Earrings

(Traditional Jewellery of India - Oppi Untracht, pg.16)

Ive decided to incorporate the fashion theme into what I'm doing already which is working with Indian Bridal Jewellery.

I haven't made earrings on a while so i thought, why not for this project...Earrings play a role in the adornment of an Indian bride as you can see in this picture.

Background

Ive decided to work with earrings for my fashion piece...id like to incorporate this fashion theme with what i am doing already which is focusing on Indian Bridal Jewellery.

Fashion

The project that I am working on right now falls under the theme of "Fashion." In order to do this I first had to look at my recent copies of Glamour Magazine so that i could find some sort of common thread with the jewellery that people are wearing.

These pictures show pages from my journal where i created a story board effect that gave me an understanding as to "what's happening" in the fashion world!

What i noticed i from paging through magazines and speaking to other jewellery students is that most people are wearing fewer pieces of jewellery, but the jewellery that's being worn, be it earrings/neck pieces/rings etc, have become very bold, almost as if people are wearing statement pieces.

Shining Lights

This is my design for the De Beers Shining Lights competition. The theme this year is Enduring Bonds. My design idea came from looking at a lotus flower and the idea of something so beautiful emerging from muddy waters.

Arsi

Here i was thinking that not many people use mirrors in there jewellery...Mirror Rings have been used for over 300 years. They were originally worn by Muslim women but over the years they have been accepted by the Hindu women. They are called Arsi in Northern India.

One of the most richest periods of the development of traditional jewellery in India took place during the Mughal Dynasty(16th-19th century). Niccolao Manucci, a Venetian traveler who spent 60 years India, was lucky enough to be allowed into the private quarters of the mughal courts...he was a part time physician and soldier so he was allowed into the women's courts as well.

In his records he wrote" I have not relied on the knowledge of others;and i have not spoken of nothing which i have not seen." He gives a vivid description of court women's jewellery, "On fingers there are rings, and on the right thumb there is always a ring,where, in place of a stone, there is mounted a little mirror,having pearls around it. This mirror they use to look at themselves,an act which they are very fond, at any and every moment"

I'm not upset anymore...I'm actually glad it existed way before i was born and in a way i am continuing with something that is part of the history of Indian jewellery.

Reference: Traditional Jewellery Of India- Oppi Untracht

Splash Page

What do you think of my splash page? I tried to keep it as simple as possible!

cloudy days

Yesterday was such a beautiful day...The sun didn't show up so it was a perfect day to experiment with the camera. Cloudy days are great for taking pictures of jewellery. I was trying to take pictures of my ring on a mirror using the effects on my camera...i quite like these pics....if it wasn't for the rain, I'm sure i would have got the perfect shot!

I used a mirror and the clouds as my background...trying to create some sort of context for this reflective piece.