Born February 4, 1934, Evergreen, Illinois Died April 2, 2015, Deer Isle, Maine Today we make jewelry and wearable art from any material that we choose, but it was J. Fred Woell who in the 1960s broke the rules and paved the way for art jewelers. Fred pioneered the concept of using found objects […]
In Memory of J. Fred Woell Read More »
There is a special power to many of these tools, as they were passed on to my studio from a retired silversmith now in his 80s. I am sure that some were passed on to him as well. The power of previous people’s labor still lives in them. I often use traditional techniques in my
Hanna Hedman, Stockholm, Sweden Read More »
Born Halle, Germany, 1984 Died Le Vernet, France, 2015 Juliane Noack’s interests spanned jewelry making, music, experimental fashion and design, and figurative sculpture. An excellent draftsperson, Juliane had an unusual facility for understanding and implementing skills of all kinds: She could make whatever she wanted and never stinted on the time and effort required.
In Memory of Juliane Noack Read More »
Do you love chocolate, but often find it lacking in the carbon-based minerals and precious metal you crave? Is a simple diamond ring or pair of earrings too “common” a gift for your loved one’s taste? Perhaps you find a life-size chocolate Benedict Cumberbatch a little indelicate for your Easter celebration? Well, fret not—you can
Start With the Ears First! Read More »
Marie Claire UK has spotted a trend in maximalist facial jewelry and piercings that maximalize all available face, a trend inspired by last month’s AW15 Givenchy show. Designer Riccardo Tisci used the term “Chola Victorian” to describe his reimagining of Winona Ryder’s character from Beetlejuice in the stereotypical trappings of a historically marginalized Mexican-American female
Mi Raza Por Givenchy Read More »
Each award-show season, a virtual community of jewelry enthusiasts gathers around hash tags to observe and assess red-carpet arrivals in real time. Using a predetermined tag—#oscarjewelry #globejewelry #grammyjewelry—lets us comment, question, commiserate, and crack wise on the jewelry selected to adorn celebrities at these rarified events. Considerable intrigue surrounds who will wear what. Calling a
Zip It! How One Necklace Silenced Twitter Read More »
Click on the first slide to enter the slideshow. 10 Most Exciting Up-and-Comers at Munich Jewelry Week 2015
10 Most Exciting Up-and-Comers at Munich Jewelry Week 2015 Read More »
Modern alchemists and broke jewelry students, your prayers have been answered. Gone are the days of sweeping metal filings from a dirty studio floor or transmuting lead in a candlelit laboratory. Gold and other precious metals are as close as the nearest toilet, just waiting to be sifted from human excrement. According to recent findings,
Click on the first slide to enter the slideshow. 10 Best Juxtapositions at Munich Jewelry Week 2015
10 Best Juxtapositions at Munich Jewelry Week 2015 Read More »
To the left, cave painting. New research shows that 80,000 years before supposedly sophisticated Homo sapiens began thinking they were so cool with their eight-legged bison paintings, Neanderthals wrestled giant eagles out of the sky to collect their talons for jewelry-making. Scientists believe eagle claws manipulated for ornamental wear clearly demonstrate that Neanderthals were capable
Neanderthals Make Case for Jewelry’s Relevance Read More »
During the summer I worked on a new project in my summer studio. Blind. The Russian philosopher George Gurdjieff said that all good art needs two components of the following three elements: the head, the heart, and the belly. Personally I think that chaos and the unconscious are more creative than the things we already know.
Ruudt Peters’s Summer Studio, Ravenstein, The Netherlands Read More »
A large part of the extended AJF team (Rebekah Frank and Ben Lignel) and board (Susan Cummins, Liesbeth den Besten, Bella Neyman, and Tanel Veerne) has just dispersed back home from Munich Jewelry Week 2015. This year’s crop of exhibitions did not disappoint, and delivered to the crowd of aficionados the usual mix of sensory
