November 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.
FINAL WEEK TO APPLY FOR THE 2026 AJF YOUNG ARTIST AWARD!!!
Supported by Michael and Karen Rotenberg, 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.
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 (groannnnn)! At Atlas—Bishop Arts, 6–8 pm. Open to all, food is free, registration required. Register here.
FEEL LIKE SEEING A JEWELRY SHOW?
Find listings from around the world on our dedicated exhibition page.
EVENTS
We have a dedicated page for them. Go here to see the list.
NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
DARK SKY OF IMAGINATION: JEWELRY BY KADRI MÄLK
This retrospective, opening November 6, 2025, at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, focuses on Mälk as an artist and a passionate collector. For the first time, a body of nearly 200 jewelry works from four decades, 1986–2022, will be displayed. The exhibition will also feature her personal collection of contemporary jewelry and related items representing both Estonian and international artists. Curated by Krista Kodres and Kai Lobjakas, and by the curators of Mälk’s contemporary jewelry collection, Kristiina Laurits and Tanel Veenre. Accompanied by a special installation of õhuLoss, a group of jewelry artists Mälk initiated in 1999, consisting of her and her former students Piret Hirv, Eve Margus, Villu Plink, and Laurits and Veenre. Museum website.
NEW CITY ART REVIEWED THINGS UNSAID, AT PISTACHIOS
Said the reviewer, “Here is an international community of makers who find themselves existing within the world of art jewelry, as though they made a deliberate choice to advance the revolution from within, like a Trojan horse full of unique collectibles, which—as they spill from the horse’s belly—make you suddenly realize that jewelry can be a weapon too. Because what greater weapon is there than something which successfully challenges what you thought you knew?” More.
22+22 MUDANZAS—AT GALERIE NOEL GUYOMARC’H THROUGH NOVEMBER 22, 2025
Born from an encounter between Argentine poet Marina Burman and Catalan jeweler and gallery owner Grego García Tebar, this interdisciplinary exhibition offers a dialogue between jewelry and poetry—a delicate weaving between two disciplines. For the curators, jewelry is a poem, and a poem, a piece of jewelry. Both share the same alchemy: the art of transforming matter, playing with metaphors, inventing a new language, moving us, and allowing us to show the world differently. More.
CONNECTOR: JEWELRY AS A LANGUAGE OF CONNECTION, AT GALLERY LOUPE NOVEMBER 15–DECEMBER 20, 2025
This exhibition and podcast series amplifies the diverse voices of Colombian jewelry artists through adornment and storytelling. Co-curated by Osage American artist and podcast host Sarah Rachel Brown and Colombian artist Ana María Jiménez, founder of Taller sin Borde, this exhibition is both a visual and narrative exploration of how jewelry serves as a bridge between cultures. Opening reception November 15, 6–8 p.m. More.
UTE DECKER’S WORK WILL APPEAR IN CONSTELLATIONS
The landmark exhibition of contemporary jewelry, at the Dallas Museum of Art November 9, 2025–May 3, 2026, will showcase 350+ wearable works, surveying nearly a century. Many pieces will be on view for the first time. The exhibition features a special commission by London-based AJF member Ute Decker: a fully traceable fairtrade gold statement hand sculpture from her Calligraphy series, which covers the entire length of the hand. This wearable sculpture is the first fully traceable fairtrade gold piece in the DMA’s jewelry collection, and it finds expression both on the hand and as a neck pendant, embodying one of Decker’s core concepts of inviting the wearer’s creative participation. The exhibition will include many celebrated masters of studio jewelry—Hermann Jünger, William Harper, Giovanni Corvaja, Karl Fritsch, Wendy Ramshaw, Francesco Pavan, and Bruno Martinazzi among them. The accompanying publication provides an engaging documentation of this essential contemporary jewelry survey. More.
UTE DECKER WILL ALSO SHOW AT SALON ART + DESIGN
Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery returns to the Park Avenue Armory in New York for this fair, which takes place November 6–10, 2025. Decker, an AJF member, will be part of the gallery’s presentation of sculptural, wearable art featuring Fernandez Arman, Francesco Arena, Giampaolo Babetto, Joy BC, Carol Bove, Pol Bury, Roberto and Haroldo Burle Marx, Paolo Canevari, Faust Cardinali, Enrico Castellani, EC X EC LAB, Pietro Consagra, Carlos Cruz Diez, André Derain, Aigana Gali, Kendell Geers, Melanie Grant, Ania Guillaume, Rebecca Horn, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Jannis Kounellis, Claude Lalanne, Liliane Lijn, Alba Lisca, Gigi Mariani, Satta Matturi, Yue Minjun, John Moore, Maria Nepomuceno, Michele Oka Doner, Meret Oppenheim, Giulio Paolini, Giuseppe Penone, Arnaldo Pomodoro, David Rodriguez Caballero, Elsa Sarantidou, Chiharu Shiota, Art Smith, Sissi Daniela Olivieri, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Sophia Vari, Giorgio Vigna, Bill Woodrow, and Erwin Wurm. More.
