Giving old jewellery new life-necklace to bangle
As part of my ongoing series about remodeling old jewellery, this originally came to me as silver necklace, and the client wanted a square bangle made out of the silver. This entailed me melting down the silver into two new ingots, and then alot of hammering. I made a hinge and partially reused the box clasp from the original necklace. It was challenging working with such thick metal, but satisfying!
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The final bangle
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Started from this cool articulated necklace-I had to remove the pins and solder from each and every link in the necklace by sawing through the links before I could make my ingot- it took a loooooooong time!
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Didn’t manage to take a photo of the individual ingots, but I made two separate ingots, then had to press the metal, and hammer it out before bending them into shape. Each one is pretty thick, so there was lots of banging!
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Preparing the bangle to make a seat for the hinge.
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Hinge was attached, all that was left was to even up the lengths, put the clasp on it, and finish the metal!
I was really pleased with how this turned out, and the client seemed delighted.
Interested in something similar? All quotes for custom work are free, so why not strike up a conversation?
New Logo!
One of the things about the pandemic, is that it’s motivated me to get some work done on an online presence— first I had the website, then my online shop, and now, I’m happy to say that I’ve got a proper logo!
I started a couple of months ago, in collaboration, with the fantastic Cynthia French . After some back and forth, this is the final product:
For me, it has alot of symbolism-the graphic is a trompe l’oeil of the letters that make up the name, in my favourite colours, with a splash of tartan-like pattern on one side. The text line retains the cursive/block lettering that I started with, but the cursive gives the impression of thread, and overall, the graphic and text line both combine the organic curves and more geometric edges that I favour in my jewellery.
Look out for the new graphic on the website and in my packaging! I’m pretty excited to start using it.
-Robin..
Kiltmaking / Jewellery Crossover!
So, you know I make kilts, and you know I make jewellery. Lately I’ve been thinking about crossover between the two. There is a lot of Scottish dress-related jewellery out there (clan badges, kilt pins, fly plaid brooches, scarf pins, etc.). The thing is, a lot of it is…..well….kitschy….if I’m being charitable. So, I’ve been thinking about more contemporary designs.
In a fit of serendipity, I was doing retail at the studio over the summer, when a couple came in to enquire about wedding rings. One thing led to another, and the next I knew, I was making a fly plaid brooch. Turns out, this couple felt the way I did about a lot of what was available, and the groom was planning to go full-on Scottish for the wedding (they’re both of Scottish background).
This is the clan crest for MacKinlay
These were my initial suggestions, incorporating elements of the traditional crest, but combined in a unique way, incorporating some of the elements the groom was particularly enamored of.
The initial designs weren’t quite right, so we went back and forth a bit, tweaking the design, eventually settling on this one, incorporating the calligraphic monogram, and the rope base.
Using a combination of carved and cast parts with fabrication from sheet, with handmade hardware, here are a few of my in process photos, as well as the final piece, which is partially oxidised, to really highlight some of the details in the design. It turned out amazing, and the couple were really happy with it as well.
In fact, they very kindly sent me a picture of it in the wild, so here it is on the day, on a lovely Mackinlay fly plaid!
I loved working in collaboration with them to get a design that pleased us both, and that resulted in a truly unique piece that they’ll love for years to come! Wanting to proudly display your Scottish heritage, in a more contemporary way, I’d love to work with you too!
Fly Plaid in MacPherson tartan
So, as I recently talked a bit about different plaids that can be worn with kilts. I had occasion recently to make one for a client, so here it is….Fly plaid in MacPherson tartan…..
Frequently a fly plaid is a square of fabric with a fringed edge. I like a bit more definition, so I add some pleats in one corner
And here it is in action at a recent wedding!
Looking for a fly plaid of your very own? Get in contact, and let’s talk!
Anatomy of Highland Dress
I like a good kilt (as some of you may know!). Although there’s more to dressing the part than just a kilt, so here’s a (very) brief primer on some other aspects of highland dress.
