Karen's Arabian Star Ring

My regular blog followers will remember my trip to the United Arab Emirates last year. I came home gushing over the fantastic artworks of geometric patterns which adorn the facades of buildings, bridges and street lamps there. At the time, I posted a "pattern inspiration" story with a montage of some of my favourite pattern pictures from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

 

One of my lovely readers, Karen, was considering commissioning a ring from me when she spied a particular pattern amongst my montage. That pattern was a snap shot of a small section of a bridge, which I myself was particularly taken with.

 

The Inspiration- Souk Al Bahar Bridge (Central Dubai)

 

Full of Arabian inspiration, Karen used the octagon and star features from the latticework on the sides of the bridge to draw up the below computer generated image of a ring concept.  

 

I opened the email from Karen and was immediately excited about the idea. Soon we were meeting up to work out the finer details of the design. Karen selected a combination of white and rose gold with a mix of champagne and white diamonds. I can't go past a gorgeous Australian champage diamond. This arrangement is so similar to my own wedding ring, that I knew I would love the results.

Thanks Karen for sharing in my passion! I really do adore your design and it was my pleasure to turn your drawing into reality. Enjoy wearing it.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Lapis Lazuli Ring for Cath

Late last year Cath asked me to make her a ring for a significant birthday. She indicated that she liked some of my past creations with rectangular stones, and also that she liked blue coloured gems. Lucky for Cath, I had a gorgeous rectangular piece of lapis lazuli in my gem box which fit the brief nicely.

Choosing the gem is the best place to start. The features of the stone became the inspiration behind the metal design which holds the gem in place. On this occasion, tiny gold flecks amongst the deep blue colour of the lapis, led me to suggest a yellow gold setting would be fitting around the stone. To the concept we then added a sterling silver band, both to keep costs down, and to tie in with Cath's usual choice of silver jewellery.

Stone selected, metal chosen, onto the design!

Cath’s preference was for something in an old-fashioned style. She isn’t into anything too flowery or girly. Again, inspired by the stone, I settled on an art deco style to compliment the long, straight lines of the rectangular-shaped lapis. The lines of the ring are strong and clean, with little geometric detailing on the sides of the setting.
 

Over the weekend Cath collected her ring and looked thrilled as she glanced at it upon her hand.
It always gives me a little kick to see a finished piece on the new owner.
Thanks for the order Cath. Enjoy that ring!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Dream Ring for Jenni

Jenni and I met at the Old Bus Depot Markets as fellow stall holders back in 2008. As well as adding several Japonicity designs to Jenni's wardrobe over the years, I remodelled her engagement ring a few years ago. You might even remember Jenni from my story, "The Ring With Bite" last year. So when she decided that she wanted a big ring for her 40th birthday, I was lucky to be first in line for the job.

Jenni had always wanted a one carat diamond but had never been able to afford (or justify) the expense. Her husband's recent purchase of a very fancy motorcycle gave her the extra incentive she needed to spoil herself with the purchase of a dream diamond. Her darling husband offered to then pay for the making of the ring to hold said stone as her 40th birthday gift.

After months of looking at diamonds and different design aspects, Jenni drew up a rough sketch of the design she wanted me to make (shown below).

The next step was to find that perfect diamond. I ordered in a selection of stones from which Jenni chose a breathtaking 1.11 carat beauty.

With a couple of weeks up my sleeve before the special birthday, I set upon creating Jenni's ring. Around the stone is a solid and strong platinum setting. The band is hand carved in 18ct yellow gold. The result: Jenni's dream ring.

It was with great excitement that I handed Jenni's ring over to her husband the week before her birthday. She wasn't allowed to see the results until the actual day. Sure enough, at 8am on Jenni's birthday I received a text message with a single phrase, "It is just stunning, thank you so much!". A couple of days later, another text came through, "I have been staring at my ring for days now and am so happy, love it!!"

You are very welcome Jenni. Thank YOU for giving me the chance to work with that incredible stone and make your dream ring.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Gold and Diamond Blossom Earrings

Every now and then I do custom variations of the earrings in my Japonicity range. Last week was one such occasion when I received a request from Monica for a diamond-set pair of golden blossom studs as a gift for her mother.

