BaselWorld ends with strong buying, attendance

The vibrant and colorful Dolce and Gabbana booth at BaselWorld.

BaselWorld 2008, held from April 3-10 at the Exhibition Centre Basel, ended on a high note, with an increase in visitor attendance, potential double-digit sales growth and world firsts in watchmaking design.

Visitor attendance at this year's show increased 5 percent to 106,800, with a slight drop in the number of American and Chinese visitors.

Approximately 2,100 exhibitors showed off their latest products.

According to Francois Thiebaud, president of the Baselworld Swiss Exhibitors Committee, the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis did not have as great an impact at the booths, with strong demand from emerging countries such as China, India and those in Eastern Europe possibly compensating for a potential slowdown in exports to the United States.

In the watch sector, Swiss exhibitors showed spectacular innovation, offering several groundbreaking designs, especially in terms of display modes and tourbillons. Other watch trends included timepieces accented with black diamonds, rose gold timepieces paired with both chocolate-brown and black straps, mixed metals, multiple time zones, brightly colored dials and bands, architectural inspiration and jewelry watches for both men and women.

The jewelry sector also showed positive results, especially in Halls 2.1 and 2.2, which were enlarged and refurbished this year, and catered more selectively to the high-end segment.

Despite the increase in gold and platinum prices, jewelry designers rose to the challenge, creating designs centered on diamonds and colored stones in a variety of cuts, as well as pearls.

The brands in Hall 3 also did well. In addition to the many orders racked up, Swiss exhibitors mentioned the promising contacts they established during the exhibition, show organizers said.

Show organizers also noted that Europe, headed by Switzerland, France, Spain and Italy, remains the key production hub for watchmaking and jewelry, while customers from the Middle East and Near East are making a promising return.

BaselWorld 2009 will be held from March 26 to April 2.
Source: nationaljewelernetwork

Jewelry Exhibits Sparkle

World-renowned jewelry houses Van Cleef & Arpels and Tiffany & Co. are adding sparkle to Seoul this month, as their dazzling jewels are on display in two separate exhibitions.

Visitors will have the chance to learn about the two companies' long history and appreciate their creative jewelry designs. Among the beautiful jewelry pieces that will fascinate visitors are an exquisite Van Cleef & Arpels tiara worn by Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, and the huge yellow diamond in Tiffany's stunning ``Bird on a Rock.''

Van Cleef & Arpels

French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels opened its ``Jewels of Eternal Glamour and Excellence'' exhibit Thursday, at Shinsegae Main Store, Myeong-dong. It runs through Friday, April 4.

The exhibit features 130 pieces illustrating Van Cleef & Arpels creativity and high-quality craftsmanship throughout its 102-year history. The brand's story begins with the marriage between Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels. The first shop was opened at no. 22 Place Vendome in Paris in 1906, where it remains as its flagship store until today.

Van Cleef & Arpels has carefully cultivated its image of luxury and style throughout the decades. It is easy to see why, with the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, Maria Callas, Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon and Scarlett Johanssen wearing the jewels.

When Princess Grace married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956, she received wedding jewelry composed of a set of diamond and pearl necklace, bracelet and earrings specially made by Van Cleef & Arpels. The exhibit features an elegant diamond tiara worn by Princess Grace during the wedding day of her daughter Princess Caroline in 1978.

Visitors will also be able to uncover the secret behind Van Cleef & Arpels' legendary ``mystery setting,'' a technique that holds the gems in place without showing the gemstone settings. One example is the ``peony clip,'' (1937) made of 700 square-cut rubies, 6 oval-shaped rubies, 43 baguette-cut diamonds in a platinum setting.

There are numerous pieces that will catch visitors' attention, such as delicate ballerina and fairy brooches, a Picasso clock, diamond-encrusted ribbon clips and exotic Indian and Chinese-inspired necklaces.

The latest Van Cleef collection ``Atlantide,'' inspired by the lost city of Atlantis, is shown in Seoul for the first time.

The value of all the jewels on display to estimated to be more than 20 million euros (approximately US$32 million). The Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit runs through April 4 at the Culture Hall, located on the 10th floor of Shinsegae Main Store (Hoehyeon station Line 4).

