Simone Faurschou; A Jeweller For Our Times

“I don’t even know how to explain how terrifying it is to start your own thing. There is just so much fear. But also, there are many amazing things about it…and it came to a point where I didn’t feel there is anything else I wanted to do.” Simone Faurschou, the Danish born and raised but now London based jewellery designer cum artist is a reflective conversationalist. No pithy one-liners here. Her responses, like her body of work are considered, simultaneously simple and complex. We initially started talking during the first lockdown, when a fortuitous DM slide led to a year plus intention to make time for a deeper dive. At the time Faurschou was busy launching her seminal Blockchain Series, one which has seen her expand notions of the way jewellery is used, viewed and purchased, with her delving into the world of crypto-currencies, NFTs and Augmented Reality. As a series, it has captured the imagination beyond conventional jewellery circles and has resulted in Faurschou (although she is personally more circumspect in claiming the title of artist) enter the contemporary and digital art world. Yet Faurschou’s approach is evidence of a shift in how many designers and artists, particularly those younger, are choosing to navigate the jewellery industry. The personal and the political are part and parcel. Interrogating notions of commercial and spiritual success are up for discussion, and neither the right retailer or most impressive editorial feature are sought after as much as they were a generation before. Furthermore, the questions Faurschou explores via her body of work and her modus operandi of creating pieces reflect shifting and current cultural norms, but still possess wider demographic appeal. Her work acts as a gentle reminder of how jewellery’s superpower lies in creating community from seemingly disparate individuals.

Simone Faurschou Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Simone Faurschou Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

Manifestations and Magical Thinking

Faurschou initially felt her future lay in fashion design: “I always wanted to go to Central Saint Martin’s. It is quite a fun story” – she says reminiscing – “but I begged my parents to send me to this language school in England so I got this as a present when I was confirmed. At the language school there was a visit to Central Saint Martin’s. I was fourteen and I remember walking down the halls and thinking this is where Alexander McQueen and all these great designers went and I completely fell in love.” But this was not mere adolescent passion of the fashion kind, once decided she in her own words “called it into being”. A brief stint at Copenhagen Business School resulted in her dropping out and enrolling in an Art Foundation Course in Copenhagen and it was from here that she applied and got accepted into her dream school, initially still thinking her future lay in fashion before an inspiring tutor suggested jewellery might be for her.

Pangea Together, Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Pangea Together, Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

Faurschou is a compelling advocate of structured pedagogy and in particular how Central Saint Martin’s, both in terms of the teaching she received and the ethos of the school shaped how she continues to work. “One of the great things about Central Saint Martin’s is they encouraged us to not just work in metals There were projects where we had to work with something that was biodegradable and lots of different materials, resin, leather, plastic… I even made a piece from tampons which was, like, about femininity and the tampon tax, it was really such a great place to explore and just be.” An ethnically and culturally diverse student body not only offered her broader vistas of understanding and possibility but allowed for her to reflect on her own innate Scandinavian sensibilities and aesthetic. “One of my friends from Turkey, the way she worked was so detailed, there was wax carving and stones and just like a lot of details whereas my work is a minimalistic kind of style. And it doesn’t mean that I don’t love figurative work, I love it, but I always return to something that is quite simple and definitely Scandinavian, which I guess is my DNA.” London as a city was the ideal backdrop for her creative and internal explorations and she talks of those early years in the city with an animated tone, that hints at days of discovery that augmented her academic and subsequent professional endeavours. “I remember hanging around a lot in East London and just loving it, this whole creative vibe was so different from Copenhagen… But I also think moving to London and getting friends from all over the world made me more passionate about discussing how important our relationships are and kindness is…. I saw a lot more homeless people on the street and compared to Copenhagen, a lot of people have to fight just to survive.” In many ways, Faurschou’s body of work returns to these themes consistently, connectedness, cross cultural exchange, as well as – via how she makes her pieces – practical notions and actions that champion justice and compassion.

Pangea, Fragment Earring in 18kt Gold, Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Pangea, Fragment Earring in 18kt Gold, Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

“It’s quite wild because I am not from a family with money or anything, but I have always been quite focused [and] when I see something that I want, I just really try and go for it.” Faurschou’s speedy ascent: graduating with a BA in Jewellery Design in 2016, landing a role as Head of Design at cult fashion jewellery brand completedworks and moving on to found her eponymous brand in 2020 has led many to mistakenly assume that she has a healthy private income or at the very least a substantial investor. However, neither is the case, diligence and boundless optimism have guided her in all of her successes thusfar. Of a dream-come-true internship with haute couturier Iris Van Harpen whilst she was a student, she explains: “I remember going for the interview and flying back to London on the same day and being completely exhausted, and when I got it, I was like, shit, I don’t have money for this and where to live in Amsterdam and I am going to be working for free.” She pauses and smiles before adding “But a friend’s Mum was willing to let me stay and we became really great friends [and] I got to be part of the Haute Couture show, and I worked on this particular dress with like twenty other people and it was fantastic.”

Pangea, Connecting Fragments in 18kt Yellow Gold, Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Pangea, Connecting Fragments in 18kt Yellow Gold, Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Bespoke Ring Using Client's Own Heirloom Gemstones. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Bespoke Ring Using Client’s Own Heirloom Gemstones. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

Whilst some might roll their eyes at what on first listen sounds like a contemporary fashion fairytale, Faurschou’s active decision, not to be constrained by current circumstances and push forth regardless, holding fast to the notion, has segued into how she works – embracing the concept first – before working out the practicalities. It also anchors her design process which is rooted what she terms as “narrative driven pieces” and which results in jewellery that is expansive in its intentions. She explains “A piece of jewellery could be a whole-body piece. I don’t look at jewellery in a traditional way in terms of rings and earrings, but more as a way you explore the entire body…it doesn’t start with wanting to make something that looks good, it is more about making some concepts that might seem abstract tangible.” We alight on the much celebrated Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli Autumn/Winter Haute Couture 2021 which is replete with modern day body armour and Faurschou exclaims “I am obsessed! I was sitting with friends the other day and I was saying this is also my view of how to work with jewellery When I look at Schiaperelli I am like oh my God I adore that.”

