new collection: PEARL TRAPS
I have never felt comfortable drilling and glueing pearls as a means of fastening them into jewellery. My approach instead employs my signature riveted technique to capture individual Keshi pearls in precisely sculpted metal ‘traps’, thus leaving each precious specimen intact and unadulterated.
The PEARL TRAP set features South Sea Keshi pearls from Cygnet Bay, located on the north-west coast of Australia. Unlike spherical ‘seeded’ pearls, Keshi pearls are a by-product of cultured pearling, often the result of an unsuccessful seeding. They therefore have no nucleus (seed) and grow into unique organic shapes made entirely of solid nacre, giving them an exquisite lustre. “They are the closest thing to a natural pearl and their relative rarity and often superior lustre can make them more valuable than their nucleated counterparts all other virtues equal.”[i] For me these pearls are often reminiscent of cloud forms, each one unique, lending themselves perfectly to my particular ‘setting’ technique.
“The minimalist design made possible by this construction method, allows for each lustrous cloud to float as if suspended within a single beam of gold.”
Each piece in the set is made from two gold halves with a section that perfectly matches the contours of the pearl’s uneven outer surface. Once all three parts are in position and the rivets are fastened in place, the pearl literally becomes ‘trapped’.
[i] https://www.cygnetbaypearlfarm.com.au/our-story/pearls-of-wisdom/what-are-pearls-and-where-do-they-come-from/
The PEARL TRAP collection is available from Courtesy of the Artist in store and online.