Tiffany & Co.

``The Jewels of Tiffany (1837-2007)'' at the Hangaram Design Museum showcases almost 200 pieces of jewelry made by Tiffany & Co. in the last 170 years.

Charles Lewis Tiffany founded the company in 1837, starting out as a stationary store in New York. Its international reputation grew, as it won various prizes at expositions around the world.

In pop culture, the brand is forever linked with Audrey Hepburn, thanks to the classic 1961 film ``Breakfast at Tiffany's,'' which was based on Truman Capote's novel. Today, young women adore the ``Return to Tiffany's'' bracelet, and hope to receive a Tiffany's diamond engagement ring.

The Tiffany exhibit is divided into 10 sections, starting with the company's history and shows its opulent designs throughout the years. There are sections devoted to nature-inspired designs, Art Deco and designs by G. Paulding Farnham and Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of the founder.

Tiffany's has created unique jewelry and accessories such as orchid brooches, crystal scent bottles, sterling silver spurs, cigar cases and watches using silver, gold, pearls, diamonds and other precious gems.

Many of the pieces were owned by famous people such as a pearl necklace and brooch worn by American First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, and a diamond brooch worn as a belt decoration by Napoleon Bonaparte's wife, Empress Eugenie.

However, the highlight is the ``Bird on a Rock,'' featuring one of the largest yellow diamonds in the world and designed by Jean Schlumberger.

The works of designers Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso (daughter of Pablo Picasso) and architect Frank Gehry are also on display.

``The Jewels of Tiffany'' runs through June 6 at Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul Arts Center (Nambu Bus Terminal Line 3, exit 5). Admission is 12,000 won, but discounts available for students and senior citizens.
Source: koreatimes

Jewelry for ashes will be at expo

It's certainly more elegant than keeping Grandpa in a cardboard box.

Instead, his remains can be encased in wearable baubles of silver and gold.

Cremation jewelry looks conventional but lets survivors carry some of their loved ones' ashes -- called cremains -- everywhere. It's a popular idea in Michigan, which has become a leader in cremations, local funeral-industry officials said.

Cremation jewelry will be on display today by Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home at the South Oakland Business Expo, a one-day exhibit of business products and services.

Among the pieces is a cuff-style bracelet -- about $200 in sterling silver -- which holds ashes inside two small capsules, one built into each end of the bracelet. Each capsule is capped by a jewel of the buyer's choice, said Marilyn Hill, a pre-arrangement counselor at Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home in Royal Oak. To remember two people, "You might want to use their birthstones," Hill said.

The business expo will feature about 100 retail and service firms from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, 316 E. Eleven Mile.

The expo combines chamber of commerce members from six cities -- Berkley, Clawson, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Madison Heights and Royal Oak. Admission is $5 but free with online coupons at http://www.royaloakchamber.com/.

Visitors will see displays of fitness clubs, a tea shop and one by state Sen. John Pappageorge, R-Troy.

Darlene Hunt, 41, of Clinton Township said she wears some of her deceased husband's ashes in a silver necklace, like the kind Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home and other funeral homes in metro Detroit display.

Wearing the necklace "gives me some comfort, knowing that he's with me all the time," she said.

She even put some ashes in a pendant attached to the collar of the family dog.
Source: freep

Please Touch the Art: An Unusual Jewelry Exhibit At the Museum of Contemporary Craft

Randy L. Rassmussen

Miriam Pike tries on a boa made from recycled bicycle tires by San Francisco jewelry artist Christine Dhein, while her friend Sara Morris registers her opinion

Here's what I've been thinking about lately: If an object is created for a specific purpose, but it never gets to fulfill that purpose, if it's never used or touched (never imbued with memory), does it become something else? Does it lose its true meaning?

This has been rattling around in my head since I visited the Museum of Contemporary Craft to see "Touching Warms the Art," an exhibit of jewelry where the pieces are laid out for visitors to touch and try on. No glass cases anywhere.

Sixty-seven jewelry artists from 12 different countries designed these pieces specifically to be touched and handled, explained curator Namita Gupta Wiggers, as she led me around, picking out necklaces, bracelets and rings for me to admire. The artists had been told not to use gold and other precious materials, Wiggers said. "It was about deconstructing the idea of jewelry, deconstructing the materials so people can understand the value doesn't come from materials alone. It can come from a texture, the way it makes you feel when you put it on."