These are the medium sized Spring Blossom Studs, but instead of being made from silver, they are solid 9ct yellow gold. As a gorgeous finishing touch, the usual ball of silver in the centre of each blossom is replaced by a sparkling 3 point, round, brilliant cut diamond.

Thanks Monica for asking me to make these. I hope your mother loves them. Such a lovely and thoughtful birthday gift!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Engagement of Derryn and Claudia

An old friend from my days at Charles Sturt University recently approached me to make an engagement ring for his sweetheart Claudia. I was stoked to hear from him, happy and in love. It thrills me when friends entrust me with such important jobs. And so the process of designing Claudia's engagement ring began!



Derryn with his girl Claudia (and Susie the dog).



We spent some time looking at rings together online. Most of them were solitaire diamonds, a few with small accent stones, but all in all, nothing too inspiring came up. Derryn insisted that whilst he didn't want anything too fussy, he did want something just a little bit different. So I suggested he take a look at different shaped stones. To my surprise, and delight, he came back to me with, "I like the pear".

I've been dreaming of this ring for quite some time. The perfect pear-shaped diamond surrounded by a halo of tiny round brilliant cut diamonds. This is Derryn and Claudia's ring.

The day that I handed the beautiful ring over to Derryn, he proposed. I got a text message from him that night with the words, "She said yes!". I haven't met Claudia yet, but Derryn tells me she loves her ring. And how could she not? After all, the man that loves her went to a lot of trouble to have this ring specially designed and handcrafted in secret so that he had that special piece with which to ask her to be his bride. What a surprise! Isn't that every girl's dream?

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Makers' Space

Hello readers. I'm sorry for being so quiet this month. My silence has been due to me missing out on a week of precious studio time whilst I nursed a cold. Since getting well again, I have been so busy catching up on my jewellery making that something had to give and that something, unfortunately, was my writing. Anyway, enough excuses, onwards and upwards!

I currently have work on display (and for sale) in a mini exhibition at the Museum of the Riverina Wagga Wagga. The fantastic program that my work is part of is called 'Makers' Space'. This exhibition changes seasonally and provides local and regional designer/makers with a unique opportunity to showcase their wares.

The current exhibition opened on Friday 18th May and runs through to Sunday August 5th. I am lucky to be sharing the space with textile designers Jemima Saunders from 'My Liefie' and Julie Gibbons from 'Tractor Girl'. I dropped in to see the exhibition last week and was thrilled to see how beautifully curated it is. Julie's chrysanthemum pillows exactly match my Ikebana pendant with the same imperial Japanese motif, and the flowers and leaves in both our work tie in with Jemima's bush-dyed, leaf-adorned clothing. The room is hung with autumn leaves, the perfect accompaniment to the botanically themed designs on show.

Here are a few snaps of the current Makers' Space.

If you're in the Wagga Wagga area, make sure you make the time to pop into the Museum of the Riverina or my favourite little art gallery (also a stockist of mine), The Paper Pear on Gurwood Street. I hope the people of the Riverina enjoy my work and that of the other Makers' Space artists.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Wrap-Up of May 2012

At the risk of sounding repetitive... Wow, I cannot believe May is over already! And what a jam-packed month it was for me.

On the work front, I have so many fabulous commissions! My clients really are the greatest people. Diamonds are the flavour of the month and I have a record number of impressive engagement rings on the go at the moment. I also have a little exhibition running in the Museum of the Riverina's "Makers' Space" Wagga Wagga. My exhibition runs until Sunday 5th August and I promise to do a blog post to tell you all about it soon.

This month saw my little blog discovered by the editor of Australia's 'Jewellers Trade Magazine' and in the June issue, one of my stories will be published. May also brought with it an invite to 'Bowerbird Bazaar, Adelaide's Design Market' and I am very much looking forward to my July trip over to South Australia.
My personal life was full of joy and excitement this month too. I successfully pulled off a surprise 30th birthday party for hubby. A swag of his school and work mates made the trip to town for the party which included a weekend of paintballing, delicious food and more than a few drinks. It was great to catch up with some old friends and now I can tick paintballing off the bucket list too.

