Jewellery of the people

Padaung girls in Burma.

 Jewellery has come a long way. Used to adorn or to denote status, as an example, jewellery helps telling the history of people and of civilization. Different cultures have used all sorts of materials to produce their jewellery. Bones, ostrich beads, gold, silver, stones, cooper, animal teeth, shell, wood and feathers. The first signs of jewellery were found in African civilizations. Here, a few pictures of people around the world and their adornments.

A member of the Masai tribe, in Kenya.

A member of the xavante tribe from Mato Grosso-Brasil

A bride from India.

     

 American Indian adornment, mainly produces with silver and turquoise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love makes the world go round.

This pictures make my heart sing, I LOVE them.
Nicky Emmerson is a photographer I have worked with many times over the years. She is a sweetheart and I adore her work.
Here, a few of Nicky's beautiful snaps...

Our love affair with Liz.

Today the world lost one of the most iconic women of our times.
Elizabeth Taylor has enchanted the world with her violet eyes, amazing life story, acting career and her work as a philanthropist.
Liz had an unmatched love for jewellery. She believed that she never really owned any of those pieces of jewellery, she  only considered herself their guardian. Today, I pay tribute for a woman whose story will be continually  repeated over many years to come.

Her best selling book "My love affair with jewelry" tells the story of her passion for jewellery and showcases her most exquisite pieces. An example is the Taylor-Burton ring presented to her by Richard Burton.

“As I look at some of my jewels I realize what a very lucky girl I am. Sometimes I wonder what will become of everything, because just like the Duchess of Windsor’s collection, they will all be up for auction one day. They will be scattered to the four corners of the world, and I hope that whoever buys each piece loves it as much as I do and takes care of it and realizes that having jewelry is a temporary gift. In truth, we ‘owners’ are just the caretakers. Nobody owns beautiful paintings. Nobody ever owns anything this beautiful. We are only the guardians.” – Elizabeth Taylor, My Love Affair With Jewelry

It's a box!

After about 30 hours of hard work, my silversmith course project is done!
I have managed to transform sheets of silver into this lovely box and I'm really proud of myself!

This is the final result and I hope you guys like it!

through his eyes...

For being there everyday ♥

Royal Blues

London is feeling the Royal Wedding buzz.
A little over a month to go until the country stops for the celebration, there are souvenirs everywhere.
Tea towels, mugs, plates, t-shirts and  Kate Middleton's engagement ring replicas.
Even Primark has a version of the jewel.
The ring once belonged to Princess Diana of Wales.
It is an spectacular oval blue 18-carat Sapphire and diamond ring which had an estimated value of
£ 28,500 in 1981, when Prince Charles proposed to the late Princess.
Now, speculators believe the jewel is worth around £ 250,000.
Well, for mere mortals that don't have that much to spare, there is Primark.
I might get one for the sake of it, so I can sport it while having a picnic and a glass of bubbly in the Hyde Park fields come April, 29th.
Just kidding.

Hatton Garden

Hatton Garden is the London's Disneyland for jewellery designers.
Known as the city's quarter for jewellery, the area is also known for being the United Kingdom centre for diamond trade and has being since the Medieval times.
This week I will make my first trip to the area as a "jewellery designer", I need to get my tools kit ready so I can design and make pieces at home. I think I'll feel very professional when I get a torch, hard solder, silver sheets....
I am so excited!! Can't wait to start putting my ideas into gold and silver and to see them coming to life!
Soon, I hope to have a finished piece that I can post a picture of so you guys can take a look and tell me what you think!
I have done handmade jewellery and beaded pieces for a while, but this time I am actually making proper precious metal bits and I'm over the moon with joy!
Thank you to all of you that have been visiting the blog, in less than a month I've had almost 800 visits!
I hope everyone has a wicked week!
xx

Fashion + Function

Canadian designers  Nathan Lee and Trevor Coghill at Contexture Design have created a rather pretty bracelet.
Pretty, but if it wasn't for its "double life", it wouldn't have made it here.

The environmentally friendly bracelet below not only adds a clean touch of elegance to a simple outfit, it is also molded from reclaimed architectural veneer offcuts to double as a coffee sleeve.

Yes, coffee sleeve.
Just like the cardboard ones we pick up at the coffee shops so we don't burn our fingers when holding a hot cuppa, but prettier. The heat-resistant Coffee Cuff comes in different types of wood, the pictured one is Black Walnut with Anegre.

Bright summer ahead!!

While people in Brazil are enjoying their hot summer and colorful carnival we can be hopeful, we are set for a blinding bright summer (fingers crossed, a warm one too)!!

Not only fashion brands like Jil Sander (pictured below) have their colors popping out for their summer collections, the colors are also coming in gold...

Central St. Martins trained, jewellery designer Hattie Rickards first collection is an example of how jewellery and fashion are on the same trend page.

The dazzling ring above called Rubix Ring is a collection of colorful precious stones set in 3 rotating gold rings.

Oh, summer days.... :)

Linda

Third week into my Silversmith Course and I love it even more! My silver box is coming together and so far I'm happy with the results. My teacher Linda Robertson is brilliant. She is very particular about how she wants things done, and also, because she knows I want to make jewellery she gives me so many tips, I love her. As I am a little ahead with my box, while the other students get to the same stage, she has helped me making a ring. It is still early stages, but hopefully it will come together nicely.

Linda is originally from the Isle of Bute, Scotland. One of her very special creations is the inventive handle-less teapot. The pot is held in both hands to be poured. Such gesture is remindful of Japanese tea rituals and also a sign of friendship when serving tea to a companion. To keep the tea hot and the hands cool, Linda worked hard with an engineer to perfect the thermal insulation.

She used sterling silver, 9c white gold, 3 microns hard gold plating and insulating thermal plastic.

My London

Here, a few pictures of my home away from home and from moments I lived here.
London inspires me.
London has given me so much and everyday it surprises me with something new and unexpected.
Thank you London.
I ♥ you.

Natalie.

Adorable Oscar winner Natalie Portman looked impeccable at the ceremony last Sunday.

The earrings she paired the Rodarte plum color dress with was a lovely rubellite tassel earring with rose-cut diamonds by Tiffany & Co.

Yen.

Shooting with photographer Sylvain Deleu for London Boutique Rousiland last week, I got to wear a piece of art.
Designed and hand made by designer Yen at Yen Jewellery, this necklace is nothing less than extraordinary. The 18 carat gold piece is a heavy, flawless necklace.
All of Yen's pieces are handmade at her London Studio, pieces are unique and attention to detail is a trademark.