And this had led to some fascinating materials-choices: car wash gloves, insulation tape, felt, plastic bottle tops, X-ray film, Legos.

Some of the pieces were strangely elegant: a sea-sponge-like circle from which cascaded dozens of long strands of blue microfilament shot through with pearls. It reminded me of a veiled hat Jackie-O might have worn, although Wiggers said she thought it was a bracelet.

Randy L. Rassmussen

But that was also part of the exhibit's point, Wiggers explained: There was no right way to engage with the jewelry. It was entirely up to you how you wanted to wear it. Over in the corner, the museum has set up a computer and a digital camera, so people can photograph themselves wearing the art. The pictures are then uploaded to a public Flickr site, "so the artists can see some of the unexpected ways people are wearing their work," Wiggers said.

Some of the jewelry was more inviting to try on than others. "This one is very visceral, gutlike," said Wiggers, pointing to a piece that looked vaguely intestinal. She motioned to a bracelet that looked like a piece of hollowed concrete, filled with sharp black needles. "I just can't put my hand in this one," she said. (So of course I had to try; the "needles" turned out to be rubber strands, and they actually felt good brushing over my hand and wrist.)

Randy L. Rassmussen

Miriam Pike of Eugene tries on a piece by Santa Fe artist Eliana Arenas called "Full Body Elongation"

One of the more popular pieces that Wiggers demonstrated was a necklace featuring a cutout of a woman's chest in a bikini top. Like a flip-book, you could coax it (her) through increasing stages of undress, all the way to the bones, and the word "Pervert!" For some reason (Lutheran upbringing?), that scared me more than the needle bracelet, and I did not try it on. But you can be certain I watched to see if anyone else did.

After we walked through the exhibit, Wiggers took me to an adjacent room where they had set up a jewelry-making station for anyone who was inspired to try to create. What's interesting is that without any kind of explicit encouragement, visitors had started to tape their creations to a nearby wall, rather than walk out with them. As I was studying the wall, one of the pieces, a small bracelet, fell to the floor. And for some reason, this mortified me deeply -- that I had disturbed this display, that I had somehow knocked this stranger's art, made from sad little plastic straws.

Wiggers picked it up for me and put it back on the wall. It seemed too precious somehow, too personal for me to touch. Later, as I was leaving, I ran into one of the jewelry artists, Lindsay Huff, who was visiting from Pittsburgh and had come in to see the exhibit for herself. She was wearing the Lego necklace, a magnetic crown (to which someone else had affixed the word "VEGAN") and several bracelets.

I asked her what she liked about the exhibit, and she answered by telling me about her own philosophy as a jewelry maker. "When people buy jewelry from me, I tell them I have a lifetime guarantee. If they ever lose an earring, I'll make them a new one for free. For business, that's probably not very smart, but that's OK. I'd rather it be worn than sitting there."

Now I wish I had touched that little bracelet, even put it on, just for a second.
Source: oregonlive

Diamond Divas Exhibition in Antwerp

Combining celebrity with stunning diamond jewelry, a new exhibition organized by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre, will open April 11 at the Antwerp Diamond Museum.

Called "Diamond Divas," the exhibition will show items worn by royals, high society, stars of stage and screen. It will run through June 8.

Each item of jewelry to be shown at the exhibition comes with its own legend, sometimes concerning its owner and on other occasions the event for which it was created. They include bracelets from the “Art de Cartier” collection owned by Gloria Swanson, a star from Hollywood’s silent movie era who was famous for her extravagant life style; a tiara owned by Doris Duke, the billionaire tobacco heiress who died under mysterious circumstances at age 80 in 1993; the “snake” necklace owned by Maria Felix, a leading lady from Mexico’s silver screen; the famous “Moon of Baroda” necklace, which has as its centerpiece a 24.04-ct. canary yellow pear-shaped diamond, worn by Marilyn Monroe at the premiere of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

Devant de corsage, Cartier Paris, 1909, Photos N. Welsh, Collection Cartier, copyright Cartier

To put together the exhibition, ADWC turned to high end jewelers, auction houses, and private collections from around the world.