Pangea ;Fragment Pendant, 18kt Yellow Gold. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Pangea ;Fragment Pendant, 18kt Yellow Gold. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

Creating Communities

Small luxury businesses, particularly startups, rise and fall on their ability to attract the attention and patronage of the milieu that are both interested and can afford their wares. Faurschou concedes that “I definitely have a great network of creative people around me”. However, she is quick to clarify “but I don’t have a specific crew of people”. It is an important distinction. In an industry where the hiring of a prestigious PR agency, getting your pieces into the right showroom and having leading editors peruse the collection over champagne and canapes is oftentimes proposed as a must-do rather than an optional extra, it can cripple a company at the beginning of the journey. Instead, Faurschou has allowed for tastemaker word-of-mouth referrals for her bespoke work and her collections to do the heavy lifting of brand promotion and the results have proved more than exemplary. From Mimma Viglezio, the business strategic force behind numerous fashion super brands’ successes (and the current Editor in Chief of Tomorrow Crew’s Digital Showroom), to Kristine Loebner, the managing director of Cecile Bahnsen, a brand that has become the default pillar of the thinking fashion girl’s wardrobe, to actor and podcaster Cressida Bonas, the amplification potential is clear. And whilst many have commented on the cliquey nature of London’s creative classes, Faurschou has thusfar managed to not only avoid the potential pitfalls, but also thrive, growing a wide network of clients, supporters and co-creators. She adds “I feel like people are always keen on collaborating, even just meeting new people I think it is something very unique about London.”

Bespoke Mimma Ear Cuff in 18kt Yellow Gold and Diamonds. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Bespoke Mimma Ear Cuff in 18kt Yellow Gold and Diamonds. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Mimma Ear Cuff on the Body Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Mimma Ear Cuff on the Body Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

However, connections is only one part of the equation. Faurschou’s jewellery resonates with a growing global demand for simpler pieces that have profound meanings attached to them. Jewellery that does not self-select itself into the ‘special occasions category’ by virtue of the size of gemstones used, or necessitate one have a security detail as one goes about their errands, is the preferred choice regardless of age or financial status. Furthermore, pieces do best commercially when they reflect the designer’s and prospective client’s values and beliefs. In Faurschou’s case it has resulted in the exclusive use of lab-grown diamonds, in response to environmental concerns and Fairmined gold. She adds “my work is about community and what I really like about Fairmined gold is their way of ensuring that the miners and the community doing the mining gets a really fair salary.” But the decision is not without consequences, “The gold is 20% more expensive, because you are paying premium price to ensure that everyone in the process is being fairly paid…so it means that my prices have to be even higher which is already hard if you are a new and upcoming brand.” The jewellery industry has received a lot of criticism due to the ambivalence of some of the big players to horrendous working conditions for miners and the communities they live in. Faurschou and other small independents have paved the way in supplying clients with greater transparency with regards to sourcing, sustainability (she often creates custom pieces using client’s heirloom gemstones) and ethical practices. “I don’t want to sound cliché, but I have big dreams. I would love to continue to create more jewellery and make more sales and I would just love to have my supply chain be fully traceable and to have a relationship with the miners who mine the gold.” For Faurschou, full traceability is the end goal rather than optics dressed in press release platitudes.

Pamgea Separating. fragments in 18kt Gold. Image Courtesy of  S  Faurschou
Pamgea Separating. fragments in 18kt Gold. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

Pangea, Faurschou’s first fully conceived series was the break-out hit that distinguished her in terms of artistry, craft and messaging. Conceived as a socio-political and cultural comment on connection, it’s name, taken from the original mega-continent from which the existing seven continents separated, also acted as Faurschou’s design prompt, with all the pieces formed from fragments that tesselate together. “Pangea was very much about unity; I already knew that I wanted to do something about human connectedness. So then when the pandemic hit, I was like okay it is almost too obvious or too much to do something like this, but at the same time I already had plans and then I was super limited in terms of materials because I kind of lost all my freelance work and I was just hanging in there in my tiny room in east London.” As the city ground to a halt Faurschou was forced to think laterally. She relates: “My style is usually a bit more organic or slightly larger pieces maybe but I had to work with what I got and I couldn’t use casters or 3D printers . What I could do is cut up a sheet of gold.” Whilst Faurschou may have initially lamented the constraints, it resulted in a potent distillation of her design language. And with all labour done solely by her, it imbued all of the pieces an intimate energy and was a reminder of the fragility of connection.

Pangea, Connecting Fragments in 18kt Gold. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Pangea, Connecting Fragments in 18kt Gold. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

Because of the circumstances surrounding its creation, Faurschou is aware of Pangea’s long term historical and cultural significance. “Now I really appreciate that, because at the time I was thinking ‘oh no, it is not good enough and it’s too simple’ but now I am really grateful because it was such a picture of what it was at the time. I happened to have a bench set up in my room, a few materials, and my tools. But the collection also became about survival, about finding and having the time to do something that I was really passionate about.” With mental health around the world plummeting and anxiety skyrocketing in the midst of all pervading feelings of uncertainty, having her routine of creating the piece became a safe place for Farschou to retreat to. Promotional photography was done on socially distanced sets, “I just made it happen with friends who were also in lockdown who happened to be photographers and model friends and these people who had also just lost all of their work.” This was not to say it was plane sailing, she adds; “It was quite a hectic time because I was jumping from house to house when I lost my own place but I am really happy that I didn’t just sink….I could have just been in bed miserable.” The collection also had the pioneering and novel addition of an accompanying poem written by noted poet, artist and environmental activist Wilson Oryema. The poem was a poignant reminder of Faurschou’s overall intent to create new landscapes for discourses not necessarily associated with fine jewellery and those who love it.

