Reflections

Finally my Fashion piece is Complete!!! Really pleased with the way it turned out...this piece has given me so many ideas for the next pierced piece.

I was considering gold plating, not so sure anymore...What do you think?

Feel as though these earrings turned out exactly how I wanted theme to be - a combination of a Fashion piece and My BTech theme(Indian Bridal Jewellery)...bold and intricate at the same time!

Work In Progress

My Earrings are coming together really well, decided to use Shepard hooks instead of posts, not just because I prefer them but also because Shepard hooks suit the length of my earrings.

Embossing

I wanted to try another way of capturing the intricasy of my pierced elements other than drawing them...so I tried embossing them. It actually turned out really well. I think it could be a very useful technique when it comes to packaging and labeling my jewellery...

Piercing

These are the henna elements that I pierced out for my earrings. I'm really happy with the way that the turned out...What do you think?

Design Ideas

These are some of my design ideas and henna patterns that i intend using for my fashion piece...I'm trying to create something that's both bold and Intricate.

Earrings from the Old Days

Bale Jabbedar - North India, late 19th century, Gold enamelled earrings set with diamonds.

Karnaphul Jhumka - South India, late 19th- 20th century

Nagavadura - Tamil Nadu, Vellore; c.1880 - Stylised gold cobras

These are some egs. of Ear Ornaments that were used by Indian women in the old days.

(Indian Jewellery, Dance of the Peacock)

Suryakanthi Kathola

I think it is so amazing how different cultures had their own beliefs and how they found ways of incorporating their beliefs in the jewellery that they wore.

I found this really cool earring that is called Suryakanthi Kathola(sunflower earrings). These enormous gold solar symbols were worn suspended over the ears, they were intended to harness the power energies of the sun.

Indian Jewellery, Dance of the peacock,pg168.

Background

According to Krishnan (Indian Jewellery - Dance of The Peacock,pg168), Early sculptures demonstrate that ear ornaments were an important constituent of Indian Female Attire.


Symbolism
To a married woman, the ear ornament is auspicious, Bare earlobes signified widowhood.
Additionally a woman's wealth was conspicuously visible and the ear ornament became a statement of her status and power. Elongated earlobes were considered a sign of beauty and wealth. It was believed that the longer the earlobe , the greater the woman's wealth.

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.