Diamond Divas will be held under the patronage of HRH Princess Mathilde.
Source: jckonline

Nature designs spring up at Vicenza's 'First'

Cuff by Graziella from the Flowers Collection Gold.

The Vicenza Fair's gold-jewelry exhibition, "First," held from Jan. 13-20, proclaimed "Nothing as before" as one of its mottos, but when it came to the actual jewelry designs on display, several trends took a cue from the past.

Bangles, cameos and chain necklaces, popular accessories for several seasons now, abounded in many designers' booths, as did serpent-themed jewelry, brown diamonds and the mixing of yellow, rose and white gold.

But nothing dominated the show as much as flower designs, with rose-motif rings taking center stage.


Also in line with the flower theme were nature-inspired pieces, including those with leaf, butterfly and ladybug designs.

A model in Ambrosi jewelry, reflecting the year's top trend: flowers.

Stars and other celestial themes proliferated throughout the show too, as did color degradation in the designs themselves, which was revealed at Superoro's booth.

Superoro designer Raffaella Zanetello said they chose to incorporate this fading-color element into their latest collection because it's what's going on in fashion these days.

As for color, white enamel held its own as did white agate, white coral and white mother-of-pearl, making the jewelry designs fresh and fitting for spring.
Source: nationaljewelernetwork

Israel to Participate in Macau Fair

The Israeli Diamond Industry will participate at the Macau Jewelry and Watch Fair, which will take place for the first time on Jan. 10-13, 2008, at the Cotai Strip Convention and Exhibition Center at the Venetian Macao.

More than 50 Israeli companies will be exhibiting at the show, with 37 companies taking part in the Israel Diamond Pavilion hosted by the Israel Diamond Institute. The show is expected to attract Chinese buyers, and the Israeli participation in this show is due to the great interest of the Israeli Diamond Industry in reaching out to the Chinese market.

IDI will be the official host of the fair’s opening reception on Jan. 10, together with CMP, the show's organizers.

Several months ago the Israeli Diamond Industry affirmed China as its top priority and embarked on a multi-pronged strategy to strengthen its ties between the Israeli and Chinese diamond industries. To that end, IDI opened a representative office in Hong Kong IDI Asia Pacific Limited in July, and launched a comprehensive portal site in Chinese, geared to the needs of the Chinese diamond and jewelry industry.
Source: jckonline

Forbes Galleries to feature plique-a-jour master

Leila Tai's "Foliage" bracelet in 18-karat gold, white, red and green enamels, and Burmese rubies.

Jewelry artist Leila Tai will be one of the featured fine jewelers at the 2008 Designer Showcase to be launched at The Forbes Galleries in New York City by the National Jewelry Institute.

The exhibit, which will run from April 25 to June 28, will celebrate works of individuality by approximately 25 designers.

Several of Tai's pieces to be exhibited are part of her most recent collection called "Spring," which utilizes the plique-à-jour technique. The technique is a style of enameling in which enamels are fused into the openings of a metal filigree network with no backing, producing an effect that resembles stained glass.

"Each piece is one-of-a-kind, and many offer built-in movement and flexibility," Tai said in a media release. "Aside from the fact that I enjoy the long and focused creation process, this technique gives a realistic edge to my pieces. Creating jewelry as art objects that can be worn is my way of paying tribute to life and all creation."

Tai was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, and studied art education at the American University of Beirut. She furthered her studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, receiving her master of fine arts degree in metal work. She has also studied with jewelry designers such as the late Donald Clafflin, who was associated with both Tiffany and Bulgari, and Robert Kulicke and Jean Stark, from whom she learned much of her plique-à-jour, cloisonné and granulation techniques.

After several years in the fine-jewelry industry with Gemveto and Van Cleef and Arpels, Tai worked as a full-time designer in the fashion industry, with firms such as Trifari and Monet, and also consulted for Liz Claiborne, among other fashion houses.

She has won numerous industry awards for her own jewelry designs, including the 2007 Niche Awards, an award for work of "exceptional merit" from The Enamelist Society in 2005 and the prestigious Diamonds Today Award in 1995.

