Is it a spoon, or is it a ring??

This week I thought I’d tell you a story about a piece I’m working on for my mom. It’s a nostalgia thing. It’s part of a common trend of using cutlery for jewellery, so it’s not particularly original, but it is a nice story, and I’ve been playing with AI photo processing again.

This sterling silver teaspoon (or, if you’re my mom, it’s a demitasse spoon) is one of half a dozen that was a wedding gift when my parents got married. Mom swears that this particular spoon is exactly the one she used to use to feed me, and then some time later, my brother. So, she decided since we don’t really use them IRL, that she thought it would be great to have a ring. She saw a video somewhere of what she wanted, so, armed with my orders, I made a start.

So, I decided it was a fun idea and wanted one for myself. I flattened the bowl and I reshaped it, I thought it was a bit too big over my finger and then I started bending it. It’s not finished yet, and the other one won’t quite look like this - my mom has a bigger ring size than me, and she wanted a particular design. But I think it will serve it’s purpose - it will provoke memory in both of us every time we look at them! I’ll share a pic when they’re properly finished.

Networks, Immunity, and Vaccination, oh my!

You may remember that I exhibited last year at Science Rendezvous, at University of Toronto, as part of their SciArt Gallery. I had a blast! It was so fun meeting loads of the public, and talking about my work, and finding new people to geek out with about science and immunology, it was awesome. I also met a load of other fascinating sciartists and enjoyed their art. So, I am excited about exhibiting again this year, on May 11th, in a slightly new venue.

You might already know about this, but if not, Science Rendezvous is a fun, familty-friendly day out with lots of STEAM-related activities and exhibitions, including a Science Fair, a Science Chase (a science experiment obstacle course, how cool is that), something called SR Hacks (a coding and engineering competition), and, of course, the SciArt Gallery - which is where you'll find me! 

Whenever I do an exhibition or a show, I try to have new and fresh work. This year, I’m hoping to share the collaboration I did with Carolina Reis last year (you can read about it in the blog I wrote), along with the artisti writeup about the piece, called IMMUNITY, and the story of how it came about. Alongside the art piece, I made a series of mixed media jewellery. I hope that mahy will see it and experience it. If you miss it next Saturday, it will take up residence in the windows along Roncevalles at the Jewel Envy Studio for a while.

New custom T bar pendant

I love it when people buy my stuff (seriously, the validation of someone actually wanting to own something that I made really never gets old— thank you so much to all the people out there that own a little piece of my creativity!). But, as I’ve said before, I like to do custom work too. I had a recent order that sort of combined both — a piece that I designed as part of my ongoing obsession with all things immunity, but in a bespoke combination!

Here it is: my sterling silver T bar pendant on a string of beautiful garnet beads with garnet needled felt, with a special flower motif.

It's the Season! Come be festive with me!

While I’m busy making away in the studio (both in Roncy, and my home textile station), it is the season of good cheer, and I’m feeling it this year, in a way I haven’t in years!

Proof of Christmas in my heart this December :)

If you’re at loose ends tomorrow, come join us at the Jewel Envy studio in Roncy for some festive cheer! That’s right! Friday December 8th, 2023 from 5pm-10pm, a gaggle of goldsmiths (including Moi) will be ready to greet you at Jewel Envy to partake in some cheer, treats, and gemstone surprises as we celebrate another year in business making gorgeous jewellery for all of you. I’m really looking forward to some of the activities, myself! There will be drinks, nibbles, and lots of fun. Please RSVP via the button so we can cater properly! (After all, we wouldn’t want to run out of * gasp * refreshments!) See you there!

I love a good story!

I love doing custom work with a good story behind it. It’s indescribable the joy I can get from helping someone realize a vision (even one they didn’t have), while salvaging sentimental bits. The client for this project came in with a broken engagement ring, that had been sitting in a drawer for many years (it had cracked down the sizing join). She decided it was high time to have it re-done. She also had a number of different rings from her parents and grandparents, including a number of other diamonds, in addition to the lovely trillion garnet in the original ring. After some back and forth, we settled on a spectacular statement ring, incorporating all the diamonds and the trillion garnet, as well as bits of gold from all the rings that were very sentimental for her (including the original engagement ring!). The rest of the gold was refined from broken bits that she had rolling around her jewellery box.

All the rings that contributed old gold to the new ring! It was a bit of a mishmash of different karat weights!

We settled eventually on a design of a Faerie Leaf Crown, of oak and ivy leaves— this totally suits the client’s pagan sensibitilites!

Once the carving was done, I cast the ring in two pieces - the base ring and the crown.

Here they are, fresh out of the casting flask!

Then it was just clean up, joining the two, and getting the stones set. The final ring was amazing, and the client loved it!

Here it is on her finger :)

Here’s a closer view, there are some small diamonds nestled into the leaves at the sides!

Got stuff rolling around the bottom of your jewellery box that you can’t part with, but wish you wanted to wear more? Send me an email and let’s talk about what can be done! this ring was almost entirely paid for with the sale of old metal that the client had hanging around.

New Retail Outlet!!