JEWELRY CODE: DATA AS WEARABLE ART, THROUGH DECEMBER 2, 2025
Sixty+ artists from 28 countries—including Doug Bucci, Zhanna Assanova, and AJF member Erika Novak—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.
WATER, AT MOBILIA THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2025
Cynthia Toops mixes polymer clay like paint, creating limitless hues. She then rolls the polymer into threads, slicing and forming minute tile beads to inlay. Toops’s process is unique and distinctive. Her intricate micro mosaic polymer clay brooches, beads, and necklaces are “miniature marvels. She often collaborates with her husband, Dan Adams. More.
OPEN CALL: LEGNICA JEWELLERY FESTIVAL SILVER
The Gallery of Art in Legnica (Poland) invites artists, goldsmiths, designers, and professional and amateur jewelry makers from all over the world to participate in its 34th international jewelry competition. Artists have full freedom of technique and material. The only requirement is a clear reference to the competition theme: Every Body. Using silver in the submitted work—while it remains a suggestion of the organizers—is not required. The grand opening of the Legnica Jewellery Festival SILVER and the announcement of the winners will take place May 8–9, 2026. Jurors: Paul Derrez (Netherlands), Sławomir Fijałkowski (Poland), Sergiusz Kuchczyński (Poland), Andreia Gabriela Popescu (Romania), Helena Renner (Germany). Deadline: January 8, 2026. More.
EXTRANALITIES—THE FIRST, THE WORST, THE BEST & THE REST
Extranalities is a European jewelry collective—which includes AJF members Sofia Björkman and Felieke van der Leest—that explores and investigates jewelry through dialogue and collaborative practice. For this exhibition, the members were given access to the Jakob Bengel Foundation’s galalith collection, which resulted in some colorful creations. “Lost in Lust” was the inspiring working title. Additionally, works from various previous Extranalities exhibitions are on display. Some perfectly match all the words in the exhibition title, others don’t match any … you never know with Extranalities. At Villa Bengel, Idar-Oberstein, Germany, through January 12, 2026. More.
JELO6—NOVEMBER 12–16, 2025
The theme is “Adorning Change: Jewelry as a Catalyst for Peaceful Activism.” Website.
WAM! ISN’T DEFINED BY WALLS—IT’S CURATED BY VISION
The Wearable Art Museum extends beyond geography, curating exhibitions, collaborations, and educational programs across cultures, communities, and continents. Until an anchor location is established, it’s active through traveling exhibitions, creative alliances, digital storytelling, and educational initiatives. WAM! will be part of NYCJW2025. More.
SEBASTIAN GRANT WRITES ABOUT BODY ADORNMENT AND THE SPIRIT
“At a time when much of the West is descending into authoritarianism, feelings of chaos and uncertainty have caused many to turn away from materialism in search of more meditative and esoteric ways of living, including within artistic practices,” states Grant in Metalsmith. “In many ways, the art of the esoteric world has helped expand the consciousness of artistic possibility, and many African and African Diasporic artists have critiqued the spiritualism of Western ideology while exploring this sacred territory in their metalwork.” More.
GOING TO ART JEWELRY GALLERIES IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH!
The first study of its kind has found that viewing original works of art can relieve stress, cut the risk of heart disease risk, and boost the immune system. … As if you needed an excuse to visit your favorite gallery, but here’s all the more reason! More.
NEWS FROM ALL AROUND
CONTEMPORARY JEWELERY SYMPOSIUM TOKYO—NOVEMBER 3, 2025
The focus: “Considering the Future of Contemporary Jewelry.” To participate in the Zoom webinar: Create an account on CJST’s website. Enable auto-reply emails, or check your spam folder. After logging in to your account, click the Zoom URL on the “Contemporary Jewellery Symposium Tokyo 2025” page to enter the webinar. Entry begins at 12:30 pm on the day of the event.
SKY SERIES: PAINTING THE HEAVENS WITH GLASS
Zoë Veness employs an open cloisonné technique to make pendants that capture fleeting skies on Dharawl Country. More in Garland. The work was created for the exhibition Matters of Time: Contemporary Metal Practices, at UNSW Galleries.
GET A 20% DISCOUNT ON THE BOOK CREATING STEEL JEWELRY
Its publisher, Artisan Ideas, is offering AJF readers a 20% discount on this book by Bette Barnett. US shoppers, order your discounted copy here. People residing elsewhere in the world, order here.
FULLHOUSE, AT WEARHOUSE NOVEMBER 7–9, 2025
The exhibition, during Obsessed!, reimagines the boundaries between personal space and artistic expression. Through an international open call, artists were invited to reflect on the idea of home as both a physical and emotional space. The exhibition transforms the entire three-floor WearHouse into a dynamic environment where jewelry engages with themes of living, human connection, and the intimate stories embedded in wearable objects. Info.
