Jewelry is and has always been a magnet for men and women. It has a magical allure that is hard to resist. The finishednecklace, earring or ring makes sense to most people because what it demands of the individual is simply to put it on and just enjoy it, the beauty of the materials and how it feels on our bodies.
I am sure that part of the allure of jewelry is how it gets made. It is mysterious to most of us because the tools, the design, the putting together of all the parts has and always will be the territory of the expert. The scale is very small and precise, the materials precious and valuable, and because jewelry lasts for generations to enjoy.
Like all professions the jeweler’s art evolves. Design has been and always will be a consequence of lots of time invested in looking, drawing and painting. There is no substitute for the maturation of the artist than through blood, sweat and tears.
The craft of the jeweler has its own distinct path and is equally demanding because it’s aim is always towards greater refinement and mastery over materials. Like all industries, technology has been a great asset to the jeweler. It has sped up the ability to create difficult, time consuming objects. But there is no replacement to the last stages of creation and the hand finishing required to make sure parts fit precisely and that the luster of stone and metal are to perfection. That is the mark of a well made piece of jewelry because it is beautiful and made to last.
The earrings are a perfect balance between beautiful design, advanced technology and hand finishing. The wings and bodies of the bee and butterfly were thought out first with pencil and paint in hand. There is no replacement for working out an idea on paper before redrawing it intocomputer aided design software or CAD. Once the design is worked out in CAD, the precision and symmetry is near perfect. The CAD design is thenprogrammed into a computer numericallycontrolled cutting machineor CNC, which for example cuts the wax for the cast metal bodies, and which cuts the mother of pearl wings. Like with any tool, its precision helps towards the realization of the beautifully hand finished piece of jewelry for generations to treasure and enjoy.