the heels of New York Fashion Week a hunger was stoked for new fall style and it can be satiated by the independent artists featured at The Pool Trade Show this weekend taking place at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC.

One jewelry artist, Amy C Pyles, has an edgier collection perfect to invigorate anyone’s wardrobe that is really looking to bolden their style.

There is a strong energy in her jewelry that is brought to life with a repeating line motif found intermittent with leather and gem elements to create a striking visual palette.

Contemporary in foundation, Pyles incorporates non-traditional items like found vintage objects as a focal points and elevates their purpose by integrating them with various types of chain, her specialty.

I always love coming across work like Pyles’ because you can invest in one piece and it will serve you all season.  With this much versatility, you can easily style a new necklace or bracelet into your current outfit favorites to freshen them for fall.

If you’re in the NYC area this weekend be sure to check it out:

http://www.amycpyles.com/

http://www.pooltradeshowbrandbook.com/

Acrylics in Fashion

Synthetic materials first appeared on the market for practical purposes, industrial purposes, and now for fashion purposes, trickling down into the realm of contemporary jewelry.  Clear acrylic plastics have taken the forefront of self expression by creating a sleek futuristic look.  

Harling Ross of Manrepeller harps on the needing to find a fall fashion identity, a refreshed styling to embrace the new season (ManRepeller).  The acrylics of Corey Moranis lend a helping hand of giving a structural presence without overbearing with color or overworked design (Corey Moranis).

Acrylic rods are heated and twisted into knotted shapes, taking a very utilitarian material, and forming it into a more nurturing organic shape.  The pieces are bold in size, but completely wearable in color and design.  Even the styling of the models on Moranis’ site aid to the new millenia feel of the pieces with their minimized makeup and slicked down hair.

The surge of synthetics in fashion is not a new concept, just becoming more mainstream. Instead of being reserved for high fashion or exhibition art, it now can be purchased and worn as streetwear. The Met in New York is showcasing this in it’s latest exhibition, The Secret Life of Textiles: Synthetic Materials on display until September 17th, 2017 (The Exhibit).

We’ll be seeing more and more synthetic materials in the accessory field as products like 3d printers and laser cutters become more available as household items allowing the everyday craft artist to discover and use the medium.  There is a fear that wearables will become cold, too computerized, and perfect, losing the human touch that makes jewelry so emotional.  However, a true craftsman will be able to overcome this feat as we see in Corey Moranis’ pieces. They are simple but have been very worked, creating value through the level of care and execution present.

It’s an exciting time in modern jewelry to have a chance to create a new chapter or wearables in our craft history.

My Engagement Experience

I have spent a significant amount of my career finding the perfect ring for others, when finally last June came my turn.  Unconventionally I set out ring shopping with my mother.  Josh was open to me styling my own ring since jewelry is something I’m incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about.

To start, the best advice I can give is talk to your friends then try on everything before making any kind of decision. Try on styles that you would never imagine trying on, try the big stone and a small stone, try different metals, try everything. By doing this you’ll positively know when you found the perfect ring.  By talking with friends they will tell you where and who they went to, what they liked and didn’t like about the process. This really helps you to know what to expect when going to different shops.

My adventure started out just like that. I asked around and conceived a list of places to look, then tried on EVERYTHING, even if it wasn’t my style.

In the end I decided on a local jeweler Bario Neal. I knew I wanted a three stone style with a yellow center.  Why did I choose yellow? Well, I knew I was going with a simple design so I wanted a way to give the ring a personal twist. Having worked extensively with jewelry, I have seen so many engagement rings and really wanted something of my own that I have not seen repeatedly.  Also the journey of the yellow diamond intrigued me, so I liked the idea of having a little bit of history on my finger.

Photo by Bario Neal

Happy with my sketch, I waited for the jeweler to receive in a choice between two yellow cushion cut Kalahari diamonds from their contact in Namibia.  In cooperation with De Beers, this Namibian source mined and manufactured these diamonds. So not only am I aware of the origin of my stone, I also know I was ethically supporting the diamond economy locally in Africa.  Having this much information about my ring really got me curious and I further delved into how the yellow diamond came about as a engagement choice historically.

I found that India has been the birthplace for some of the world’s most incredibly colored stones.  These stones were very much part of past Indian culture. In fact, different colored diamonds were used within India’s caste system in the sixth-century.  

Brahmins, the priests and rulers, had white to colorless diamonds.

Landowners and warriors were defined by brown diamonds.

The merchant class, yellow. The lower classes then had heavily included grayish to black diamonds.

Beyond using colored stones as an identifying tool, fancy colored diamonds were seen as a nuanced novelty.  They did not garner popularity until the discovery of the Australian Argyle Mine in the 1980’s.

Now we have coined trade terms such as Canary and Champagne as well as other tantalizing titles to describe a diamond's color.

A diamond's journey to discovery is an arduous one where nature incubates the stone into existence in a very specific way.  The mineral carbon under intense heat and pressure within the earth’s mantle is nature’s recipe for a diamond.  Once created that diamond is then carried to the earth’s surface by a release in pressure, often some sort of volcanic activity.

Colored diamonds are produced because of the presence of trace elements. In my yellow diamond’s case, nitrogen is the reason for color the stone. The amount of nitrogen determines the color intensity. I loved the softness of the yellow in my stone in contrast to the hard yellow color of the 18 karat metal I chose.  The stone had a delicate feel, giving off a nurturing sensitivity about the beginning of this new part of Josh and I’s relationship.  It fit exactly how I felt.

So on top of color I was intrigued by story that this particular diamond had to tell, it became unique to me as well as being aesthetically pleasing to my taste.

You can check out Bario Neal's Spring 2017 collection here as well as other fun jewels:

http://bario-neal.com/

Charlize Theron wearing "Garden of Kalahari"

Charlize Theron elevated her pleated gold Dior dress with showstopping asymmetrical diamond drop earrings from Chopard’s “Garden of Kalahari” collection.

Crafted using fairmined 18 karat white gold and weighing in at 59.9 carats, the earrings are the definition of dripping in diamonds.

Twenty-three diamonds form the “Garden of Kalahari” collection, all cut from a single 342 carat rough diamond dubbed “The Queen of Kalahari”.

The designs are the brainchild of artisan Caroline Scheufele, who masterfully created an enchanted garden scene depicted by these breathtaking jewels.

The neckpiece is the focal point of the collection but was not worn by Theron.  It can be worn four different ways to drape the neckline in a whimsical garden theme.   

Two of the pendants of the necklace can detach and be worn as the earrings as shown on Theron.

The modified earrings mesmerize as the mismatched pear and heart stones are both graded a D in color and are flawless in clarity.  The heart is slightly heavier at 26 carats while the pear weighs in at 25 carats. The dazzling stones are accentuated by 4.35 carats worth of brilliant cut diamonds.

Charlize Theron’s choice in jewelry demonstrated that timeless craft can captivate when artfully showcased for the world to see, enrapturing with it’s unique brilliance.

Source:

http://www.chopard.com/intl/diary/the-garden-of-kalahari/