Leila Tai's "Blue Iris" earrings in 18-karat gold and blue enamel with aquamarine drops and beads won a 2007 Niche Award.

Tai has also taught courses at the American University, Parson's School of Design, the Pratt Institute and the Revere Academy. She currently teaches jewelry design and rendering at the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Pratt Institute.

For more information about Tai, visit her Web site, Leilataidesign.com.

The Forbes Galleries are located at 62 Fifth Ave. in New York City and are open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (212) 206-5548 or visit The Forbes Galleries Web site, Forbesgalleries.com.
Source: nationaljewelernetwork

Gallery offers art and jewelry

Husband and wife Gordon and Val Mustain will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their Enchanted Earthworks Gallery tomorrow with an open house to display their personally made jewelry, as well as other pieces from local artists.

The Mustains will be showing off their wire-wrap jewelry and beads they collaborated on specifically for the show.

"By doing it together, we were able to create something that was more than just a little pendant with some beads with it," Val said.

"What really makes us different is that we have an enormous variety of things. We are not a standard jewelry shop and we don't carry even the kinds of things you'd get at a Zales."

Val believes there are added benefits to holding an open house.

"It's good for the community because anytime you have artists that are available to interact with the community, it broadens the community," she said.

"I don't think you have a community if you don't have artists."

Both Val and Gordon come from artistic backgrounds; Gordon has been a novelist since he was a teenager and Val was an art history major in college. They found themselves in the beginning stages of their present careers by an attraction to rocks.

"When we started, we really thought we might be a rock shop," Val said. "And after about six months we realized that all the people that were coming were either coming for small specimens or my husband's jewelry."

Enchanted Earthworks caters to more than just a jewelry store crowd, with displays of art surrounding the gallery.

"Everyone that does work (at the gallery) has a certain reverence for their art, a reverence for the medium in which they are working in, and a reverence for what everyone else is doing. And it comes through in the art," Val said.

The open house will be an opportunity for UA students to meet local Tucson artists.

"If you're interested in art at all, there will be 20 different artists here that you can meet, and if you want to talk about their art, you can."

Wood carver Ron Karulski will be displaying "Jenny," a wood coyote carving, and Lindianne Sarno will play the violin for over two and a half hours.
Source: arizona

Jewelry designer Christopher Walling at Contemporary Museum

Fresh from attending a ball at His Highness the Aga Khan's posh digs in Paris, New York jewelry designer Christopher Walling is at The Contemporary Museum today through Saturday to share his latest designs.

The new collection is inspired by Hawai'i — look for aquatic elements in the form of marine gems, opals, pearls and ocean colors. Sales of the one-of-a-kind pieces will benefit The Contemporary Museum

His work is included in the American Museum of Natural History's traveling show "Pearls," which is now on view at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, and have adorned such notables as Maya Angelou, Queen Noor of Jordan and Elizabeth Taylor.
Source: honoluluadvertiser

Simmons Jewelry Co. goes green at Fashion Week

Hoping to inform the fashion community about the Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF), Simmons Jewelry Co. and Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons served as sponsors of Fashion Rocks, a concert held last night to kick off Fashion Week.

Presenters at the show were given Simmon Jewelry Co.'s "Green Bracelet"—made of malachite with a rough diamond—to show support for empowering African students in countries such as South Africa and Botswana. Kimora Lee Simmons, Simmons Jewelry Co. co-owner with Russell Simmons, wore the bracelet as she presented crooner Alicia Keys to the audience.

At a show held tonight, Baby Phat and KLS Collections models will wear the Green Bracelet to promote fashion's support for awareness and education in Africa. Kimora Lee Simmons' own kids will wear children's versions of the bracelet.

Following the event, Simmons Jewelry Co. is sponsoring a post-show celebration dinner for the Baby Phat and KLS "St. Tropez" spring lines. Invited guests will be given Green Bracelets upon entry to the event, to be held at Guastavino's restaurant in midtown Manhattan.

"I am excited about this latest venture for Simmons Jewelry Co.," Kimora Lee Simmons said in a statement. "We have the opportunity to make a tangible difference in the industry and really impact a change. The collection not only looks great, but also serves a worthy cause."