Pangea Collection Poem by Wilson Oryema Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Pangea Collection Poem by Wilson Oryema Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Wilson Oryema Reads Pangea Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Wilson Oryema Reads Pangea Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

If Pangea was about reminding us of our shared community, Faurschou’s Blockchain Series continues with the thesis but illustrates how the brave new word of crypto-currencies and virtual realities needn’t be viewed as dehumanising forces but rather harnessed to create digital communities and allegiances that are anchored in compassion, curiosity and a love for adornment. A 3D circular block of Fairmined gold has been carved into twelve segments, with most pieces including a sprinkle of lab-grown diamonds from The Diamond Foundry. So far so standard ethical and sustainable luxury. However, Faurschou takes things up a notch. The pieces are sold as NFTs (non-fungible-tokens), and in addition to an actual Blockchain pendant, purchasers also receive a digital piece of jewellery. Faurschou reflects “If you had asked me two years ago whether I was going to do digital jewellery and NFTs I would have definitely probably said no.” she says before laughing. But second lockdown provided the perfect opportunity for her to satisfy her burgeoning curiosity with crypto-currencies and act upon it. “friends were talking about it and I guess the community that comes with bitcoin and these different things. And then I read about the art piece that was sold at Christies that was a crazy amount 69 million pounds or whatever and I was like wow, this is super interesting that someone can sell a digital piece of art. At the same time, I was really thinking about how technology has kept us connected in lockdown so I was already thinking about doing something for my next collection that was going to be around technology. When I learnt you could create NFTs I was just like, well if you can sell a digital piece of art you can also sell a piece of digital jewellery.” Typical of her process, once the idea was in place, realizing it became the adventure. She adds “I couldn’t find many people in the industry but there is a great woman called Cathy Hackl who was so kind to supervise me for a bit on the journey and so I was lucky to get in with some quite talented people in tech.” Hackl was a particular godsend as she is not only one of the world’s leading futurists but also an expert on the metaverse and the author of Marketing New Realities and the Augmented Workforce, two books that are the blueprint and roadmap of the sector.

Blockchain 18kt Yellow and White Gold and  Diamonds Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Blockchain 18kt Yellow and White Gold and Diamonds Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

Of the naming the series Faurschou explains “when you start learning about NFT the first thing is the technology behind it which is blockchain. And it is now implemented in supply chains and it is really fascinating technology. When I heard the name I just visualized this chain of blocks.” Faurschou trades her Blockchain Series on Known Origin, a market leader in Digital Art, with collectors bidding for the pieces using their crypto-wallets. Faurschou is one of a handful of jewellery artists who have seen the potential of digital art and harnessing technology in order for collectors to experience their pieces beyond wearing them. The final interactive aspect of Blockchain is every collector has the opportunity of virtually meeting the next collector in the chain. The community, given that Faurschou is now on her 4th Series is thirty six and counting strong and spread across the globe. Does Faurschou conceive creating another digital jewellery artwork or Augmented Reality experience? She doesn’t reveal. But what she does say is the foray into digital art and crypto currency has opened conversations with her peers regarding value. “A dollar bill is only valuable because someone says it is.” Jewellery that precipitates discussions that question the very systems society is built upon is thrillingly subversive, and that it is as is Faurschou’s way, an easy piece that could become part of one’s daily uniform, an omnipresent reminder to think differently.

Blockchain Pendant 18kt Yellow Gold and Diamonds Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Blockchain Pendant 18kt Yellow Gold and Diamonds Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

Journey Or Destination?

With her rising profile, Faurschou has had to navigate the expectations of the communities that have taken an interest in her and her work. The modern jewellery creative’s rubric demands the curated social media profile, good interview skills and a knack of looking preternaturally beautiful whilst at your bench, delicately furrowed brow an optional extra. Faurschou thinks this is rightly unreasonable. “For a lot of creatives actually it is a nightmare…but I do believe it should not be about us. It is about the work… I have done a few interviews in the past that I didn’t like much. I was like, ‘Oh my God I need to sit and talk about me, why can’t it just be about the work? Talking about oneself, is not really what it is about right?” It is a sentiment witnessed on Faurschou’s Instagram. There are no lengthy treatises of what she feels about issues of the day, or streams of consciousness on IGLive, and compared to the prevailing wind that has made compulsive over-sharers of us all, and demanded it of those we admire, just a handful of images of her in off-duty mode. What you will find is jewellery, both in progress and completed, her existing collections and posts of happy clients wearing their Simone Faurschou with pride.

Blockchain Series 4. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Blockchain Series 4. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

Faurschou’s progress given that her brand is only in its third year of full operations, with 18 months of those being during a global pandemic, is extraordinary. When asked how she defines success she pauses for some time before stating “To be completely honest, I have been asking myself that question a lot lately… If you had asked me a couple of years ago, I would probably have said having my own brand or doing the things I am really passionate about and I am doing that now and it gives me so much joy. But then I have this element of the struggle in terms of economy [because] it’s really hard to make money and to make it consistently and that doesn’t feel very successful right?” She says laughing before finally concluding “My idea of success is based somewhere around community and being able to discuss some of the things that I think are important in my work.” With the Blockchain Series Four in the works and other projects that are currently percolating, Faurschou’s notions of success seem set to expand as her sphere of influence continues to grow.

Blockchain Pendant, 18kt Yellow Gold, Diamonds Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Blockchain Pendant, 18kt Yellow Gold, Diamonds Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

We close on what makes Faurschou push herself and her practice forward. “You can have a Plan B but I don’t really.., I am making it work my way and just have faith that it will pay off. It is a tough journey but also beautiful at the same time. The people you get to meet and the stuff I get to do and the skills I keep developing. But there is never a guarantee. When I meet a lot of people the first thing they say is ‘you’re so brave’ but for me I don’t really think about it that way. It’s oh but I can’t do anything else. So, it doesn’t feel like a choice.” Whilst Faurschou’s career thus far might appear full of serendipitous happenings that are powering her steady ascent, one is reminded of the often-misquoted Seneca aphorism, “Luck is when opportunity meets preparedness.” Faurschou does not come across as merely ‘lucky’ or as her friends observed ‘brave’. The word that springs to mind is tenacious. Her design process requires supreme levels of preparedness. Furthermore, the sheer resolve of knowing and pursuing a career in design since her teen years points to an individual that isn’t simply coasting through life on looks, charm and a sparkling contact book. Her work itself is underpinned with an optimism for a reimagined global community, and to some extent harks back to the political idealism movement that had its beginnings in the late 19th century and was at its zenith post the First World War. Where Seneca’s notion of opportunity comes into play is Faurschou’s creative brilliance of framing these ideas via wearable pieces of art. She has seen an opportunity to build a conscious community via beautiful jewellery and those who wear her work are as fortunate as the maker herself.

