Yes, $10,000 worth of designer gems around your throat make a statement, but these hand-crafted works of art will get you noticed too. They may say something a little different though: You prefer art over status symbols. You’re more interested in design than intrinsic value. Maybe even that there’s irony in your sense of...
Nothing is more captivating than the glow of ancient gold under museum lights, except maybe for ancient gold in an auction showroom – that is, ancient jewels you could, conceivably, own. Or at least hold, however briefly. Gold jewelry from the ancient Mediterranean has a particular thrill that carries through the millenia, capturing the...
As I mentioned last year, SOFA (Sculptural Objects Functional Art) has come to represent the apex of craft and art, where skilled handwork intersects with wild creativity. SOFA began in Chicago and that show, held in November, is still the ultimate showcase for craft galleries. There’s a SOFA show in Santa Fe now as...
Karen Gilbert doesn’t consider herself a chain-maker in the traditional sense, even though she has been obsessed with exploring the creative potential of links since she began making jewelry. She doesn’t use the word “chain-maker,” she says, because it implies that she knows the basic types and techniques of that historical category and she...
Buyers Market of American Craft applies the same high standards to the student entries to the NICHE Awards, with one exception. They don’t have to show “market viability.” In other words, student artists are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild. Congratulations to these talented young designers. Top to bottom: Patterns of Being by...
Here is some of the charming, inventive and beautifully-crafted jewelry that won NICHE Awards this year from the Buyers Market of American Craft. These winners in the professional categories were chosen for technical excellence, originality, creativity and market viability. Top to bottom: Unearthed Flora by Barb Fajardo of Albuquerque, N.M., winner polymer clay category...
If metalsmiths are the sculptors of the jewelry world, attracted to form and texture, enamellists are the painters, obsessed with color and line. Gemstones can be part of their palette, a way to extend, highlight and balance the enamelwork. They can also clash, compete and draw attention away from it. Is it any wonder...
Lucie Heskett-Brem makes chains, but not as we’ve come to know them. She makes chains Old World-style: hand-crafted, luxury items in high-karat gold. Her chains are carried by galleries like Aaron Faber of New York and Bentley & Skinner of London, jewelers by appointment to the English royal family. Handmade chains are definitely a...
Trying to decide which shows or fairs to attend this year? Here is a calendar of the most reputable industry showcases on this side of the Atlantic.
Here are some of the best craft shows in the U.S. for finding unique, finely-crafted jewelry and, sometimes, gems, beads and materials to make your own - from the Tucson Gem Show starting right now to top-level juried craft shows and summer art fests.