For gents, sometimes they wear trews (tartan pants), but most often it’s a kilt, which comes in different styles (I’ll talk a bit more about this another time). In addition, often a full plaid, fly plaid or belted plaid is worn. A full plaid is also a Piper’s plaid.
Pipers plaid-notice how long it hangs at the back-it has almost as much cloth as a kilt!
Credit: pxfuel.com
A fly plaid is a smaller version of the pipers plaid, meant to be worn over one shoulder, and secured often with a large brooch. Men’s highland jackets often have a shoulder strap that helps keep the plaid in place.
Fly plaid example.
Photo credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fly_Plaid_Final.jpg
In addition, one might wear a belt, sporran (man purse!), sgian-dubh (most often a blunted short blade dagger), knee socks known as kilt hose, flshies (or garters, usually in matching tartan), kilt pins and clan badges.
Women tend to wear kilted skirts rather than the more traditional kilt, but I think a hostess length kilt is a lovely thing (I guess I have to feel that way:). However, women do often wear a tartan sash, or a larger plaid, again, often secured with some kind of clan -related motif.
So, hopefully you understand a bit more about the complete outfit. Have a special event coming up or want to give a special gift? A kilt is a beautiful thing, and will last a lifetime!
Wandering around Harris and Lewis, or how I met a lot of tweed weavers
I lived in Scotland for a number of years. One of the joys was seeing a fair amount of the country. One of the last trips I took before I moved back to Toronto was with a good friend to the islands in the Outer Hebrides- Harris and Lewis (which, actually is just one island), of Harris Tweed fame.
I had so much fun-the island is a beautiful place with some amazing beaches, and cool lanscape (one of my hobbies is photography, and i LOVE landscapes!). There are lots of standing stones and ruins, and the people are really friendly. At that point, I’d already started doing kiltmaking, and I was interested in the whole industry of tweed weaving.
The island is remote, and there is not a huge amount of scope for employment, so the residents have a limited number of employment options. Alot of them work as independent weavers. It’s really cool, some work for the Tweed factory, but alot of them work for themselves. We visited numerous weaving sheds, as they are fairly well signposted as you drive round the island. Sadly, I wasn’t bold enough to ask to take photos, so I didn’t, but I met alot of the weavers, and they were kind enough to talk to me about some of their processes.
They start with a spool rack and set up the warp for the tweed, which is then transferred to the loom. Most people have these (relatively) old style looms, which actually run on cycle power, if you can believe it! So, you get your exercise as you weave. They have a punch card type system of keys which the weaver sets up for the pattern of the weft, and a-cycling they go! I can’t remember how much I was told they can weave in a day, but it was pretty impressive!
some tweed samples I picked up on Harris, as well as the iconic labels that you get with them!
When the tweed is woven, the job isn’t done yet. The cloth has to be finished, which most everyone sends to the factory on the island to be done. This process shrinks the tweed and tightens the weave, as well as giving the wool a nice finish. Once this is done, it’s ready to be used! I’ve been saving my tweeds, but I’m getting closer to using them.!
Inspiring Artists- Wendy Ramshaw
I find inspiration from so many places, but today, I thought I’d talk a bit about a UK Goldsmith that I particularly admire, and was a huge inspiration to me early in my goldsmithing journey. Wendy Ramshaw (who, sadly, passed away in 2018) was a successful, female goldsmith, whose work you can find all over the world.
There are a lot of things that I like and admire about her work, including the huge breadth in scale-from jewellery to large-scale ironwork pieces. What I remember the most are her iconic stacking ring sets that she made to be stored or displayed on unique, lathe-turned pillars. Here are a few examples: (photos from: https://benchpeg.com/qanda/wendy-ramshaw ; https://benchpeg.com/qanda/wendy-ramshaw ; and http://www.artnet.com/artists/wendy-ramshaw/2 )
Aren’t they amazing? I love the geometric lines, and the contrasts in shapes. If you can see them in person, I guarantee you will love them! Stacking rings are perennially in fashion. . They’re so great, because they offer a wide variety of combinations, and whenever I see them, I am reminded of Wendy Ramshaw.