Blockchain Series 1. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou
Blockchain Series 1. Image Courtesy of S Faurschou

The Lustre of Melanie Georgacopoulos

In her 2007 Royal College of Art MA Degree show Melanie Georgacopoulos made modern jewellery history when she reimagined a string of pearls by doing something that at the time was sublimely subversive – slicing them. Reflecting back on it she notes:”It was a very instinctive thing. I wasn’t thinking conceptually what am I doing ? Why am I doing this now and what does it mean?” Her understated comment is typical of the London based Greek native who has been credited with reviving pearls as an option for the contemporary jewellery wearer; a gemstone that had hitherto felt preserved in the visual aspic of portraits of aristocrats and maharajahs, suddenly feels incredibly modern and appealing in her hands. With an eponymous line launched in 2010 and a successful and groundbreaking long term collaboration with heritage pearl house Tasaki now in its eighth year, her contribution to the 21st century jewellery canon seems secure, but like all great living artists, she continues to push boundaries and ask questions of her work, the material she has chosen to work with and the emotional energy and fiscal value we place on pieces made from these treasures from the sea.

Sliced Necklace M/G Tasaki (image courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Sliced Necklace M/G Tasaki (image courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

Craft Mastery and Pearl Discovery

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Georgacopoulos’ love of jewellery has been life-long. Growing up in Greece she reminisces: “I remember a lot of school trips we would always go to museums and in Greece all of the museums are filled with gold jewellery and artefacts.” Home was a creative one, with a French Interior Designer mother encouraging artistic endeavours although jewellery was at her brother’s suggestion: “I was always making things and leaving them around the house. We had a big desktop computer that had fallen apart and I found all those microchips that were inside and I started making smaller pieces with it and my brother said Why don’t you turn it into jewellery at least you can wear it and not leave it lying around. And this is how it started really.

Formal training began at the Mokume Institute in Athens and was in her words  “three years of intense and traditional jewellery technique learning. Not only were we hand-making pieces but we also [learnt about] production so we did casting, diamond setting, granulation, mokume-gane, all these jewellery techniques that we don’t really use  these days but it is very important to know..I  am very grateful for those years, although I didn’t enjoy all of it at the time” she adds candidly. Sadly, the Mokume Institute has closed, a victim of the Greek Sovereign Debt crisis of 2009 that ravaged the economy. However, the comprehensive training equipped Georgacopoulos for launching her own line in 2010, as unlike many of her contemporaries, she was able to do much of the  practical work herself, outsourcing for specific technical purposes only.

Tiles MOP Loop Necklace (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Tiles MOP Loop Necklace (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

Although now associated with pearls, Georgacopoulos’ gravitation towards working them was gradual. Post Mokume, she took a step away from jewellery design, embarking on a BA in Sculpture at Edinburgh College of Art. However, sculpture expanded her curiosity regarding materials providing a wider remit for exploration, “[with] sculpture you are, just working with the material and figuring out what the material gives back or tells you or what you can do with your hands… You don’t start with a design in the same way that one might start in jewellery. You might have a design but you cannot force it, instead you treat the material in a certain way so that it translates into your design.”  Her methodology,  one that is simultaneously respectful of the materials involved yet at its heart is untethered to established norms and rules allowed her to be boundless in her ideation processes. Alighting on pearls was serendipitous, once enrolled on the Royal College of Art’s prestigious MA in Jewellery Design, one of her tutors noticed that many of her designs featured rounded forms that would lend themselves well to pearls and suggested she explore it. Critically Georgacopoulos adds “sculpture gave me the hands on approach and a certain degree of fearlessness”. And if she had thought too deeply about the act that precipitated the Sliced Collection?  “I would have been too scared to cut a pearl, because you’re not supposed to do that with gems in general, you are supposed to enhance their beauty and cutting something in half can feel like you are destroying it.” Or indeed rebirthing it as she did.

Sliced Bracelet, M/G Tasaki (Image courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Sliced Bracelet, M/G Tasaki (Image courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

From that much talked about Degree Show, Georgacopoulos settled into a dual professional life, one that she admits as a recent graduate in super-competitive London she was fortunate to find herself in: doubling up as a design assistant for Antoine Sandoz where work included designing for companies as varied as Boucheron and Tom Ford and continuing to fulfil orders from her steady stream of private clients. By 2010, a mere three years since graduating she was already stocked in Dover Street Market and met the renowned jewellery curator and agency owner Valery Demure, who immediately suggested they work together. The meeting proved to be a career turning point “I thought okay, I have to decide. I am either going to carry on designing for other people or I am going to jump in, create my brand and focus on pearls….redesigning them and reinventing them.” The three years between graduation and launch allowed Georgacopoulos to refine her initial thesis, dream of new possibilities for the gemstone and critically do market research, “people had just forgotten about pearls. They just didn’t want to touch them and they didn’t know what to do with them,” This perfect storm of early critical acclaim, prestige  retail stockists and a unique niche were all she needed to proceed.

Stretched Stud Earrings M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Stretched Stud Earrings M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

Georgacopoulos’ methodology and ethos is reminiscent of the jewellery-artists of old, figures such as Rene Lalique, who she cites as an influence and other interdisciplinary practitioners such as Margaret De Patta, who like her had ambitions of dismantling the elitism found in jewellery design because it limited wider participation. When we speak about nomenclature and whether she perceives herself as an artist, jeweller or something else she expands “It is only in the last year or two that I have allowed myself to see myself [as a jewellery-artist]. I think before I was really keen to prove that I was a good designer” Influences on her own design journey are varied; “Of course all the big houses but also Greek jewellers like Lalaounis, Zolotas and Fanourakis.”  She also has  high regard for another female pioneer at a heritage jewellery house, who also worked extensively with Mother of Pearl during her tenure at Tiffany and Co., Angela Cummings; “I think she did everything before anyone did anything. And she has not really been credited, I am not quite sure why, but I absolutely adore her work.”  Going back further to the first female creative director during the Art Nouveau movement in Paris she references the House of Boivin which was at the forefront of it adding “Yes, I am a fan of Suzanne Belperron like everyone else but at the same time I think I gravitate towards jewellery that is not obviously expensive.” 