I am continuing to take a photo every day with the 'Instagram' app (for those who want to play along, find me under user name the_jeweller). Compiling the photographs at the end of each month is a source of great enjoyment for me. Here is my May in photographs.

And finally, after countless hours of work, my bathroom IS FINISHED! *little happy dance* I will do the grand reveal here on my blog in the coming week.

So what is on the agenda for June? Work, work and more work. Yes, I know that this goes against my whole 'balanced work and personal life' ethos. But in saying that, I have A LOT to do. There are plenty of commissions to get on with and I desperately need to build up Japonicity's stock levels. I also need to work on continuing to keep clean and orderly living and working environments. Last but not least I am determined to shift some more of that excess weight. Amongst all of that work, I am sure I will find plenty of joy and I look forward to sharing it all with you. Bring on June!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Melt Down - Dorothy's Ring

I'm finding myself a little short of writing time at the moment! So, with the resolve to tell all sorts of new stories next month, here is one from last year. Those of you who 'like' my Kidson Jewellery facebook page will recognise this little tale from October 2011.

I seldom remember to take 'before' photos of the pieces that I remodel. I get so excited about the prospect of a new creation that I hastily cut out the stones, throw the gold into my crucible and melt it all down. Then later I find myself thinking, "Damn, I've done it again!". But this time, a request for the 'before' photo from the client helped me to remember (yay!).

Dorothy inherited some very special and sentimental rings and after much consideration decided to have them remodelled. She did not like the old fashioned style, high settings and yellow gold and knew that she would get much more enjoyment out of wearing the precious diamonds in a new white gold ring of her own style. So, here is what I had to work with - the 'before' photo.

Dorothy came to me with a collection of different pictures that she had gathered online. We sat down and discussed which features she liked from each of the images she had brought me. I then designed a unique ring using those features, and incorporating the collection of diamonds from her inheritance. Drumroll...... and here is the result - the 'after' photo.

This is one of my favourite remodelling results ever. I told her if she didn't like the ring, I was happy to keep it. But of course, she LOVES it! Thanks Dot, for giving me the opportunity to work with you and bring new life to these old diamonds. May they be enjoyed for many years to come.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The New Spin on an Old Favourite- Alexa's Washi Ring

Those who have been following my work for a long time will remember the Washi Rings. One of my earliest designs from when I started up my own business in 2008. This design was born from a desire to incorporate some beautiful Japanese papers with gorgeous natural gemstones and precious metals. After plenty of hours spent prototyping, I devised a way to encase the Japanese washi paper in acrylic. My technique is unique in that I do not use resin which oxidises silver and tends to yellow as it ages, and I do not use glass which can shatter when dropped. The acrylic has a mirror edge which creates beautiful reflections of the paper, and as it is not applied in a liquid form, it does not change the properties of the paper in any way. If the acrylic gets scratched it can easily be re-polished. And so the Washi Rings were born!

Three of my earliest rings in this style (pictured below) were selected for Contemporary Wearables; a biannual jewellery award and exhibition. Beginning in Toowoomba Queensland, the exhibition toured Australia in 2008/2009 with my three rings proudly on display.

Recently, I have been imagining a reinvention of the Washi Rings, creating interesting clusters of gemstones around the encased piece of paper. Then, along came the perfect client Alexa, who wanted a special Washi Ring made for her 30th birthday. I suggested that she come and take a look at my gem box for inspiration, and after some time spent playing with different combinations of gems we settled on two stones. A small round red garnet and a gorgeous pear-shaped green tourmaline.

I love this eclectic little combination and hope to launch a whole range of rings in a similar style soon. Maybe a spring collection? Oh, and happy 30th Alexa, I hope you are loving your new ring.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Re-Vamp

Whoops, where did the time go!? I did mention in my last post that I am very busy at the moment, but here we are a full week later and this is my first post since!

I have been working on lots of fantastic commissions, and finishing my bathroom renovations, but before I sit down for some serious writing hours to tell you all those stories, here is a little reinvention of some of my Japonicity earrings.