2025 ITAMI INTERNATIONAL JEWELRY EXHIBITION OPENS SOON
It will present 98 selected works from a total of 302 submissions (947 pieces in total), of which 155 works came from 27 countries overseas. The show takes place November 15–December 21, 2025, at Itami City Museum of Art, History and Culture, in Japan. More.
UPSTAIRS, A NEW SPACE IN AMSTERDAM
Founded by Alisdair Mills and Jantje Fleischhut, it will showcase and promote jewelry, product design, and art. For its first exhibition, students and alumni from the New Craft Object Design Department, Hochschule Düsseldorf, will show in the space as part of the Obsessed with Jewellery events, November 7–8, 2025. More.
KRISTINE ERVIK: OH, THIS OLD THING?
In this show, at Format, in Norway, Ervik draws attention to society’s dismissive attitudes toward the natural and the unaltered body, introducing an alternative perspective on what is considered desirable and beautiful. Through an ancient craft tradition rooted in both jewelry making and the metalwork of the battlefield, she highlights a powerful and storied body—an armor that carries marks of life experience—inviting the viewer to approach process and transformation with recognition, acceptance, and anticipation. November 6–December 21, 2025. More.
OPEN CALL EXTENDED: 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 is now November 14, 2025. More.
AN INTERVIEW WITH MELANIE GRANT
The editor of The Jewelry Book described how important the book’s advisory panel was, and how challenging it was to choose only 300 designers, makers, and other jewelry-related personalities to fill its pages with. More.
JEWELRY-FOCUSED EVENTS
NEW YORK CITY JEWELRY WEEK—NOVEMBER 17–23, 2025
A hybrid program of virtual experiences and immersive in-person events brings together the most talented and influential figures in the jewelry industry, who curate a variety of experiences. Attendees can explore exhibitions, indulge in exclusive shopping opportunities, and partake in exciting retail collaborations. In addition, panel discussions provide insights into the latest trends, challenges, and innovations within the industry. Each event is crafted to offer unique and unforgettable jewelry moments. More.
OBSESSED JEWELLERY FESTIVAL: NOVEMBER 1–30, 2025
This year’s theme, Glow-Up, embraces the power of transformation—both inside and out—through the ritual of adornment. Whether subtle or bold, permanent or fleeting, jewelry has long been a way to express care for ourselves and others, symbolizing growth, change, and empowerment. Takes place in the Netherlands and Belgium. Website.
CLUSTER CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY FAIR: NOVEMBER 21–23, 2025
In a world unsettled by ecological and cultural shifts, these crafted objects pulse with quiet defiance. They are vessels of inheritance, but also seeds of what is yet to come. Each piece carries the imprint of the maker and the weight of histories, whispered and worn. Moving beyond adornment, jewelry becomes a talisman, a rebellion against the ephemeral. In London. More.
PAGES THAT SPOTLIGHT JEWELRY
CONSTELLATIONS: CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY AT THE DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART
Curator Sarah Schleuning examines of how contemporary jewelry pushes the boundary between ornament and art. This exploration of more than 950 works from the contemporary jewelry collection at the Dallas Museum of Art spans nearly a century, up until the present, and includes work by some of the field’s most innovative and genre-defying makers. These masterpieces—from international artists—assert the centrality of ideas beyond aspects of materiality and function. A valuable resource for jewelry scholars and enthusiasts alike. More. See a flip-through of the book in this video.
HABLA JOYA, HABLA. TEORÍA Y PRÁCTICA DEL CONCEPTO EN JOYERÍA Y ESCULTURA
Mar Juan Tortosa’s book—the title translates as Talks Jewel, Talks: Theory and Practice of the Concept in Jewelry and Sculpture—explores the communicative potential of jewelry as a medium for adornment, expression, and artistic creation. She proposes a theory that integrates the parameters of jewelry and sculpture, defining both a creative system and an analytical framework for understanding and interpreting the visual language generated by these objects. Through a combination of theoretical reflection and practical study, the book provides a coherent foundation for creating pieces with formal and linguistic unity, serving as both an essay and a manual for creators, as well as for anyone interested in interpreting and delving deeper into jewelry that talks. In Spanish. More.
GEMZ: WET
A plunge into fluidity, guided by Min Dai, whose tools—constructed photography and artificial intelligence—conjure dreamscapes where adornment glistens like skin after rain, melting into new forms of being. This edition was born from the practices of the GEMZ talents, each one tracing fluid lines between intimacy and excess, artifice and nature, digital matter and living touch. Their shared attraction to the otherworldly and the unexpected carried this book forward, pulling jewelry out of its traditional frames and into speculative worlds soaked with desire and possibility. More.
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