Tiles MOP Bracelet (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Tiles MOP Bracelet (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

Given the trajectory her own work has taken, it is craft jewellery she returns to for inspiration: “Munich Jewellery Week or Schmuck for example, I find them much more stimulating.” The craft jewellery scene, particularly now, is where one often sees the most experimental work, with creators unburdened by the history, commercial demands and the sales and marketing expectations of large jewellery houses. For Georgacopoulos stimuli comes in many forms, “I tend to be drawn to work where I am not quite sure how it was made… For example David Bielander, his collection called Cardboard…it looked exactly like cardboard but it was actually made with silver and gold…I  also like pieces from certain people…like Taffin and Caroline Broadhead who was the head of department at Central Saint Martins for many years. I guess it is more about specific pieces rather than one designer’s repertoire for me.” What consistently appeals to Georgacopoulos and is echoed in her own work is a certain intellectual vigour either in concept or execution and crucially a singular point of view that translates in the pieces.

MOP Cube Stud Earrings (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
MOP Cube Stud Earrings (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

Democratising Jewellery and Celebrating Materials

Whoever thought that jewellery collections cannot involve an intellectualism or speak to deeper questions would find a riposte in many of Georgacopoulos’ collections for her eponymous brand. For someone working with pearls, hitherto considered one of the most conservative of luxury gemstones there are streaks of bold commentary and rebellion in her work. There is also an outright challenging of aesthetics and notions of value particularly in her work with Mother of Pearl as seen in the collections, Nacre, Tiles, Gemstones and Cube. Explaining the genesis of her ideas she relates: “It started as a very spontaneous response to the jewellery auctions that I was observing at the time, very big gemstones, coloured diamonds, the Blue Moon of Josephine ( a rare blue diamond that fetched $48,468,158 at a Sotheby’s auction in 2015) , I don’t know the other ones names,  but all these massive diamonds were fetching a ridiculous amount of money.” The auctions were happening around the same time Georgacopoulos was exploring ways that she could utilise Mother Of Pearl, hitherto a waste product of the pearling industry in her designs. “I feel about Mother Of Pearl the same way I felt about pearls ten years ago, which was what is going on and why was no one doing something interesting?” Unlike pearls, which have always held a high monetary and aesthetic value to collectors, Mother of Pearl has not. She adds laughing “Philip Sajet who is another jeweller says everyone always talks about the pearl but no one talks about the mother…[But] once I realised that I wanted to make a comment about all those crazy jewellery auctions I thought what is the simplest design I can create that people will immediately recognise and identify with, and that was the most common jewellery cuts. Which were the brilliant, the cushion and  seven other different cuts and I decided to make a mosaic of all in Mother of Pearl. The resulting Gemstones collection completed in 2016 challenged conventional thinking. What makes a faceted ‘stone’ covetable and desirable, is it provenance, cost, colour, rarity? And for those concerned with the environment, something that even the most reluctant have to concede some awareness of, isn’t using both the Pearl and Mother of Pearl a responsible and preferred way to consume jewellery? And surely in this age of inclusivity shouldn’t democratisation of participation in jewellery, as Mother of Pearl pieces carry less hefty price-tags, also be up for discussion? Georgacopoulos adds “There should be a cap in my mind on how much things can cost [as when prices get this high] … it almost doesn’t feel like jewellery anymore it becomes something else”

Gemstones MOP Emerald Cufflinks (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Gemstones MOP Emerald Cufflinks (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

 

Gemstones MOP Cushion Cut Ring (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Gemstones MOP Cushion Cut Ring (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

With Nacre, designed in 2019, Georgacopoulos has given the clearest indication of where she is heading both as a jeweller and an artist, with this deep meditation on the soul of the pearl resulting in a bold and uncompromising collection that hint at her  time at Edinburgh studying Sculpture. “I always joke I am trying to return the pearl to its oyster” she explains of the pieces that see pearls set in correspondingly coloured Mother of Pearl seemingly disappearing back into their shell. The collection represents Georgacopoulos granting herself the permission to surrender fully to where her artistry will take her: “I accept what the piece comes out as without putting restrictions; whether they are monetary restrictions, or thinking Oh, who is going to wear this? Or it needs to be a bit smaller or it needs to do this or it needs to do that. The Nacre pieces…can stand as small sculptures in a space. So it is that line between jewellery looking like jewellery, having jewellery elements but also being an object. And I think that is why it ends up being more expensive because one needs for example a thicker piece of gold as you need that balance for the piece.” The collection alongside Cube (designed in 2018) which also features a pearl juxtaposed with a cube of Mother Of Pearl have not only opened discourses around a material which was hitherto disregarded but also allowed Georgacopoulos to play more with proportions and task herself with a new challenge. “What people consider a beautiful and valuable pearl is usually perfectly round, no blemishes, perfect lustre to the point that it looks fake especially if it is a really large one . I thought it was a good idea to reunite the pearl to the oyster to show that this is actually quite amazing even if it is a cultured pearl, as it is still a little animal creating this.” In her able hands she fashions that reality into adornments that are evocative of this particular truth.

Nacre Necklace (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Nacre Necklace (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

 

Nacre Double Ring (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Nacre Double Ring (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

This is not to say that Georgacopoulos is satisfied with her pieces being worn by habitués of PAD Fair, Frieze Art Fair and the Front Row at major global fashion weeks, although her work has an obvious appeal to people working in the creative industries and those who already have strong aesthetic sensibilities. She expands “I want to keep the jewellery open enough design wise that it appeals to a wider range of women and not just have one specific art or design lady who earns a lot of money and has eclectic taste as my client. I think women, people, are more diverse.” Furthermore, Georgacopoulos is determined to take  pearl jewellery out of the for-special-occasions-only silo adding “I intentionally want to have very wearable everyday pieces that people can buy without having to save up money for them ” To this end the Essence collection designed in 2014 and aforementioned Cube fit the rubric as they have an informal feel without compromising on Georgacopoulos’ design language. She adds “I don’t want to lose that connection with people who like the pieces I design but are not able to spend five figures on them” 