The Ikebana Collection consists of five Japanese floral motifs, each available in earrings, pendants and rings. My Chrysanthemum earrings and Geometric Chrysanthemum ring are personal favourites; a part of my everyday wardrobe. The Okinawa flower has been the most popular with clients, and my own sister and best friend each wear a pendant. Of all the designs though, the Geometric Chrysanthemum is the one that I have never been quite content with. I love it in a ring, but not as much in earrings and pendants. The solution... get out the drill and saw for a re-vamp. I have also rotated the piece by 45 degrees.


Original Design                                                                            Re-vamped Earrings



I'm looking forward to taking these to the markets and seeing how my clients react to the alterations! I hope you all like them as much as I do.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Japanese Tea Pot Prop

Those who follow my retail brand Japonicity will be familiar with the divine handmade Japanese tea set that I frequently use as a photography prop. It is a gorgeous ceramic teapot with four matching cups, a metal-like glaze and blue and white chrysanthemum decals. I purchased the set with some birthday money a couple of years ago and have been cherishing it ever since.

Over and over again, I have been asked if I might sell my tea set, but of course it is too precious for me to part with. Then, a few weeks ago, the most delightful thing occurred. I happened across a wholesaler with an amazing selection of Japanese ceramics, including tea sets just like mine!! So without delay, I signed up for an account and ordered in a beautiful selection of eight shiny new tea sets.

Yesterday my boxes from Japan arrived and it was like Christmas opening them up and ogling at the goodies within. Hand-crafted Japanese goodness! Beautiful smooth curves, Japanese floral patterns, crisp and white on the inside, dark and rustic on the outside, each piece with its own little quirks, oh how I adore thee!!

This week my studio is crazy busy, but next week I'll take some time to photograph the new goodies to put them up the Japonicity web site and facebook page with prices etc. It is definitely tea drinking weather here in Wagga Wagga, so I am sure they will quickly find new homes.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Fibonacci Cufflinks

A couple of months ago I made a pair of custom cufflinks featuring the Fibonacci spiral for Lynelle. She wanted a special gift for her mathematician husband Mark for their 20th wedding anniversary, and commissioned me to make the cufflinks which she had designed herself. Below is the perfect little set of instructions that Lynelle drew up for me, with an accurate description of exactly what she wanted made.

So I set to work handcrafting the precise little spirals from 18ct yellow gold and soldered each spiral to a sterling silver base. The cufflinks were then carefully finished off with contrasting surfaces- matte for the base and a high polish on the spirals. And here is the result!

But, the story doesn't end here; the real tale began after the cufflinks were complete! On the weekend before Lynelle and Mark's wedding anniversary, I was heading to Canberra's Old Bus Depot Markets where I had arranged for Lynelle to collect Mark's gift. I got up bright and early to hit the road only to find I was unable to go anywhere. You see, I live in Wagga Wagga and you may remember that we had quite a lot of flooding here in early March. Driving all around my suburb, I was shocked to realise that I was cut off by flood waters in every direction.

With no way for me to deliver the special gift on time, Lynelle hatched a plan to present Mark with a gift box containing a photograph of his new cufflinks. I emailed a picture through to her and she printed it off, wrapping it up inside of the velvet box that housed her precious 21st birthday pearls. On the morning of their anniversary, after being presented with his photograph, Mark dressed for work with the rolled up picture tucked mockingly into his cuffs, giving Lynelle a good laugh.

Earlier this week I received an email from Lynelle in which she said, "How ABSOLUTELY PERFECT the cufflinks are! Mark loves them and wears them at least once a week. He recently asked me to hand him some links as I was walking past his collection, and when I asked which ones he just said 'the best ones' - which, of course, I took to mean the Fibonacci!"

Thanks for being such good sports about that little delivery hitch and congratulations Lynelle and Mark on your twenty years of marriage. Here's to the next twenty!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Golden Guitar Plectrum

This unusual job came about when muso Chris came upon my stall at Canberra's Old Bus Depot Markets. Striking up a conversation about gold and silversmithing with Japonicity staff member Caitlin, he asked if it was possible to melt down some gold rings to be formed into a guitar plectrum. The answer, "Of course!"

