October 2025, Part 1

Art Jewelry Forum is pleased to share the news that members of our community find noteworthy. Is something missing? The success of this compilation of compelling events, news, and items of interest to the jewelry community depends on YOUR participation. If you’re a member of AJF at the Silver level or above, you can add news and ideas to this bi-monthly report by going here. If you aren’t a member, but would like to become one, join AJF here.

JOIN US IN DALLAS FOR COCKTAILS: NOVEMBER 7, 2025!
AJF is traveling to Texas to celebrate the opening of Constellations. While there, we’ll host a meet-up for local jewelry enthusiasts! You’re invited to come chat over cocktails, and you should try our custom cocktail: The Mint Jewelep! At Atlas—Bishop Arts, 6–8 pm. Free.

THE 2026 AJF YOUNG ARTIST AWARD, SUPPORTED BY KAREN AND MICHAEL ROTENBERG
Now accepting applications, this competition recognizes innovative work created by an early-career jewelry artist (age 35 and under). For the fourth cycle in a row, it’s generously supported by the collectors Karen and Michael Rotenberg, whose collection focuses on the innovative use of alternative materials by emerging and mid-career artists. Prizes: US$7,500 for the winner; US$1,000 awards for each of the four finalists; a travel allowance of US$1,000 each for the winner and the finalists who travel to Munich to receive their award; exhibit at Platina during Schmuck 2026 for the winner and four finalists. Be bold, be seen! Apply by November 9, 2025. Info.

FEEL LIKE SEEING A JEWELRY SHOW?
Find current listings from around the world on our dedicated exhibition page.

EVENTS
We have a dedicated page for them. Go here to see the list.

FROM OUR MEMBERS

ENJOY THE VIRTUAL PASSPORT LECTURE SERIES AT A DISCOUNTED RATE!
SNAG + Pocosin Arts present two events October 10–11, 2025: A virtual lecture with Swedish artists Åsa Lockner and Catarina Hällzon, followed by a virtual workshop exploring the expressive potential of thin sheet metal. Register here for the lecture; AJF members enjoy almost 50% off! For the workshop, register here; AJF members get $40 off! In both cases, activate your discount by selecting “AJF member” under payment type.

JEWELRY CODE: DATA AS WEARABLE ART, OCTOBER 2–DECEMBER 2, 2025
More than 60 artists from 28 countries—including Doug Bucci, Zhanna Assanova, and AJF member Erika Novak—will present jewelry and wearable objects based on data, from climate change and gender inequality to personal stories and collective memory. The exhibition, curated by Syldyr Project, highlights how data can be transformed into meaningful, wearable art. It’s the first international data art exhibition in Central Asia. At the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana. Info.

WORK BY JANE BOWDEN ACQUIRED BY TOOWOOMBA ART GALLERY
The major piece, titled Sequence—Studies in Beads, was acquired from the Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award and Exhibition, an exhibition/award that showcased some of Australia’s most prominent and emerging contemporary makers. Bowden explores the intersection between traditional textile practices and contemporary jewelry. Drawing on techniques such as lacemaking, crochet, and knitting, she reimagines these crafts into intricate, wearable forms. Bowden is particularly interested in the balance between softness and structure—glass beads hand-crocheted with cotton threads create fluid gradients, while metal spacers add rigidity and architectural contrast.

BLUE SEA, RESTING MOUNTAIN: KARIN JOHANSSON, AT PLATINA
The exhibition brings together work from the series Colors and Journey. It presents work inspired by time as Artist in Residence on two islands, Capri (in 2023) and New Zealand (2020). Through October 25, 2025. Info.

CHRONICLE OF THINGS GONE BY: KETLI TIITSAR, AT FOUR GALLERY
The use of wood in Tiitsar’s work originated from a desire to reapply the everyday skills and techniques she learned as a child to heat a house with a wood-fired stove. It was her responsibility to take it indoors and strip the birch bark for kindling. In the studio, Ketli attempts to replicate a similar routine by reconstructing well-known wood materials into jewelry. October 4–18, 2025. Info.

DOURIEAN FLETCHER: JEWELRY OF THE AFROFUTURE, AT MAD
Crafted from brass, gold, and semiprecious stones, Fletcher’s sculptural designs articulate Black identity, embody spiritual meaning, and have helped define cinematic characters and imagined worlds. Presenting 75 works from the artist’s collection, the show describes Fletcher’s evolution from self-taught metalsmith to a designer with handmade adornments in contemporary cinema, most notably the Black Panther film franchise. Through March 15, 2026. More.

LISA & SCOTT CYLINDER’S EXHIBITION CALLIOPE IS GOING GANGBUSTERS!
A big success for the artists’ first exhibition in four years, which is currently on view at Philadelphia’s Gravers Lane Gallery, through October 18, 2025. “They sold one of their biggest pieces on opening night!” said Mia Chen, a gallery employee, speaking of the piece titled Scylla. Another client is now purchasing the other sea serpent, Cetus. “The sea serpents seem to be the favorites,” says Chen. Calliope symbolizes the Cylinders’s convergence of concepts and imagery taken from Greek mythology, the circus, and carousels. Emphasizing fantastical creatures composed of brass wind instrument parts combined with their fabrications, the works are irreverent, metaphorical, and playful, evoking notions of youthful wonder and discovery. More.