Essence Rings, (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Essence Rings, (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

Co-Creating with an Innovative Heritage Brand

Recounting how her long-term collaboration with Japanese pearl heritage house Tasaki came into being, the predestined qualities of the story shine through. “The director of Tasaki was in London and saw my pieces in Dover Street Market…And I think they tried to locate me through my agent and I got an email saying that they wanted to invite me to Japan to meet with them over a week but  they didn’t really say what it was about.” What ensued was a creative courtship, with Georgacopoulos recalling  “They took me to Nagasaki to their pearl farm where I opened some oysters, I found some pearls inside and then they took me to Kobe where their production facility is and I was completely blown away. I remember thinking I am in Japan, I am talking to a Japanese pearl jewellery company, they are interested in my work, how crazy is this? I am basically a Greek girl, designing pearl jewellery and I have a giant of the pearl industry contacting me.” What the comprehensive tour indicated, was that the team at Tasaki had identified the talent that would assist them in creating collections that clearly positioned them as the avant-garde alternative to their main competitor  Mikimoto. Furthermore, they were willing, in spite of their history as an established heritage house, to humbly court her until she acquiesced. For her part, Georgacopoulos, on signing her contract in 2012  handed her breakthrough  degree collections: Sliced, Drilled and Arlequin to be extended and produced under the new marque they created  for the collaboration M/G Tasaki, in 2013.

Drilled Earrings M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Drilled Earrings M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

 

Arlequin Bangle, M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Arlequin Bangle, M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

Georgacopoulos is remarkably calm about what many might perceive as giving away her trademark work, she adds: “I was thinking, well, through my agent, and through me wholesaling I can probably sell five or ten of these [pieces] , but Tasaki can sell hundreds of these. Which means that for hundreds of customers, maybe thousands over time, they will have embraced something that is to a certain extent quite radical.” Additionally, from a creative perspective “it forced me to say okay, I have done this but now I move on. I want to test myself, challenge myself. I don’t want to repeat, just because it works. I don’t want to do this for the x amount of years I am going to work as a jeweller.”

Wedge Ring M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Wedge Ring M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

Subsequent collections have followed the same commercial success and the collaboration has availed Georgacopoulos with the opportunity to have two parallel careers in the same industry.  Tasaki provides production and development facilities that a smaller brand can only dream of, whilst Georgacopoulos continues expanding on her mandate of reimagining pearl jewellery, but keeping a keen eye on commercial considerations, such as using diamonds and other gemstones. Collections of note have included to name a few Segment (2016), Grain and Woven (2018)

Segment Ring M/G Tasaki (Image courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Segment Ring M/G Tasaki (Image courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

For a company steeped in history she reports that neither her gender or her not being Japanese have impeded her progress or created logjams.“It is by far the best professional experience I have had in my life. Not because it has been easy but because it has been very straightforward from the beginning. They chose me because they liked my jewellery voice, so they never imposed anything. Whenever I am supposed to do a new collection…I receive a plan with certain price points and a list of what has sold well in the past. But they never give me any directions in terms of design, so I come up with the design directions, I send a huge amount of drawings and they tell me okay we feel this is right for us this season and we will develop that.” It speaks positive volumes of Tasaki’s corporate culture and in many ways future-proofs them for the 21st century. With call-out and cancel culture catching many a jewellery and fashion behemoth in the crosshairs, the arrangement between Georgacopoulos and Tasaki is one where mutual respect is forefront, exploitation and discrimination is entirely absent and she is availed the technical support and expertise to deliver products that customers will love. It is a collaboration template that many will no doubt seek to emulate as increasingly discerning customers seek out jewellery that is  both beautiful and made by brands that share their values.

Woven Necklace M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Woven Necklace M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

Authenticity and the future of Jewellery

“I am very excited to see students working with pearls.” Georgacopolous says. As a Visiting Lecturer in the BA Jewellery Design course at Central Saint Martin’s, she works  principally with final year students. She is also quick to encourage them to be as audacious as she was adding “We should always try to imagine something different. There is no point in repeating the past… fine, it is not easy for anyone but what will make you stand out ultimately is your individual expression.” Authenticity, has become something of a buzzword in the worlds of jewellery and fashion with brands large and small, devising multifarious plans to engage and attract customers in an ever crowded marketplace. By teaching students to chart their own course early, Georgacopoulos hopes to provide them with a blueprint for a successful existence that stretches beyond the jewellery bench. And generous to a fault, she uses her own Instagram handle as a means of amplification, posting graduate and recent graduates’ work to followers.

Grain Double Ring M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Grain Double Ring M/G Tasaki (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

We close our conversation considering the luxury space in light of the Covid19 pandemic, which in addition to claiming lives, has laid waste to businesses globally. What does she feel this time means for the future of luxury and jewellery in particular? Georgacopoulos’ response is emphatic. “Whether it is fashion, jewellery, or objects , I really hope we are going to embrace more craftsmanship, handmade things and not just buying something that is made five thousand times and paying a premium because it has a nice big logo on. I just cannot identify with that for my own life.” `Conscious consumption aside, lockdown has also been  a season where Georgacopoulos has not only embraced the juggle of parenting, homeschooling and designing, but also questioned the way jewellery is currently marketed and the myth-making that goes hand in hand with it. She notes “I feel this moment is generally translating into people showing a bit more of themselves and not the image they think they have to project.” Discussing her forthcoming campaign imagery she expands “I really don’t want the beautiful woman with the perfect nails looking absolutely stunning and wearing matching jewellery pieces which is the typical stereotype…. I think as women we are relaxing a little bit more [in regard to] how we show ourselves and this idea of perfection that essentially men have imposed on us.” Pearls as the ornamental armour for the woman who is in control of her own destiny, rather than a debutante or grand dame whose identity is contingent on her provenance or who she married? It doesn’t get more modern than that.