I’m very pleased to announce that you can see my work (in person!) at the Craft Ontario Shop on Queen Street West.

If you don’t know about Craft Ontario, they’re a not-for-profit organisation that supports craft across Ontario. Part of this is through the Craft Ontario Shop. They are fantastic promoter of professional craft, and it’s a bit of a milestone for me, as an artist, to have them take my work for sale. If you haven’t been there before, they have a fantastic selection of quality craft work that is definitely worth seeing (if not buying :). They also always have an exhibition in the back half of the shop space, which is also always worth seeing (and free!).

This is just one of the pieces by me that you’ll find in the Craft Ontario shop! I call them my Misfits of Science pearl ring. With its classic pearl, and whimsical cup, it’s a great stacking ring that will stand out.

Art, Science and a day out this Saturday at Science Rendezvous

The weather seems to be perking up, and so is the exhibition/event season. I’m excited to be able to participatein the SciArt Gallery as part of Science Rendezvous this coming Saturday, May 13th, 2023, 11am - 5pm . Come out to see my jewellery in person, hear more about why and how I do my art, and see some new work that I will be unveiling in person.

Science Rendezvous:

·        Is FREE

·        Is an annual, all-day festival

·        Brings science out of the lab, onto the street

·        Encourages public involvement in STEAM (science, technology, engineering art and mathematics)

·        Involves U of T departments, local organisations and community

·        Engages interest, and encourages hands-on experiments

Hope you make it out on Saturday! Stop by to see me, in the Sydney Smith building at the University of Toronto St. George campus, and say hello!

Treat yourself with this special opportunity

I’d like to tell you a short-ish story about a colleague and his family, as well as the opportunity to buy jewellery and help a family in need at the same time!

My colleague at Jewel Envy, Shafiq Sarwari, is a talented, kind, and hardworking goldsmith and lapidarist (he cuts and polishes stones) who came to Canada in 2016, escaping the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Now Shafiq’s family is in peril. After their actions as collaborators with the US armed forces during their residence in Afghanistan, they had to flee to Pakistan, leaving everything behind in order to survive. Currently, they are refugees in Pakistan, but can’t stay there indefinitely.

Including parents, siblings and nieces/nephews, there are seven adults and five children who are being sponsored to come to Canada.  The adults are all highly educated, and eager to contribute to life in Canada, but the financial requirements for them to come through the government refugee sponsorship program are pretty hefty.  There is a Group of Five who have committed to sponsoring this special family group, with a goal of raising $120 000 to support them through their first year in Canada.

As a group, I and my colleagues (past and present) at Jewel Envy are doing a fundraising event to support our valued colleague.  This is an online auction for jewellery that is open now, until early June.

Although the goldsmiths have been given the opportunity to receive part of the payment for any of their individual pieces sold, I have elected to donate my pieces in their entirety. The great thing about the auction is that there is such a range of prices and styles, you’re sure to find something to suit you!

Amethyst and sterling silver necklace

Please help me support my amazing colleague, Shafiq, in making it possible for his family to start a new life free of fear and persecution by (either, or both!):

• Bidding generously on the auction items (it is also possible to donate through this platform. To save the processing fees charged by the platform, feel free to contact Jewel Envy- info@jewelevny.ca - to find out how to contribute directly to the sponsorship fund.)

• Please share the auction with your friends, family, and network. If everyone contributes just a fraction of what they can, we’ll reach our goal.

Citrine and sterling silver pendant on a snake chain

If you are interested in other events that are going to occur to support this special initiative, I’d love to hear from you!  Email, and let me know!

Breaking News.....

It’s almost the end of the week (although not so much for me!), and I thought I’d share a bit of news with you. If you were wondering more about me, and some of my jewellery processes, you can head over to a website called The Node. They have a regular feature on a SciArtist, and this month, they’re featuring me!

You can see the feature here. Happy reading!

Have a great weekend!

Estate ring re-made as stacking rings

I thought I’d written about the genesis of this one, but I see I didn’t! As you know, I have a habit of taking on “remodeling” projects. I thought I’d share another one I finished recently with you.

It started with this ring—my client acquired it from an estate sale (and believe me, they got a deal on it, compared to if they’d bought the diamonds and gold new).

It started with a concept, a “bamboo” band, and use all the diamonds. What resulted, as you’ll see, what something a bit different. First, it was two rings using all the diamonds.

See! Suddenly it’s two rings :)

Now it’s 3 rings! And different colour metals! (all 14kt gold)

And…here’s the 3 finished rings, in one of any number of combinations!

I removed the stones, and swapped the gold ring, plus a bunch of other old/broken gold that my client had, for new gold that I added to and re-alloyed to make the rose and yellow alloys for casting. The white gold ring is palladium white gold, so I ordered that grain pre-made. One of the diamonds was damaged, so we decided to replace it with this very attractive orange sapphire for an extra pop of colour. The small diamonds were also reclaimed from another ring. So, it was almost entirely a reclamation and re-use project. And my client LOVED the final products.

If you have something languishing in your jewellery box that you’d love to have re-done in something more contemporary that you can love, it would be great to talk to you! Reach out to me on the contact page and let’s talk!