REMIX: IRIS BODEMER—AT GALERIA REVERSO
This exhibition is a pause, an attempt to reorder connections in retrospect. Individual stories and narrative strands are already interwoven in the creative process of an ongoing process in which everything is inextricably linked and ideas build on each. A panoramic view of the last 20 years. Through October 31, 2025. More.

TRAINING GROUND: PAST AND PRESENT STUDENTS OF THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF ART
The institution has nurtured and trained generations of South Australian artists. In the closing months of the University of South Australia, and on the eve of a new epoch for the South Australian School of Art, this group show, at the SASA Gallery, draws together 25 emerging and established artists across media—including the jewelers Jane Bowden, an AJF member, and Simon Williams—to celebrate the excellence and legacy of the institution. October 10–November 7, 2025. More.

SHAPE, AT GALERIE DOOR, OCTOBER 18–NOVEMBER 18, 2025
With basic shapes such as triangles, spheres, or cubes, you can create new forms. The possibilities are endless. This new exhibition by Hartog & Henneman builds on that idea. The collection of individual basic elements in all kinds of sizes, both flat and three-dimensional—squares and cubes, triangles and pyramids, circles and cylinders, and also spheres, arches, and beams—are made to be played with: stacked or arranged, tied or built. The rough texture and intentional imperfection of the elements emphasizes the sculptural quality of each form. Translate your imagination into your own monumental, wearable form! More.

MEET BARBARA HEINRICH AT GRAVERS LANE GALLERY
Experience the internationally acclaimed jeweler’s newest collection, inspired by the vivid colors and natural forms of Sri Lanka. Book a private, one-on-one appointment on November 5, 2025, to explore the full collection directly with her, or to transform your own gemstones into bespoke creations. Info.

PRECIOUS GROTESQUERIES: THE JEWELS OF WILLIAM HARPER
An exhibition of 20 pieces that are far more than jewelry. Harper says: “I have always believed that jewelry can be about something, have content, be more substantive than mere ornament. In other words, exist as Art.” At Les Enluminures New York, October 23–December 12, 2025. More.

CALL FOR ENTRY: THINGS UNSAID
The collaborative exhibition between Pistachios and Precious Collective will travel to Munich Jewellery Week in March 2026, and they’re holding another open call. If you weren’t able to apply to this monumental show the first round, here’s your chance! You may submit up to three pieces. Works must be one of a kind, have been made in the last three years, and can’t previously have been shown at Munich Jewellery Week. Deadline: November 9, 2025. For more info, contact Lynne Speake at precious.collective@gmail.com, or Meg Nash at marketing@pistachiosonline.com. Info.

KAREN LORENE HAS PASSED AWAY
Lorene established the very important Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery, in downtown Seattle, in the early 80s. She served on the boards of SNAG and Artist Trust. Lorene was a senior member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, and appraised on Antiques Roadshow for six years. She also published Building a Business, Building a Life: A Memoir and Workbook, ABeCeDarian, and Buying Antique Jewelry: Skipping the Mistakes. Lorene spoke with Adriane Dalton in 2015; read it here. Listen to her interview on the Jewelry Journey here.

CROSS MY HEART, AT MORA THROUGH OCTOBER 31, 2025
This show celebrates the brooch as both an artistic canvas and a powerful mode of personal expression. It features 50 one-of-a-kind works by 35 contemporary jewelers, with 23 artists making their debut at the gallery. Erika Novak, an AJF member, is a participating artist. Info.

THE JEWELRY BOOK FEATURES A NUMBER OF AJF MEMBERS
How exciting! You’ll find spreads featuring Melanie Georgacopoulos, Ute Decker, Mahnaz Collection, and Fritz Maierhofer, as well as Melanie Eddy, who serves on our Events committee. (Are you also in the book and an AJF member? If we overlooked you, please forgive our mistake and email so that we can make a correction immediately!)

OTHER NEWS

HISAJIMA RYO WINS 2025 ITAMI INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY EXHIBITION
The Japanese maker’s origami-like Subtleties of Mind uses thin brass, resulting in strong yet light work. Other prize-winning works are by artists from Taiwan, Korea, Israel, and Germany, using a variety of materials with solid technical skill, revealing new possibilities for jewelry.  More. The exhibition takes place November 15–December 21, 2025, at Itami City Museum of Art, History and Culture.

LECTURE—FRIGHTFULLY FABULOUS: JEWELLERY INSPIRED BY THE MACABRE
As the nights draw in and shops fill with Halloween wares, discover an array of diamond-encrusted beasts of the night. From the arachnid to the vampiric, find out how jewelry designers have created objects of fear and fascination, transforming them into glamorous and sometimes startling jewels. From Goldsmiths’ Centre, online, October 20, 2025, 6–7 pm (GMT). Info and tickets here.