Nacre Bangle, (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Nacre Bangle, (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

 

Georgacopoulos’ trajectory is a masterclass in the power of focus and determined application. Each creative chapter on her journey so far seamlessly feeds into the next: from childhood experimental maker to student silversmith, sculptor, jewellery designer and now jewellery artist. Whilst her ascent may appear speedy, having courage in her convictions has also played its part. Few would dare to present a degree show with such a fundamental rule broken  or indeed continue to challenge pre=conceived notions in high jewellery. Her design explorations and collaborations also indicate a creator who although fortunate to find her niche early, has still remained open to widening its locus and the modus operandi of execution, as seen in her work for her eponymous brand, M/G Tasaki and special commissions, exhibitions and shows such as ‘Le Cabinet de Curiosites de Thomas Erber,’ held in Paris in 2015. Her humility in light of her successes is indicative of a creator who still believes there is much more to explore as hubris is normally borne out of complacency which Georgacopoulos is the very opposite of. Before we part company she leaves me pondering a profound statement that incapsulates the emotional connection people form with their jewellery and by extension the jewellery creatives they admire: “People buy energy…You buy the energy of a piece, the energy that you take from it, the energy that it gives you, the energy that you feel when you wear it or when you own it.” Groundbreaking designs aside it is her enduring optimism and candour that guides her work: “I try to be as honest as I can and I like the idea of opening things up instead of saying ah, this is a secret and exclusive.” In this modern age of inclusiveness, collaboration and widening the remit of participation, her career feels built to last.

Thomas Erber Rectangle Necklace (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)
Thomas Erber Rectangle Necklace (Image Courtesy of Melanie Georgacopoulos)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exploring Melanie Eddy’s Many Facets

“Any maker wants their work to speak first” says Melanie Eddy, but when the work ranges from jeweller, to academic, to international development expert and now educational change agent, it doesn’t just speak, it shouts from the rooftops. Amongst the jewellery cognoscenti Eddy is a noted voice: her atelier situated in the heart of Clerkenwell, London’s traditional jewellery district is a destination for collectors of her arresting pieces in gold and silver that are informed by her love of architecture and geometry. As a lecturer on the MA Ceramics, Furniture and Jewellery programme at the world renowned Central Saint Martin’s, she is stewarding the next generation of creative visionaries. Furthermore, her work in the development sector has seen her spearhead programmes that use jewellery as a socio-economic catalyst and cultural anchor in post-conflict territories. A Director for the Association for Contemporary Jewellery, Eddy is to some extent part of the jewellery establishment, although her Bermudan-New Zealander heritage have oftentimes made her the only person of colour with a seat at the proverbial table and brought with it attendant challenges. Our wide ranging conversation, in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder and the resulting global protests against racism and white supremacy, inevitably turns to the lack of diversity in the jewellery world and debates around inclusivity, something that Eddy is seamlessly addressing with a practical and professional approach.

Melanie Eddy image: Nicola Muirhead
Melanie Eddy in her studio. Image by Nicola Muirhead

Tackling Diversity, Challenging Perceptions
“I have been teaching for six years at Central Saint Martins…and since I have been on the course I have not seen a jeweller come on the course who is of black heritage.” Eddy relates, in soft spoken tones that convey razor sharp analyses and somewhat uncomfortable truths, sweetened by their delicate delivery. Considering the situation from the perspective of potential students she notes “if you don’t see many exemplars from your community…people don’t visualise themselves in that space because it is removed from their reality.” Rather than merely lament the situation, Eddy has put her relationships within the industry to powerful effect. As a co=founder of the Jewellery Futures Fund,  Eddy together with Rachel Garrahan, Jewellery and Watch Director of British Vogue and Annabel Davidson, Vanity Fair’s  On Jewellery editor are responding to the issues head-on: from providing bursaries for black students, to paid internships for graduates  across the jewellery sector and grants for emerging designers and makers of colour.  It is an audacious plan of action that is a continuum of conversations she has initiated throughout her career, but which came to a head in recent weeks. “When all of this stuff was coming out people were like oh my God, this is horrible, what can we do? And I kind of was like well, actually..” She says wryly laughing at the memory: “The jewellery industry is so frigging white….There are some of us here and there needs to be more of us.”  Eddy recognises her luck in being able to complete her studies via a combination of grants, bursaries and assistance from her family and is passionate that the fund expands the participation pool so that the jewellery industry truly evolves. Significantly, the fund takes the tripartite approach of education, work experience and investing in black students and thus has the potential to address the issue in a holistic and measurable manner long after the marches hashtags and comment pieces have ceased flooding our collective feeds and timelines.

Image: Courtesy of Melanie Eddy
Geometric Gold Rings: Image: Courtesy of Melanie Eddy

Eddy’s love affair with jewellery is lifelong; “my connection to jewellery definitely came from my Mum and my grandmother because they were very stylish and they had jewellery boxes full of all kinds of treasures” It was not long before Eddy became something of an autodidact: “I was reading about gems in the school library and stuff like that and then I made a bit of jewellery at high school but with bits of glass as I didn’t have gems” However, her route into the industry wasn’t linear, initially studying for a joint honours  in English and International and Comparative Studies at the University of Western Ontario, Huron University College, as in her words “I had the grades” rather than opting for the more precarious path of full-time creative. Yet, she found her way back to jewellery although not without experiencing first hand numerous micro-aggressions as a woman of colour: “I applied to the Royal College of Art and I didn’t get accepted but not only did I not get accepted in my interview I was talked to and treated in not a very nice way to the extent that another tutor apologised and helped me apply to other institutions…I was really ripped to shreds at the interview and it really impacted me.” Neither was this an isolated incident, Eddy adds: “As the years passed jewellery [making] had started to become smaller and my other work [in the industry] became bigger because I found it easier in terms of being heard…I didn’t feel the same kind of reception in the jewellery sector. I have been turned down for exhibitions, I have been turned down for things that I have applied for and people looking at my stuff would be like how is that possible?” But whilst she leaves the question open, it is clear that the unconscious bias and overt prejudice had resulted in many decision makers within the industry either unwilling or lacking in imagination to posit her among the vanguard of jewellery designers paving the way in the early 21st century.

