Clever and creative inspirations for silver jewellery
By Bianca Mangion
Clever, creative silver jewellery designers draw on their own
experiences and perceptions to create designs with a little
personality. BIANCA MANION spoke to a few designers about their
inspiration.
With silver enjoying added popularity in the face of high gold prices and tough economic times, designers are giving the metal new life, impressing consumers with a plethora of ideas that are usually reserved for the premium metals.
Yet, no matter how many different styles they create, it all counts for nought if brands don’t find ways to involve the consumer on a personal level. According to Sybella Morris, managing director, Sybella Jewellery, this often requires designers to examine their own lives and inject a little piece of themselves into their designs.
“At Sybella Jewellery, our ethos is to design and produce jewellery collections that I myself would want to wear,” she says. “If I don’t feel passionate about wearing my own designs, then how can I expect others to appreciate my collection?”
Renee Blackwell, managing director and head designer of her eponymous manufacturing business, also draws on her personal experiences to inform her designs.
“As always, my inspiration comes from my travels,” she says. “Making the most of the trips I take to meet new stone-cutters, gem dealers and attend antique and vintage shows is always on the top of my priority list. I feel this keeps my designing ‘eye’ constantly fresh and open to new inspiration, colours and design possibilities.”
Other brands to draw from their environment include Sueno by RJ Scanlan, which is mostly inspired by nature, according to general manager Stephen Brown.
“The July release is inspired by such things as the conical shape of a wave breaking, water droplets and leaves,” he says. “Sueno’s natural design inspirations are a reflection of the value society places on all things ecological like climate change and nature in general.”
Magnolia designers also allow their surrounds to influence their new designs, according to Nati Harpaz, CEO Australia, Magnolia Silver Jewellery: “We all encounter thousands of moments and images every day. Some elicit a reaction, some rivet our attention, some get stored within our memory, yet majority of them merely pass before our eyes, remaining insignificant. Such images, like fallen leaves, the undulation of the sea’s waves in a strong wind, even the geometric shape of various objects are the source of inspiration for our jewellery. With a team of 25 designers located around the world, inspiration can be found anywhere.”
Being aware of one’s surroundings is one thing, delving into the depths of one’s mind to uncover old memories and fantasies is another. Najo’s Fairytale Collection features pieces that evoke the same emotions as fairytales – joy, wonder, awe, curiosity, fear.
Najo director Jo Tory says she hopes the jewels spark imagination and take the wearer away from the ordinary and mundane.
“Fairytales evoke the emotions of childhood, when fantasy was real and dreams could come true,” she explains. “Fairytales create a world of whimsical make-believe and a world of fear filled with sinister characters and shadowy threat. Perhaps it’s part of a retreat to fantasy, which seems to be a natural human reaction during tough times.”
Or perhaps that’s what everyone loves about jewellery design: that it allows consumers that momentary escape from the grinding pace and reality of their busy lives. Those retailers who construct their own stories to share with shoppers will certainly real the benefits in sterling silver sales this season.
Posted August 01, 2009