DesingTO

Hello Sunday Readers,

DesingTO is where art and design meet across the city, January 18-27, 2019. Over 100+ events and exhibitions are free, and the rest are ticketed or by RSVP.

One of these events is Pattern Recognition from December 18, 2018 to February 18, 2019.

Jewel Envy joins DesingTO with the Asymmetric exhibition display in our three windows on Roncesville extending outside of the exhibition dates. 

The Goldsmiths at Jewel Envy made free design jewel pieces for this event,  with only one premise, the pieces must be Asymmetric.

Among the Goldsmiths than participated in this exhibition I want to show you three of them.

Mauricio Franco, Colombia

 

Catalyst, earrings, 2018

Sterling silver, purple cubic zirconia, 75mm X 26.3mm X 4.7mm

 

In his own words, “Catalyst consists of two triangles with similar details and construction, but the configuration of the parts and the placement of a few finishes make the pieces stand apart from each other”. Mauricio Franco

 

Alexis Kostuk, Canada

Coral Growth II, earrings, 2018

Sterling silver, turquoise, carnelian, 50mm X 28mm X 11mm

 

The earrings have “asymmetrical turquoise stones as the substrate for “Coral Growths;” shaping how each is attached and creating similar patterns with noticeable likeness but ultimately forming asymmetrical pairs” Alexis Kostuk

 

    

 

Shafiq Sawari, Afghanistan

Untitled, earrings, 2018

Sterling silver, 56.5mm X 15.6mm X 1.5mm

 

The word filigree comes from the Latin word for thread or seed. This delicate and intricate technique involves twisting extremely fine strands of a metal—usually gold or silver—to form a pattern. One of the most important characteristics of filigree is the use of sweeping, spiraling designs. Filigree can be use across the whole piece or just to emphasize key features. The reason I chose to make a filigree piece is that it reminds one of my famous collections after graduating from school. Shafiq Sawari.

 

 

You can enjoy the rest of our pieces in our three windows on Roncesvilles.

 

Have a nice Sunday

 

 

Helena

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Lunar eclipse

While snapping pics for our Instagram featuring Kelly Jale of Teonella's Moon and Star designs I scrolled through Instagram to find a couple of my favourite pics of the Lunar eclipse/blood moon on January 20/21. I tried to wander out in the cold to catch a peak of the moon, but gave up easily because of the cold. Did you catch a glimpse of the moon last Sunday night? - Alexis

Photo by Kai Yhun

Teonella pieces made by Kelly Jale available at Jewel Envy

Photo by Mehrdad Loghmani

Jewellery for our furry friends

Today, in this very cold and snowy day, I want to share a story.


As a jewellery designer, goldsmith and general creative, I like to experiment and take up projects that are not exactly normal, one of those projects was a collar for my cat, Antonia, made completely in 950 silver and fit to size.


Well, you can see she is not wearing it on the picture, she did not like it and I was not going to force her to wear it, so now, the collar makes an excellent bracelet for me.

I will be up to make projects like this again, they are fun and demonstrate the appreciation we have for our furry friends, they might not like it, but the intention counts.

Mauricio.

Goldsmiths - A journey through time!

Hey everyone, Jessica here! I figured a snowy Saturday seems like a good time to take you on a journey through time in the art and history of the Goldsmith.

Goldsmithing is the practice of working with gold and other precious metals to create objects of adornment, especially jewellery. Goldsmiths have existed ever since gold itself was determined to be of value. We have seen the products of goldsmiths all throughout history in utensils, ceremonial and religious items, talismans, jewelry and art.

A Goldsmith possesses the knowledge and ability to forge, solder, cut, cast, file, and polish metal - just to name a few skills of a potentially much longer list! Historically, these skills were typically passed down within family and under apprenticeship. Although apprenticeship is still a common practice today, there are now many jewelry arts programs available throughout various schools around the world.

According to Bulgarian archeologists, the oldest known gold artifact is a gold bead discovered under a small house of a prehistoric settlement outside of Pazardzhik - the bead is said to date back 6500 years!

Check out these images below of goldsmiths through different eras - and be sure to visit us at 151 Marion Street, Toronto to see what the goldsmiths of today are creating at Jewel Envy!

 BULGARIA ~ Gold bead found in prehistoric settlement

 

  EGYPTIAN ~ Gold from King Tutankhamun’s Tomb

  

GREEK ~ A Gold Earring From the Etruscan Period

 

 ROMAN ~ An Early Roman Christian Reliquary

 

 CANADIAN (@JEWEL ENVY) ~ The work of Helena Perez Lafaurie

 

Sincerely, a Happy Goldsmith,

Jess!

Velentine's Day

Valentine’s day.


After celebrating Christmas, one of the best times of the year with family and friends, Valentine’s day is again an opportunity to show love and admiration for the people that is cherished to us.

Valentine's Day, is celebrated annually on February 14. It's  recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world.

Jewel Envy has this year incredible pieces from incredible goldsmiths from all over the glove, we have pieces for all budgets and all of them have been done having you , our costumers in mind.

In this first photo a galore of earrings, every one of them  make for a different goldsmith, but all are great pieces to show  your love and let them know how much they mean to you.

From left to right and from top to bottom, Amethyst and Enamel earrings from Glacial Goldsmith, Alexis Kostuk. Sterling Silver earrings from Vera Wei.  Sterling Silver and Gold plated earrings from Pash, Gillian Batcher. Yellow Gold and Amethyst from Radi Brothers Jewelry, Zaf Radi. Sterling Silver earrings from Urban Matel, Jerell Reichert. Sterling Silver, gold plated earrings from hplafaurie Jewellery Design, Helena Perez-LaFaurie.

The second group has rings to celebrate anniversaries , engagement , even the blessing of a new baby. Each one will be custom made to fit you and your love one!
Valentine's Day can be a memorable day to get engaged with your other half!

Necklaces are one of the pieces women love the most, Jewel Envy has a great variety at incredible prices, a good example is this necklace with coins in sterling silver from hplafaurie, Helena Perez-LaFaurie.


Jewel Envy always works and designs new pieces thinking on you and the people you love!

Happy Valentine's day from all of us at Jewel Envy

Have a nice Sunday!

Helena

Forgotten History of Female Scribes

I will forever be obsessed with lapis lazuli. No matter what gemstones I come across I am always drawn the most to anything blue. A while back I posted interesting facts about gemstones including that lapis lazuli was ground into powder to create ultramarine blue paint pigment... the colour was so beautiful and coveted that lapis lazuli was worth it's weight in gold.

YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE about a recent study analyzing the plaque on the teeth of remains found at a women’s monastery in Dalheim, Germany. Check out the article about the implications of this study and an exciting avenue for sociology and archealogy, what a ride!

-Alexis

Tumbled lapis lazuli.

Ground lapis lazuli.

 

Jewelry for the Holiday Hangover!

New year, new everything,

We sincerely hope your holidays were full of love and care from family, friends and all those around you. May 2019 bring even more peace, love, happiness and fulfillment to your life, and of course, more jewelry!

But now, holidays are over, and most of us are going back to our daily routines; school, work, both or neither! but one thing is sure, 2019 brings new opportunities for all of us, and what a better way to start the new year than getting a new piece of jewelry.

going back to work and show your coworkers you're brilliant new pair of earrings, or showing your classmates that special necklace that was made just for you, or share pictures of that new engagement ring; those are little pleasures that will definitely make your day and make you a bit happier at the beginning of the year!


All the best for you on this new year,

Mauricio.