Caitlin ran the idea by me and I was immediately interested. Chris was not necessarily after a pick to play music with, more an object to hold (kind of like a worry stone). The gold he had for me to use was from his parents' wedding rings. He felt a sentimental attachment to the rings, but not being a jewellery wearer himself, he wanted to give them new life in an object that would be significant to him.

I love the shape of the little plectrum that Chris gave me to copy. The smooth curves of the surface feel so good to hold and caress. What a beautiful way to bring new life to some old jewellery. It would make a beautiful pendant or charm too. Maybe it will be turned back into jewellery in its next incarnation.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Engagement of Brett and Lou

I recently had the pleasure of handcrafting this classic solitaire ring for a gorgeous couple, Brett and Lou.  The half round band in 18ct yellow gold is slightly tapered towards the top. A four corner claw setting in 18ct white gold holds the internally flawless princess cut diamond. The setting is architecturally inspired. Sweeping curves meet strong, straight lines.

The lucky bride-to-be is enjoying her dream ring, with almost a carat of sparkling perfection in a simple and timeless design. Congratulations Brett and Lou, I look forward to making your wedding rings in the future!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The First Birthday Bracelet for Baby Annie

I was recently asked to design and make a silver bracelet for a friend's daughter as a first birthday gift. The brief was to include the little girl's name- Annie, the birth stone for April- diamond, a message from her parents- "Love Mum and Dad", and the year- 2012.

After some consideration, I decided to make a little cluster of charms on a simple, oval link bracelet. The largest charm is a silver disc with Annie hand-stamped into the front and the message from her parents engraved onto the back. To this charm, I added a second disc with 1 stamped into the front and 2012 engraved on the back. Finally a little diamond-set blossom to complete the thoughtful gift.

Last week Annie's mum Carissa sent me some photos from Annie's first birthday. I love the little glimpses of her new bracelet on her wrist! A unique and personal gift. I do hope Annie treasures her bracelet for a lifetime.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Wrap-Up of April 2012

Now where did April go!? If I didn't have thirty photographs to prove that I lived through it, I would swear that I went to sleep some time around the start of the month and when I woke up it was over! Well regardless of how quickly April disappeared, here we are again at that time of the month where I reflect upon my progress of all the goals I set in my first ever blog post "New Year, New Resolutions, New Blog!"

So how's that balance between personal and professional life going? Very heavily weighted on the personal life side of things really. A fabulous change from my stressed out, work consumed 2011. I have been very focused on getting myself healthy again after being knocked down by a recurring virus and spinal problems. I was also lucky enough to spend time with some of my nearest and dearest family and friends; enjoying my grandmother's 90th birthday party and meeting the baby daughter of a close friend. I must say, this baby girl, my very own namesake, has to be the highlight of my year so far! But, all this personal time is leaving me feeling rather guilty about the lack of jewellery work being done in my studio over the last few weeks. I am well and truly due for some serious bench time.

I'm still loving taking my daily photograph in "Instagram" (to follow, download from the App Store and search for me under user name the_jeweller). It really does help me to focus on life's smaller pleasures. Here is my April in photographs.

May is set to be an exciting month! Several of my good friends have birthdays and my husband is turning 30. I have a big surprise planned for him, but my lips are sealed (wouldn't want to risk pulling off a big surprise by blogging about the details). I'm going to finish the grand clean-up of my home and workshop and hopefully this month will see my new bathroom finished too (still waiting on that vanity). With my back improving every day, I'm determined to return to my weight loss program and shift a few more kilos. On the work front, I have new collections in the pipe-line, lots of fabulous commissions and even a small exhibition coming up! Bring on May.

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Facebook Ring Experiment

I was recently approached by London jewellery designer Andrew Geoghegan to spread the word about a very interesting experiment that he is running at the moment. I had a look at his fantastic work and decided it was definitely worth sharing.