DEF, which was founded earlier this year, is a non-profit international organization established by individuals and businesses in the diamond and jewelry industry to raise money to support educational initiatives that empower people in African nations where diamonds are produced.
Source: nationaljewelernetwork

New Hong Kong jewelry show announced

World Trade Fair Ltd. has announced the launch of a new jewelry show in Hong Hong—the September Hong Kong Jewellery Show at Wanchai—to accommodate jewelry manufacturers who wish to exhibit during the key purchasing season.

The show will be held from Sept. 23-27 at the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre in Wanchai, only blocks away from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the September Hong Kong Jewellery and Watch Fair will be held from Sept. 23-28, according to show organizers.

The exhibition's site features 3,000 square meters of space, and booth availability will be limited to ensure as little competition between exhibitors as possible, organizers said.
Source: nationaljewelernetwork

First Jewelry Trade Show in Teheran

Last week a trade show for gold, jewelry and precious stones was held for the first time in Teheran. The local media reported that the value of the items on display reached $50 million.

On display at the show, which took place on August 29-31, were rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings, many of which were embedded with precious stones.

The show's manager Ali Nikmard Tehrani told the PressTV website that if one disregards oil exports, the carpet and jewelry industries are a main source of revenue for the country.

Last year exported gold jewelry valued at $120 million, mainly to the Persian Gulf countries and central Asia.
Source: israelidiamond

Jewelry exhibit, guest speaker at library

Hand-made, one-of-a-kind jewelry and other items are now on exhibit at the Cherry Hill Public Library.

In all, the display features 73 pieces, all made by members of the South Jersey Bead Society.

Necklaces, bracelets, brooches, dolls and more are included, made with tiny glass beads, semiprecious stones, pearls, stoneware clay, sterling silver and more.

The exhibit is in the library's Main Reading Room. It runs through Oct. 12 and can be viewed during regular library hours.

In conjunction with the exhibit, bead artist extraordinaire Nancy Josephson, of Wilmington, Del., will be a guest speaker at the library on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

Josephson will talk about the ceremonial banners, or flags, that are an integral part of vodou worship in Haiti. The banners are made by hand and feature vibrant designs in beads and sequins.

She will also sign copies of her new book, "Spirits in Sequins: Vodou flags of Haiti" (Schiffer Publishing).

The event is free and open to the public. No registration required.

The library is located at 1100 Kings Highway, Cherry Hill.
Source: courierpostonline

Creative sparks on display

MFA exhibits showcase enchanting examples of studio jewelry and textiles

You know you've stumbled into an exciting exhibition when the single piece there by Pablo Picasso looks meek and unrealized compared to the rest of the work in the show.

So it is with "Jewelry by Artists: The Daphne Farago Collection," a rigorous and enchanting examination at the Museum of Fine Arts of the studio jewelry movement since the 1940s. Studio jewelers make unique and limited-edition objects, by hand. They focus on form, content, and self-expression, rather than on precious gems. Farago gave the museum more than 600 pieces of contemporary jewelry last year, with about 100 more to come. The gift made the MFA's studio jewelry collection the most comprehensive in the world.

Picasso doesn't truly belong in the show. Francois Hugo, a French jewelry workshop, invited him and other top-tier artists, such as Max Ernst and Man Ray, to design limited-edition pieces. Picasso's gold disk, "Barbu rond pendant" (1974), sports nearly illegible lines from his 1967 pen-and-ink sketch "Femme mue et barbu rond."

This isn't studio jewelry; there's no sense of the artist's engagement with his materials. Exhibition curator Kelly L'Ecuyer uses these pieces designed by better-known artists to compare to those of the studio jewelers. Man Ray's work is ambitious and elegant. His 1970 "Pendant Pending Earrings," were famously worn by Catherine Deneuve in a Man Ray photo of the actress. Ultimately, though, the studio jewelers designed work that was grittier, livelier, and more daring than that of the artists engaged by the workshops.

The studio jewelry movement follows trends in the art world. In the 1940s and 1950s, Modernism focused jewelers on clean lines, functionality, and respect for the character of materials. Kinetic artist Alexander Calder made a natural leap into crafting jewelry. His earrings had movable parts, like his mobiles. The 1941 silver "Necklace" he made for his sister, featuring dozens of fluid hourglass shapes hanging like saber teeth, is both lean and audacious.

