Final Bracelet

This is the bracelet that represents the design process that I have been working through over the last two weeks.

Sterling Silver Bracelet with granule details

Final Design and Pieces

From my prototypes I moved on to finalizing my designs and making them in first Gilding metal wire to get proportions right and then finally in Sterling Silver wire. 

This process has been very trying as I have had to constantly stop myself from just jumping to the end product without playing around and trying new things. But I am so excited about the pieces that I got as my end result. I see now that it can be beneficial to the design process to try new ways of coming up with designs, not just sitting down , drawing a piece and then making it.

Bracelet, Sterling Silver wire and granules  

Bracelet, Sterling Silver wire and granules  

Pendant, Sterling Silver Wire and Granules 

Prototypes

After working with the Art Nouvea patterns, I isolated an element which I felt kept reoccurring in my drawings. This element is a tear drop shape. I then took galvanized wire to make this shape and from there I played around with making prototype pieces of jewellery.
When I found a shape that I liked, I then made the some of the pieces in Gilding metal to work on my proportions and to get a further understanding before making the final piece.

Bracelets made from the galvanized wire 

Ring made with Galvanized wire and one of the practice pieces I made with silver plate and granules. 

Ring prototypes made from Gilding metal. 

   

Art Nouveau

In conjunction with my 3 Jewelers, I looked at Art Nouveau patterns as my secondary references in order to start designing my piece of jewellery. I chose Art Nouveau patterns for two reasons. Firstly I was drawn to their use of symmetry while still using organic motifs and shapes. Secondly because of their complexity and how much is going on at once, which is very similar to what I find around me. My room, my house, my work bench is very cluttered and has a lot going on, but in way that still looks attractive, and this is how I see the Art Nouveau patterns. 

From these patterns I then started to create my own designs on both paper and on Rhinoceros.

These are two of the patterns that I used as references. 

Some of the Drawings that I on paper. 

Drawing I did on Rhino 

Working with Granules

After playing around with granulation, I decided that calling it granulation was an insult to the years of practice that it takes to master the technique. While what I was doing is a from of granulation, it was not even close to the intricate nature of granulation in the pieces of jewellery I had been looking at. So from here on, I'm going to refer to my work with granules as decorative granule work.   

Pictured below are two more pictures for the practice pieces I did while trying to figure out the technique.

Soldering granules together.

Soldering granules in a pattern or border on plate. 

A simple Silver stack rings with Granule details 

Figuring Out Granulation 

After observing the 3 jewellers in my previous 3 blog posts, I wanted to play around with a technique which all three incorporated into their work, which is granulation. I don't have any experience with granulation so I did some research on the internet, looked up information in the library and asked lecturers and other jewellers if they had any advice or techniques that would help me. What I have done so far is very basic but by playing around, I have learnt a lot. 

For the granules I found that using a charcoal block was the best option as I was able to drill holes to the right size or the granules and melt the ball to be completely round.
 On a regular soldering block the granules were flat on the one side.

I tried 3 methods of soldering the granules on:
1) Flooding the balls with solder and then using a very watered down mix of wood glue, then heated the piece evenly until soldered
2) Drilling slight divots with a ball-burr slightly smaller than the granules, flooding the divots with solder then placing the granules in the divots and heating the piece up evenly until solders.
3) Simply placing the granules on the surface after covering with solder and carefully solder

I found that the best method was the 2nd one. 

  

Emma Habbeshon

Emma Habbeshon is a contemporary jewellery designer whose jewellery walks the unique and elegant line between geometric and organic forms. Habbeshon is inspired by the hidden geometry in nature and plays with different forms and texture in order to create sculptural, contemporary jewellery. She mainly uses Sterling silver combined with precious and semi precious gem stones.  

I absolutely love Habbeshons jewellery. I think that the balance of geometric and organic forms is executed so well and the jewellery that she produces is striking, elegant and unique in so many ways. As a Jewellery student trying to find my own style, seeing jewellery such as this inspires me to think about jewellery in a new light. One does not need to stick to certain aspects of design, you can combine and experiment with many different looks in order to create something beautiful. 

Pictured below are only a handful of Habbeshons beautiful creations. 

Morphology Brooch II 
Double Pin Brooch, Sterling Silver, partly oxidized, Labradorite Cabochons

Morphology Ring 
Sterling Silver, Hexagonal cut London Blue Topaz, 22ct gold plated granules 

Morphology Necklace
Sterling Silver, Labradorite Cabochons,

Yen Jewellery 

Yen Jewellery is jewellery created by Yen Duong. Duong aims at designing jewellery which has elements of "movement, articulation and fluidity". Yen Jewellery was started in 1995 and Duong says that the key to staying creative and contemporary is extensive experimenting and recreation. 

What I like about Duongs jewellery, much like Hannah Bedfords jewellery, is the organic nature that the granulation creates in her pieces. I also love how, even though they are not traditional designs, they are still elegant. it excites me when I see jewellery that takes a fresh approach, not just sticking to the usual traditional, geometric and symmetrical designs. 

  

Yen Jewellery
Enchantmen Special Ring
18ct white gold, 4mm and 3mm diamond

Yen Jewellery 
Enchantment Black Diamond Cluster
18ct gold, 3mm black diamond

More About Hannah Bedford 

Hannah Bedford creates beautiful bespoke pieces of jewellery which utilize the traditional method of granulation. Bedford draws inspiration from the natural pattern that she observes in nature. Beford graduated from Birmingham School of Jewellery in 2004 and since has had her jewellery exhibited both nationally (UK) and internationally.

 I especially like her work and  love the balance between its organic nature and its traditional look. Another aspect of her work that appeals to me is how she uses the granulation to create unique settings. Bedford also uses different metals together as well as oxidization in order to create contrast and to enhance the texture of the granulation even more.

Pictured below are two of my favourite pieces from Bedfords collection.

Graunule ring - oxidised 

Granule ring with a scattering of 18ct yellow granules

Diamond ring set 
Cluster diamond ring with crown wedding band, set with diamonds in 18ct white and yellow gold

Berry necklace
 Silver necklace, comprised of granulated discs of fine silver granules

£500

Hannah Bedford 

Hannah Beford makes beautiful jewellery which main feature is granulation.
 She uses silver and gold as well as oxidization in order to create colour contrast.

Hannah Bedford
Granule Rings