Designing American Jewelry

This sensational design book showcases America’s most gorgeous and inventive art jewelry! For over a decade, the elite invitation-only American Jewelry Design Council (AJDC) has sponsored an annual project: every member creates an original piece based on a given theme. With imagination and skill, jewelers have tackled such concepts as the Mona Lisa, Wheel, Key, Puzzle, Water, Flight, Peekaboo, Sphere, Pyramid, and Secret Treasure. Each of these topics now becomes a dramatically photographed chapter, complete with illuminating introductions by renowned jewelry writers Cindy Edelstein and Frank Stankus. In addition to background information on the AJDC, and the story of the annual design event, artists’ commentaries enhance specific images. A final members’ section includes a biography, headshot, and additional jewelry images for each talented individual.

The Phenomenon of Studio Goldsmithing When the history of art in the 1980s is written, much of it will be etched in gold. This is the time of the contemporary goldsmith, an artist who chooses to work in precious metals rather than oils or marble. The contemporary jeweler-as-artist has only recently become a re cognized force. With rare exceptions, the whole field is little more than thirty years old. But it is only within the past fifteen years that these jewelers have entered the jewelry mainstream. The phenomenon of contemporary goldsmithing embraces an eclectic group of artists, each with a unique vision, each taking a per sonal path to jewelry producing. They have as little relationship to the typical, mass-produced jewelry as a champagne maker has to a bottler of orange soda. They approach a piece of art, not a piece of metal. The work is personal and a perfect expression of the "back to the land" movement that spawned it. Many of these goldsmiths were looking not merely for a way to make a living but for a way to make a life that was worthy of living. Running a business while trying to remain a creative metalsmith at the same time is the ongoing challenge. The jeweler-artists have solved or resolved these often conflicting needs in slightly different ways and in a beautiful variety of techniques and styles. Their meth ods, their growth, and their work are discussed here.

Designing American Jewelry: From City Rhythms to Western Dreams is both personal memoir and compelling catalogue showcasing the life's work of the award-winning fine jewelry designer, Ellie Thompson. The book describes her vision as a contemporary American designer, including why jewelry matters, as well as the sense of meaning and connection it confers on those who wear it. From her humble beginnings as a teenage shop girl in New Haven, CT, Thompson tells the tale of her career as a highly regarded gemologist and designer in Chicago and beyond. Designing American Jewelry highlights the myriad inspirations for her work, reflects on the influence of people and places along the way, and is a testament to living a life of curiosity. The beautifully designed book includes more than 150 color photographs illustrating this remarkable American designer's quarter century of design, ambition, and resilience.

The dramatic evolution of 20th century European jewelry design, documenting the innovative trends, sources, and makers. Artists' limited-edition creations, as well as fashion and costume jewelry, are explored through the well-researched text, over 700 wonderful photos and vintage prints. Biographical sketches are provided for the artists and couturiers who worked closely with the fashion designers.

The popular 500 series takes its hippest, most fun approach yet, with an intoxicatingly vibrant and technically diverse collection of contemporary jewelry. Sloan has put together a survey of the best work being done with this thoroughly modern material.

Basics Fashion Design 10: Jewellery Design is an introduction to the world of jewellery. It explores how inspiration and research can be used to build a jewellery collection. It provides a brief overview of how the design process evolves, and demonstrates that even on a limited budget it is possible to carve out a niche in this exciting genre. Each chapter includes interviews with some of the world's most famous jewellery designers, giving an insight into the creative process and exploring their brands. Projects and case studies ensure that students are given a practical and inspirational introduction to the world of jewellery design.

During colonial times, early Dutch settlers, many of whom were experienced in pewter and silver, immigrated to New England. The actual birth of the U.S. costume jewelry industry is said to have occurred in 1794, when Nehemiah Dodge, a goldsmith and watch repairer in Providence, Rhode Island, developed a method for plating base metal with gold. He patented processes to make quality gold jewelry of less than 18K which was the standard at that time. It is he who is given credit for the commencement of costume jewelry production. By 1810, one hundred workers were employed by jewelry manufacturers in Rhode Island. Small businesses were developing throughout southern New England. As the turn of the century approached, skilled jewelry craftsmen were being replaced by machinery. Production and labor became more specialized. Instead of just "jewelers," there were toolmakers, die cutters, and machine operators. Production was broken down into electroplating, enameling, engraving, chasing, die sinking and lapidary work. Mass production of jewelry had begun in Rhode Island. To this day, American jewelry manufacturing has remained an industry comprised of small businesses, most of them in the northeastern portion of the United States with the costume jewelry manufacturing mostly concentrated in Rhode Island. There has, however, been some shift to California, Texas, Florida and South Dakota. In recent years the jewelry industry has been affected by substantial consolidation with the development of national chains. This is due in part to the development of enclosed shopping malls, competition from department stores, catalog showrooms and television shopping networks. In addition, suffering from high rent costs in shopping malls, jewelry retailers are reducing their overhead by skipping the middlemen and purchasing their inventory directly.