Topaz Engagement Ring and Wedding Band. Image: Courtesy of Melanie Eddy
Topaz Engagement Ring and Wedding Band. Image: Courtesy of Melanie Eddy

For Eddy, a clear design language has always been at the heart of her practice and has resulted in pieces that are immediately recognisable as her own. She elaborates: “For me it was really important to keep the message clear in my jewellery but it was also a contested space..people would say you are not making work about your experience or it doesn’t look like the kind of work they would expect from a black person or one from the Caribbean.” Further upending external expectations are her architectural forms and references, which for the lazy reviewer belonged to a male practitioner: “In terms of architecture two elements resonate for me: sacred architecture of all faiths and doctrines and the sparseness of Tadao Ando’s designs and how deliberate he was in terms of interaction and creating these very experiential spaces” In addition to Ando, she cites Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid as having influenced her work, as well as the avant-garde artist and pioneer of the Suprematist movement Kazimir Malevich. Indeed her jewellery, often includes geometric shapes and gemstones cut and set in such a way that they are evocative of abstract art. When worn, the pieces create new silhouettes on the wearer’s body, reminiscent of the way a new building transforms both the existing landscape it is situated in and people’s relationship to it. For those seeking pieces with intellectual depth of meaning Eddy’s work is consistent in its messaging and intriguing in equal measure. Not to say this has not gone without resistance or comment: “Why should I have to adapt to  perceptions of blackness?” She rightly asks. It is an important question, inclusion is only one part of the diversity equation, of equal import are expectations and narrow suppositions. Tribal references, bright colours and heavy ornamentation should not become the only aesthetic and design silo for the female jeweller of colour to operate from.

Blue Topaz and Palladium Ring. Image: Courtesy of Melanie Eddy
Blue Topaz and Palladium Ring. Image: Courtesy of Melanie Eddy

Eddy is emphatic in recognising the pioneer women and black jewellers who are important standard bearers and touchstones for herself and future generations: “Top of the list has to be Jacqueline Rabun. I spoke to her for the first time yesterday and I was starstruck and surprised that I was even able to have a proper chat with her as I was grinning so hard.” she says of the African-American designer who in addition to her own private atelier has spearheaded a commercial and creative revival at heritage Danish jewellery house Georg Jensen.  Suzanne Belperron, a designer from back in the day [and] of course Elsa Perretti for Tiffany are also big inspirations.” Of arguably the first great black designer of the contemporary era she notes: “I didn’t know much about Art Smith until much later.” That Smith still remains relatively unknown is something Eddy is seeking to rectify via the lens of education and increased visibility for designers of colour: “It is important for us to come to the fore because it means younger people will feel validated and that the space is for them.” 

 

Jewellery as a Catalyst for Change

It is perhaps in Eddy’s roles in the third sector that has seen her work overtly cross over into the political realm, and curiously take her back to her first discipline of international development: “All of the projects that I have been involved in…have had a collaborative nature to them, a local component and the agency is there from the country side as supposed to a drop-in kind of situation because I feel uncomfortable {with that] and have actually interrogated that process.” Consultancies have taken her extensively across Central and South Asia where she sought means for jewellery makers, miners and artisans to create further value. She expands: “looking at real solutions to income generation in countries ravaged by war, debating the course of sustainable business practices for the creative sector, how we continue to provide opportunities to all spectrums of society to engage in that process for keeping art and design colleges diverse culturally and economically….that is when I see the value of my voice at those tables.” For countries such as Afghanistan with rich mineral deposits but limited capacity building mechanisms and where Eddy worked at Turquoise Mountain’s Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture, practitioners who were conversant in the political and economic challenges, but committed to creating scenarios that glean the greatest good were a welcome boon, she notes: “Turquoise Mountain was different …they don’t operate that standard model..they wind things up and it becomes run by nationals which is the best way.”

Aquamarine and Gold Ring: Image Courtesy of Melanie Eddy
Aquamarine and Gold Engagement Ring and Wedding Band: Image Courtesy of Melanie Eddy

However, even in these fora, western-centric thinking often proved problematic. “These cultures have a history of excellence and expertise we were just facilitating growth on existing legacies and craftsmanship… [For instance} they have a history of gold craftsmanship in parts of East and West Africa.. In Afghanistan there is a history of gem cutting…what is sometimes frustrating about some of these projects is not acknowledging what is happening in the communities. The [projects] that are done really well acknowledge the history, that it is not about bringing European techniques” She is equally scathing about models that see global marketshare increasing as the only true measure of success: “It is as if the only viable consumer is the international consumer, the western global consumer which is ridiculous. If you look at the demographics in regard to what is happening with the growing middle and higher economic classes  in Africa for instance, the market is there. The market is not abroad. Within 40 or 50 years people will wake up to this reality but right now they are still in a bit of a daze…Any strategy has to be cognisant of fostering a community, fostering growth and fostering engagement with local markets and growing local markets.” Perhaps black jewellery designers be they on the continent or in the diaspora would do well to explore emerging economies and territories rather than fix their gaze firmly on the west? What is most significant is how this body of work clearly illustrates how jewellery, an item deemed as a luxury and to some a frippery can be at the forefront of  enabling economic prosperity, political stability and cultural exchange.

 

Image: Courtesy of Melanie Eddy
Image: Courtesy of Melanie Eddy

Looking to the future of jewellery, particularly via the lens of black jewellery designers, Eddy is optimistic even though creating jewellery collections, campaigning for better terms of engagement within the industry, teaching her students and consulting in the development sector has resulted in fatigue and occasional disillusionment “ it is lonely and it is isolating” she says and it is in instances such as this that old friends such as the writer Afua Hirsch come into play: “she is really super busy but we will still connect and talk occasionally and she has given me the fortitude to stay the course.” Because Eddy’s work goes far beyond herself and personal and professional plaudits. It is about correcting historical injustices where opportunities to participate and recognition of the quality of work produced by black jewellery designers were limited at best and obstructed and ignored at worst. It is about expanding the locus of taste to incorporate aesthetic values from other parts of the world and halt the western gaze that sees difference as intrinsically inferior. It is about those working in the industry, especially in countries with considerable mineral wealth finally seeing equitable working conditions and pay. And finally it is about using her considerable talent as a designer and maker to create pieces that speak to her clients and transform their mood, ensembles and life from the moment they wear them. With her prodigious talent, crystal clear values and  tenacious spirit, the best from her for her collectors, students and the industry is yet to come.