Dazzle contemporary jewellery exhibition returns to gallery@oxo from 9 November 2014 until 11 January 2015 with a stellar line-up from emerging talent to some of the most revered names in jewellery. Established in 1981, the exhibition has grown to feature more than 90 contemporary jewellery designers from 20 countries selling up to 4,000 handmade pieces. Here are nine of the hottest jewellers on the block that you don’t want to miss…
1Sophie Harley, UK Jewellery Designer of the Year 2013, designs for international catwalks, A-list clients and even Bond movies! From her studio in Portobello Road, west London, the Royal College of Art graduate creates glamorous, contemporary pieces using precious metals and stones, and has quite the cult following.
2Jacqueline Cullen is the only contemporary jeweller that uses Whitby jet, a prehistoric black fossil that was popular with the Victorians. Mined during its heyday, it is now rare and Jacqueline’s supplier abseils down the cliffs collecting raw samples from mines and caves. Jacqueline’s work celebrates rather than disguises the inherent flaws of Whitby jet, combining it with black diamonds to stunning effect.
3From his small jewellery workshop in Cornwall, Justin Duance hand makes his jewellery and silver watches using recycled precious metals – palladium, white gold, yellow gold, red gold, silver, platinum and titanium – inlaid with wood salvaged from old ships or antique furniture (pictured top). The laid back surfer from Penzance earned his degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing at the Sir John Cass Faculty of Art in London.
4Grace Hamilton was the only jeweller to be given a prestigious Bright Young Thing status by Selfridges in 2013, which showcases the UK’s most exciting young design talents. Grace reinvents traditional crochet, knotting and embroidery skills to create show-stopping textile neckpieces in contrasting colours, textures and shapes. Grace is inspired by a love for travel and sculpture.
5Grainne Morton uses buttons, bric-a-brac and vintage ‘thingies’ in her pieces, which she sources from vintage shops. Her vast menagerie of found items are individually set, primarily in silver, and arranged together with an emphasis on balance, scale, shape and form. Every piece is unique and there is always a narrative and something unexpected.
6Mark Nuell’s inspiration for jewellery came from early contact with gemstones in Australia, where his father mined sapphires. Mark learned to cut and polish these stones, later studying jewellery design in Sydney. Distinctive sapphires in shades of blue, green and yellow come to life nestled among 18ct gold and silver. His ‘spiral’ rings and bangles are set with a scattering of precious stones and gold detail.
7Belgian designer/maker Jelka Quintelier studied goldsmithing, silversmithing, metalwork and jewellery design at the Royal College of Art. To Jelka, jewellery pieces are sculptures that relate to body and space, and she tries to fuse the boundaries of jewellery and product design to combine wearability and functionality. Under the name Black Lune, Jelka designs laser cut and hand cut rubber jewellery, accessories and interior installations.
8Cristina Zani is a big hit from last year’s Dazzle event. The young Italian designer’s My Seoul range, which incorporates patinated wood, thread and precious metals, is inspired by the contrasting architecture of Seoul – the somber modern buildings intertwined with colourful and ancient wooden temples and palaces.
Granulated sapphire rings by Hannah Bedford
9Hannah Bedford’s jewellery designs explore texture and form using the traditional process of granulation. Working in precious metals, Hannah creates a range of women’s jewellery inspired by organic growth patterns in the natural world. Hannah uses granulation to create raised, textured surfaces that capture precious stones and interlace between surfaces, linking bangles and weaving across rings. Each piece is carefully handcrafted in her Deptford.
Dazzle runs from 9 November 2014 until 11 January 2015 at gallery@oxo, Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street SE1 9PH; dazzle-exhibitions.co.uk