My version of the ring stack- hammer-textured band, offset gemstone bands and a textured L form ring.
The possibilities for custom design jewellery are endless. Looking for some cool and new rings for yourself? Let’s have a conversation!
Starting Over
Life is interesting sometimes. I loved living in the UK, particularly living in Edinburgh. I was working as a research associate (I have a PhD in Immunology), at the Roslin Insitute (University of Edinburgh), with a reasonably thriving research career. My life was going fine, until suddenly it wasn’t. I went through a series of events, some personal, some professional that made me realise that I needed to make some changes in my life.
After some thought, I decided that I was going to move back to Canada, and try to make a go of my custom jewellery making and textiles. So, I packed up, shipped my cats, and took a farewell voyage around the country before flying out of London, back to Toronto.
I did a bit of a nostalgic tour before I left the UK, this is the first place I lived in Cambridge.
Oh the tales I could tell you about punting on the Cam! I still miss it.
Borough Market in London
I cleverly planned my return to coincide with the summer in Toronto, so I got to enjoy some hot weather for the first time in many years. I spent a lot of time wandering the city and getting to know it again after being gone for so long. That was how I discovered Jewel Envy, and eventually became a resident goldsmith on jewellery design over there.
Street festivals in Toronto- it was awesome experiencing them again!
It’s been a pretty big adventure, ending a career, starting another one in a completely new place, and moving continents again on top of it all, but it’s definitely had its rewards!
New Custom Engagement Ring
Recently, I had the extreme pleasure of being asked to make my very first bespoke engagement ring! I loved being able to be part of this special event. There was a bit of back and forth with the client to map out the specifics of what they wanted: something bi-colour, preferably a green tourmaline, nothing too wide, and they said they liked asymmetry. I then designed a ring that incorporated those things, but also that reflected the recipient’s love of botany (aka gardening), and where the couple met and fell in love-Edinburgh. What I came up with was an inlay with Scottish thistles, a bezel-set green tourmaline and an asymmetric band around the setting.
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Rendering of the ring design in two different metal arrangements, and a test cutout for the Scottish thistles.
We settled on the main metal being white gold, with the inlay in yellow gold, and I set off to construct the ring.
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I decided to cast the white gold components in 3 parts: the main band, the outer band and the bezel setting.
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Cast components before clean up
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The white band is mostly put together, and it’s the start of the yellow gold inlay.
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The ring is all put together-just the finishing left!
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Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
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Doesn’t it look fabulous on the recipient’s hand???
Getting ready to take the plunge with your special someone? Why not have something unique and special designed for the occasion-- after all, it will be with you for a lifetime (being optimistic!).
I hope this it the first of many special ring designs in my future!
Giving old jewellery new life-Earrings
When you love stones and pearls, but you’re a bit tired of what you have, you can always have them remade into something new and fresh! As a goldsmith in Toronto, being able to create a fresh look through custom jewellery in a unique way is important. This client loves pearls, and she had these sets of earrings, one set was a bit dated, and the other two were four separate pairs of earrings in various states. She came in with a very definite idea of what she wanted: everything remade in white gold, and combined in a more pleasing manner. As you can see, she got three pairs of elegant “new” pairs of earrings.
These pearl and garnet earrings had quite dated look, and they were okay in yellow gold, but not in the client’s taste. I took the earrings apart, recycled the yellow gold as a credit against the order, and remade the earrings in white gold, with a new and pleasing arrangement.
These peacock pearls and amethyst studs combined to create a lovely purple combination of stone/pearls in white gold with omega clips.
Similarly, these grey pearls and white studs set into slighly more pronounced cups give this combination an elegant and timeless look. Also set in white gold with omega clips.
Have some things in your jewellery box that you used to love, but don’t anymore? Contact me, and let’s have a conversation about what could be done to give them a new lease on life! All quotes are free and no obligation from contemporary custom art jewellery or Scottish kilts!