He is designing a ring in partnership with his facebook likers. Each week, Andrew asks a question regarding a different aspect of the ring design. A series of options are presented, allowing the audience to vote on the decision.

http://www.facebook.com/andrewgeogheganjewellery/app_197602066931325

Follow the link above for a funny little video about the "Facebook Ring Competition". The experiment is about one third of the way through, but it's never too late to join in. Oh I can't wait to see what the people choose!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Jeweller in Arabia Part Three- Being a Tourist

In my earlier blog post "The Jeweller in Arabia", I shared with you the experience of the Dubai Gold Souk and seeing the world's largest gold ring. Then in "The Jeweller in Arabia Part Two- Pattern Inspiration" I showed you some of the inspiring Islamic patterns that I discovered in the UAE, which are bound to influence my future work. Everything I do seems to somehow relate back to my profession as a jeweller and whilst I did spend a lot of my holiday gawping at the scenery and contemplating how it may influence my work in some way, it was a holiday and I did do my fair share of touristy stuff. Today's post is a rather non-jewellery one, with some pretty tourist pictures of my holiday in the United Arab Emirates.

So, other than thinking jewellery, what did I get up to during my time in Arabia? Well, I lazed by the pool with a book, walked along the beach, and shopped 'til I dropped, of course! I ate in fine restaurants and street side cafes, discovering a new obsession with fresh hummus and chocolate covered dates. I toured Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque and learnt about the Emirati culture and religion. I shopped in the souks and world famous malls with their indoor ski slopes and giant aquariums. I scaled Burj Khalifa, the world's highest building, and had a drink at the Atlantis Hotel on a giant man-made island in the shape of a palm tree. I explored the desert, rode a camel and had a close encounter with a peregrine falcon. I watched the musical fountains and marvelled at the city lights by night with a drink in hand and a smile a mile wide. All in the company of my fabulous friend and personal tour guide Mike who is living and working in Dubai. I'm sure I could go on, but I'll let my pictures do the talking. Here is a selection of some of my favourite snaps from Arabia.

Yes, it truly was an amazing holiday. Enough bragging from me today. More adventures, and plenty of jewellery stories from me soon.
Thanks for reading!

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Jeweller in Arabia Part Two- Pattern Inspiration

So, as previously mentioned, I have recently returned from a trip to the United Arab Emirates. As a child I loved the Disney film 'Aladdin', watching the video over and over again. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to find myself amongst a real life Arabian paradise. Apart from being safe, immaculately clean and loads of fun, everything in Dubai is just BEAUTIFUL! The attention to detail is beyond anything I have ever seen. Artworks of geometric patterns adorn the facades of buildings, bridges and street lamps. Everywhere I looked there was something to be admired, photographs waiting to be taken. Here is a montage that I have created to show you some of these beautiful embellishments.

My new found love for Islamic art is the perfect inspiration for a new jewellery range. The ideas are flowing in thick and fast. But first, I need to catch up on all the work I put off over the last couple of months! So off to the workbench I go. More tales soon. :-)

Love from The Jeweller. xx

The Confession

It has been almost two weeks since my last blog post; a far cry from my commitment of telling a tale every third day. The Kidson Jewellery and Japonicity facebook pages have been unusually quiet too. I'm starting to receive some of those "Where have you gone?" and "Why so quiet, are you ok?" kind of messages. So here is my confession- I have been sick, tired, sulky and yes, I'm not afraid to admit it, even just a bit lazy!

At first it was jet lag and an unhappy belly from airsickness on a long flight. Then a virus (probably picked up on the airplane) kicked in a few days later. Just as I thought I was getting better, round two hit and the body aches, fever and mucus *cringe* started all over again. Combine that with an excruciatingly sore back (newly diagnosed scoliosis and bulged disc, yep, I've been in a world of pain!) and post-holiday-blues. Well, I'm sure you get the point; I have been one miserable jeweller for the past few weeks.

But enough of the whingeing and excuses, I am picking myself up off the floor and jumping back into life. I have spent the last week travelling around visiting some of my fabulous friends and family and am feeling back on top of the world. I have lots of exciting things to make for my beautiful clients and stories aplenty to tell you of my recent adventures.

Here's to getting out of the rut and back into the swing of things!

Love from The Jeweller. xx