» Listings for 2014

1. New Designers - At The Business Design Centre 2014

   Posted on 10:00am Tuesday 1st Jul 2014

   On Wednesday after a very hectic press day the Nude team headed to New Designers at The Business Design Centre in Islington. Here is our pick of some of the best new jewellery talent....

   At Nude Jewellery we love unusual engagement rings and looking for new concepts and techniques using gemstones. We discovered Lindsay Hill at new designers and were drawn in by her bold symmetrical structures with contrasting emerald gemstones. She is currently exploring the use of kinetic settings which pushes the boundaries from the role of the traditional stone setting techniques.

   Joanna Bury's eclectic range of bold statement pieces caught our eyes. inspired by modern urban culture; patterns within the asian cultures and tattooing, Joanna's jewellery has alluring tribal patterns etched out of metal and perspex. She enjoys the way the pattern could be projected onto the skin through reflection, light or shadow creating a removable tattoo. I had to drag Nikki away from trying on her pieces as we only had 20 minutes to see the rest of the exhibition!

   We came across Stefanie Cheong and her beautiful jewellery collection in the 'One Year On' area of new designers, she was very passionate and loved explaining her work to us. In her current collection she uses natural resources and objects found in Scotland, then using different techniques such as electroforming, patination and stone cutting transforms the raw materials into wearable jewellery. She feels strongly about using materials that are not harmful to the environment or the lives of others and ensures she uses eco silver and gold. Stefanie's ethos is 'Anything can be a jewel'

   Joy Bonfield's jewellery is a mix of classic and contemporary. She sculpts the human figure or head and then deconstructs and distorts parts. 'I am inspired by the progressive disfigurement of classical sculptures. Over time these bodies lose heads, limbs or torsos, yet retain their attraction, the absence of parts completing a fuller picture of the human form in the mind’s eye.' She challenges the functionality of sculpture and the wearability of jewellery with this beautifully sculptural handcrafted modern collection.

   Monique Daniels jewellery is sharp and sophisticated, Geometric shapes layer up to create a kinetic illusion. Each piece is made with precision and combines modern and fine jewellery techniques. "Linear framing and geometric structures provide the foundation of my inspiration, drawing upon the mathematical qualities of polyhedrons, the latest collection named ‘Polyhedra’ translates as ‘many-surfaces’ focusing on layering and repetition of angles and interlocking radial lines within octagons and triangles."

    

   Colourful and tactile Kelly Munro's sterling silver, wood and mixed material jewellery brightened up our day. Each piece has a slightly different colour scheme and the customer can customize their necklace to whatever colour they desire, the burnt patternation creates a bold statement. Kelly is inspired by her homeland of Scotland where she is from a town that is well know for its fishing history, she draws inspiration from the abandon ports and lobster pots.     With only a short amount of time to look around the exhibition we were overwhelmed with the vast amount of new talent and hope to be showcasing some of these collections in the near future.

2. Fathers Day Competition

   Posted on 4:38pm Friday 30th May 2014

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

3. The History of the Pearl

   Posted on 3:05pm Thursday 22nd May 2014

   History of The Pearl The pearl is a very important part of jewellery history, it was used before any gemstone due to it being fairly easily come by, unlike gemstones which were discovered when mined. There is no definite record of when pearls were first discovered, they were most probably found by ancient civilizations diving in search of food and the soft iridescence caught their eye.   The Pandyan Dynasty from South India (pre Christian era) was thought to be the first people to use the pearl, they controlled the fishing areas of many bays off South India and produced the finest pearls. This discovery was made because shell middens which are underground mounds of shells that are formed when pre-historic stone age men discard the shells of molluscs and oysters and were found along the bays of Sri-Lanka. The enormous mounds form solid base which then encouraged human settlements. I came across these shell middens when I visited south Africa below is an example.
   In ancient Rome pearls were a symbol of high status and were worn by the very wealthy. Chinese records indicate that pearls were cherished possessions within royalty, this is also true in ancient Rome as their has been many pearls found buried with royalty. An old fable involving the early queen of Egypt Cleopatra and Roman leader Mark Anthony reveals the importance of the pearl in royalty.       In the year 41 B.C Anthony invited Cleopatra for a banquet at Tarsus, Cleopatra challenged Anthony that she could give the most expensive meal ever provided with only a vessel of sour wine (vinegar). Anthony was perplexed when Cleopatra removed one of her pearl earrings and dropped it into the vinegar. The expensive pearl dissolved in the acidic solution, Cleopatra drank the goblet worth more than any meal in history and won the bet.
   		Cultured pearls are produced on oyster farms. The oysters are hung on ropes into the water, sometimes in baskets to stop predators like tiger fish and sea-turtles. They are anchored using concrete blocks. The next step is called seeding, this process involved prizing open the oyster and placing an irritant which is usually a small worm which is contrary to popular belief that a grain of sand is used. The oyster produces a nacre which creates the pearl, after the oyster produces a pearl is is usually sacrificed and eaten in the community because it will never produce a pearl as shiny as its first. To breed new oysters the farmers collect spat or commonly known as lava from around the area the oysters are kept.     image courtesy of http://www.tahiti-pearl-online.com/Pearls-of-Tahiti/pearl-farm.html
   Pearl farm in Tahaa
   Symbolism of the Pearl   In Hindu culture, pearls were associated with the Moon and were symbols of love and purity One of the most common beliefs about the power of the pearl is its association with life. People believed pearls changed depending on the health of its wearer: the gem clouded if the wearer fell sick, and lost its lustre completely if the wearer died. Early Chinese scholars believed pearls had vital powers and have the power to prevent forest fires. Tales were told of pearls so luminous they could cook rice and could be seen from thousands of yards or even several miles away.     Tibetan monks were said to have a "seduction pearl" that would cause any woman caught in its rays to become ravenous for love. In Wales, the Celts believed pearls have incredible life-giving powers. They decorated sacred vessels known as the Mother-Pots, they believed it would contaminate the water contained by the vessel with its special powers. Pearls are used as a metaphor for love and beauty. Being an expression of love, the pearl became a euphemism for the clitoris in Victorian times, recalling its place at Aphrodite's pearly gate.   Pearl Facts and what to look for Imitation Pearls: Good imitations are made from beads of glass, ceramic or shell and coated with a varnish of lacquer and ground fish scales to mimic the pearl surface. Well made imitations can be quite hard to spot. One way is the 'tooth test'. Gently rub the pearl under the cutting edge of your top front teeth. Don't bite it. Real pearl should feel slightly gritty due to it's crystalline structure. An imitation pearl will feel smooth. This is not an infallible test.       View Our Pearl Collection at Nude Jewellery