In 1942, The New Yorker dubbed Sam Kramer a "surrealist jeweler," and his works bridle with edgy, dark references. His "Lovers" brooch, made with his wife, Carol Kramer, sports two jaunty, nearly abstract silver figures, flagrantly interlocked.

With the 1960s came references to Pop Art, collage, found materials, and cultural obsessions of the day. Elsa Freund's "Space Pendant With Circlet" features brilliantly glazed terra-cotta pebbles and glass, set in a network hanging beneath a choker. The deep blue and translucent green pebbles might represent a constellation.

Academic programs in jewelry making pushed the art to new levels in the 1970s; innovative techniques began to sprout up. Mary Lee Hu wove metal wire into shapes from nature. Her lovely "Choker #48" (1979) features a pudgy bud woven from lacquered copper, from which a silver flower emerges.

The exhibit embraces more trends in studio jewelry, from the concept of body sculpture -- such as Bruno Martinazzi's brawny, startling "Goldfinger" bracelet from 1969, depicting a hand grabbing the wearer's wrist -- to the use of low-end materials -- such as Styrofoam balls in Robert Ebendorf's 1985 Wilma Flintstone-style "Necklace." Every avenue the show goes down offers delights.

One piece, by British artist Wendy Ramshaw, pays homage to Picasso and puts his pendant on display here to shame. "Girl Before a Mirror" (1989), is a silver and black enamel ring stand -- in essence, a small sculpture -- based on a 1932 portrait by Picasso. Its striations, protrusions, and geometry pointedly touch on those in the painting, yet this remains a fresh, original work of art.

"Ed Rossbach Fiber Art From the Daphne Farago Collection," also on view, suggests that Farago's collections run as deep as they run wide. Here, close to 45 pieces attest to the wit, vigor, and relentlessness of the legendary textile artist, who died in 2002. A scholar and a craftsman, Rossbach studied historic textiles, from Coptic Egyptian tapestry to 18th-century French weaving, and deployed all the techniques he learned, stretching them with contemporary materials and conceptual twists.

The exhibit cleverly dug into the museum's own textiles collection to provide a backdrop for Rossbach's work (and a few pieces by his wife, artist Katherine Westphal). His "Hornets Nest" (1964) basket of coiled raffia, painted over with gesso to give it a weathered look, stands near similar baskets made out of coiled willow or cottonwood by Western Apaches in the 1890s. "Gold and Silver," his 1975 damask glittering with metal thread, blows up a botanical detail from a French brocaded silk damask hanging beside it.

Much of the work brims with Rossbach's irreverent, Pop-inflected sense of humor. Mickey Mouse was a favorite of his, not only for the Disney character's iconography, but for what his name has come to represent: overly simple. He tatted a gorgeous, complex and funny "Mickey Mouse" lace in retort. It echoes 17th-century European lace pieces, but uses several colors.

Rossbach's energy -- curious, intuitive, inventive, and thorough -- runs through this exhibit, which is a brief, in-depth lesson in the history of textiles around the world. Lucky for us, it's as light-hearted as it is stringent.
Source: boston

Macef Hosts Young Jewelry Designer Exhibition

More, the international precious jewelry and accesories show held during Macef, Milan's biannual gift, jewelry and accesories trade fair, will host the MoreDesignClub, a showcase of new trends and products created by up-and-coming young designers connected with Milan's fashion world.

The section will feature products from around 50 young designers, 90 percent of whom are from Europe (mainly Germany, Poland and Great Britain.)

"This is a significant project," explains More's marketing manager Costantino Cutroneo. "MoreDesignClub reiterates some key concepts: the uniqueness of More, an exhibition dedicated to top-of-the-range jewelry; Milan's ability to attract creative energies from all over the world; and the imaginative flair and skill of the young designers."

The exhibition will run in connection with three other jewelry areas in Macef: September Gold, an area dedicated to stones, semi-finished products and importers/distributors; the Silver Section; and Bijoux: the costume jewelry and fashion, hair accesssories show.
Source: gifts-and-tablewares