HILLER’S ZOO: ANIMAL JEWELRY BY DANIEL HILLER
This exhibition showcases delightful critter creations, crafted in minute detail in precious metal, as well as movable wooden animals from the artist’s collection. At Kunst und Handwerk, in Munich, October 17–November 22, 2025. More.

LIMINAL: LIN CHEUNG & KIKO GIANOCCA, THROUGH OCTOBER 25
Cheung appropriates archetypal jewelry forms, with striking relevance. Recurring themes in her work include value and identity, societal change, pearls, political badges, and the reinterpretation of codes traditionally used in jewelry. Gianocca imparts a subtle resonance to the surface of metal; the iridescence created by the play of shimmering colors reveals a three-dimensional and changing presence, opening the way to a new perception. Through the play of reflection, the material seems to dissolve, and unexpected forms appear. At Viceversa. More.

BENEFACTUM
Curated by Salvador Vico, unique pieces in silver, gold, glass, fibers, ceramics, paper, and recycled materials intertwine in a space that celebrates that which is well done. At the Sala de Exposiciones in Valladolid, Spain, through October 31, 2025. More.

NOON PASSAMA, AT MUSEUM ARNHEM
A solo exhibition featuring work by the winner of the Françoise van den Bosch Award 2025. Known for reframing the chain and the link through slow, hand-sculpted variation, Passama presents a highly anticipated new body of work, digging deep into her personal and cultural histories. November 1, 2025–February 1, 2026. Info.

OPPORTUNITIES

OPEN CALL: 2026 FRIEDRICH BECKER PRIZE
Awarded for outstanding, independent design of the highest quality every three years by the Society for Goldsmithing since 1999, the award honors the next generation of outstanding designers of jewelry, utensils, and objects. €10,000, exhibition, catalog. Jurors: Paul Derrez, Melanie Isverding, Dr. Christianne Weber-Stöber. Deadline: December 31, 2025. More.

CALL FOR ENTRY: LOEWE FOUNDATION CRAFT PRIZE 2026
The prize showcases and celebrates newness, excellence, and artistic merit in modern craft. With a €50,000 award for the winning entry, the prize supports working artists whose talent, vision, and will to innovate promise to set a new standard for the future. Deadline: October 30, 2025. More.

OPEN CALL: NOT ONLY DECORATION MAG
The theme: Community. Countless types exist. They can provide stability, transcend boundaries, or define territories. Some span generations, others are temporary. Visible insignia, buttons, flags, or tattoos often mark these bonds and make belonging tangible. Jewelry in particular functions as a marker of identity, as code, as nonverbal language. Translate your idea of community into jewelry. Deadline: October 31, 2025. More.

OPEN CALL—SLOVENIAN JEWELRY WEEK 2026
The theme: Substance/Reimagined. The festival seeks works that tap into the relationship between the material and the spiritual, the physical and the virtual, between form and essence, tradition and modern technologies. Open to all contemporary jewelry designers. Deadline: December 10, 2025. More.

OPEN CALL: STILL HERE
The Silver Fern invites all US-based makers to submit work for a juried national jewelry and metals exhibition celebrating artists who, despite facing obstacles such as grief, trauma, burnout, transition, or healing, continue to create thoughtful and meaningful work. Deadline: November 15, 2025. More.

CALL FOR PAPERS, BOOK REVIEWS & EXHIBITION REVIEWS: THE JOURNAL OF JEWELLERY RESEARCH
Don’t miss your chance to contribute to international research in contemporary jewelry. Contribute to Issue 9 of JJR by submitting: Book review/exhibition review→deadline: October 20, 2025. Full paper/visual paper→deadline: December 15, 2025. Send submissions to: editorsjojr@gmail.com. Questions? Use the same email. Full guidelines and details here.

PAGES

THE JEWELRY BOOK
Edited by Melanie Grant, this book dives deep into designers, creative houses, artists, collectors, and style icons from around the world who have produced and inspired the most memorable designs in jewelry. It’s arranged A to Z, placing early stars and iconic brands alongside today’s most innovative designers and creatives. Entries range from Boucheron to Erykah Badu, from Art Smith to The Notorious B.I.G. More.

CONTEMPORARY WEARABLES ’25 BIENNIAL JEWELLERY AWARD & EXHIBITION
The catalog for the 2025 Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award & Exhibition—in its 36th iteration—presents a selection of contemporary jewelry and object works by both established and emerging Australian makers. Held at Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, the exhibition continues its focus on contemporary adornment and provides a platform for current practice in the field. Published by the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery. To order, email ContemporaryWearables@tr.qld.gov.au.

We welcome your comments on our publishing, and we will publish letters that engage with our articles in a thoughtful and polite manner. Please submit letters to the editor electronically; do so here. The page on which we publish Letters to the Editor is here.

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