Student WORK

 Featured below are student projects from our most recent One Day Stacking Ring Workshop, the next upcoming class is Sunday November 16th.  Enamel work was completed in our latest 8 Week Enamel Class- we have an upcoming One Day Enamel Workshop to take advantage of on Saturday November 29th. Check out our listings for upcoming classes and sign up today!

From our latest Stacking Ring Workshop, lovely twisted hammered glory to be worn.

Magnificent Intermediate level Enamel piece using graphite on enamel.

Piercing with a combination of twisted and flattened wire, a great combo!

A lovely cloisonne piece.

Each piece looks great together or worn separately.

Amazing shape and colour combination of enamel a metal.

Roughing It

Right now I'm pretty obsessed with rough, uncut stones. There's just something about them.

Smithsonite and silver ring by Glaciale

Amethyst and silver earrings by Glaciale

Hiddenite and silver earrings by Lauren Hanham Jewellery Designs

Tourmaline ring by Unknown

Aquamarine and 14ky gold by Angeline

Ring by Catalina Barnes

Quarts rings and bracelets by Rework

Co-op Introduction

                     My name is Rebecca and I'm a Co-operative(Co-op) Education student from Bishop Marrocco Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary High School work at Jewel Envy. Co-operative Education is a 2 credit course where students are give the opportunity to gain real work experience and learn the steps of what is expected in the real workplace. My Co-op placement is at Jewel Envy, a custom jewellery retail store. I chose Jewel Envy as my workplace because I want to enhance my art skills, learn about retail, and gain experience. It is an amazing environment to be in and employees are nice and give the time to answer any questions about the work or task. I have learned about the process of moving silver or gold into different shapes for jewellery. A bit of retail and the organizing of paper work. It has only been a few weeks since I have started but it has all been a great experience. I would recommended any Co-op student to have their placement at Jewel Envy because the store has a positive environment, they have good communication, and it is a good work experience.

Gobble gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving err'body!

In honour of this joyous and delicious holiday, I googled 'turkey bling'. Enjoy!

Upon closer inspection, one or two of these might be peacocks, but you cannot convince me that peacocks aren't also thankful creatures, so on the blog they stay:)

In any case, we wish you all the best long weekend everrrrr xx

My inspiration comes from everywhere even food! I am going to create lotus jewellery line.

 ChiaChien Tsai

The Results Are in for the In Studio Wedding Band Competition

Thank you to everyone that participated in voting on our competition!

Have a look at the Online Exhibition to see who made each pair of earrings.

First Place goes to Gillian E. Batcher/PASH Jewellery Design for entry #3
Second Place goes to Alexis Kostuk/Glaciale Jewellery for entry #6
Third Place goes to Young Kyoung Ko/Koko Bijoux for entry #5

Congratulations to all of the winners! Stay tuned for information about our next in house competition.

Show Success!!!

Hi guys! You may have known (and you may have visited - thank you!) that Amanda Henderson (of Jewelust) and Sasha Oda (of Archerade) took part in the inaugural Etsy Made in Canada: Toronto edition. The show was last Saturday, and there is no doubt that it was a phenomenal success.

There was a lineup well before the doors opened at 10am, and there are rumours that people were waiting since 6am. Holy moly! The first 50 shoppers received free swag bags filled with amazing handmade goodness, so that was definitely not time wasted.

From the moment that the clock turned 10, it was complete pandemonium. Rushed bathroom breaks, no time for lunch, running out of business cards... just a testament to the incredible crowd of shoppers that kept us on our toes until the very end.

It was so much fun, and a great introduction into the somewhat daunting world of selling jewellery at shows and events. I can't wait until the next show, and I hope to see you there!

Here are some images from the sale:

 Soooo many people! It was consistently PACKED throughout the day. Great for the vendors (amazing visibility and exposure), though I think some shoppers felt a bit overwhelmed by the crowds.

 

 This was my table. There are many things I would change about my display and setup, but this was a great way to try it out!

 Amanda doesn't have an image of her table (that's how busy she was!) so here is a nostalgic image of her and her sister, at an outdoor show quite a few summers ago.

If you stopped by last Saturday to say hello, thank you so much for your support! If you missed out on this one, you can catch Gillian Batcher (of Pash Jewellery) at the Craft Ontario show at Wychwood Barns, October 10th to the 14th.

Have a great Sunday!

~sash

What does jewellery mean to you?

The idea of jewellery means different things to different people. Sometimes it is cultural or religious, other times a status symbol, a fashion accessory, or a piece of art. I've had the opportunity to work in different segments of the jewellery industry and to come to understand a little bit about how different people perceive jewellery. I worked for a large U.S. manufacturer/wholesaler, I've worked in a metal art studio as an artist in residence at the Harbourfront Centre, I used to manage a mass-produced silver jewellery store, I am currently a goldsmith that focuses on custom work and creating my own jewellery lines, and I was, originally, a consumer with no experience with jewellery. In each of these roles I had to think of jewellery very differently.

To some people, jewellery is an afterthought, a bit of sparkle to match their dress. To others, it is an important decision, something that they will wear everyday, and that needs to describe their personality. No detail is too small or unimportant. Some artists like to push boundaries by making sculptural pieces that can barely be worn on the body. It is interesting to me to make jewellery that is functional but does not look conventional. I like when something looks like it is precariously perched on the finger knowing that is it secure. I also like to see how people react. Sometimes it makes complete sense to a person that they are looking at a ring and how it should be worn. Other times people are confused and ask me what they are looking at and how it should be worn.

Anticlastic ring with hidden stone. By Amanda Henderson

Lately I have been having fun with the notion of (un)conventional jewellery, by making pieces that look like rings that you might find in a big box jewellery store, but... well, they aren't. They are inspired by common diamond ring styles, but without the diamonds. Take a look.

Left to right: Three rose ring, Rose halo ring, Rose cluster ring

What does jewellery mean to you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Amanda
Jewelust