 I recently completed a beautiful Renaissance style ring and thought I would share some pictures of my process. I met with a client who had her mother's diamond engagement and wedding rings on a chain around her neck. She asked me to design a ring using the three diamonds as well as incorporating the wedding band into the ring. I used the wedding band to create the little balls that adorn the ring. I think it turned out beautifully!
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 So excited and honoured to be a part of a beautiful article about Canadian designers. Gorgeous photo shoot and lots of beautiful jewelry.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/fashion-and-beauty/fashion/our-home-and-native-bling-canadian-jewels-shine-in-shop-local-movement/article22909312/
Here are some photos of the ring taken with my digital camera and macro lens. I think it is a very elegant wedding band.  I was going through my photos and came across my graduation project pieces from way back in 1992. Time does certainly fly. The criteria was that we were supposed to use as many of the techniques we had learned and apply them in a creative and aesthetic way to jewelry and/or objects.
I have always had a fascination for boxes. Perhaps because I read the story of Pandora as a child and my imagination was stimulated by the fact that boxes can hold things in, or let them out. All in all, I find them mysterious and lovely. One might even call it a fetish...  Flashback Friday...this is a ring I made in school, over twenty years ago...yikes!
Green tourmaline channel-set in sterling silver with 18kt wave detail. It belongs to my friend and co-worker at the time. She was one of my first clients and always encouraged me in my pursuit of artistic endeavours. We met last weekend and I gave the ring a little TLC. So nice when the kids visit!  Chrysocolla ring made while I was in school taking the Jewelry Art and Design program at VCC back in 1992...can you believe this was over 20 years ago??? Sterling silver with 18kt yellow gold detail. I never took a picture of this ring until last Friday...pardon the imperfections, I was just starting my jewellery training. I kept it and wear it a lot.  The stone was cut by myself as part of the lapidary section of the course. (I enjoyed cutting the stone but the process is too messy to do it on a professional basis.) I love love this material...Chrysocolla, a multi-crystalline agate, with malachite creates a planet Earth kind of vibe. I love the glow.  The criss-cross detail is different and unique, and surprisingly comfortable. The stone actually was glued in on either side (gasp!) not ideal but I was experimenting.  Today's post is of the process of making a ring, with a slight restriction- I had to use a ring that had belonged to a client's mother. I really enjoy being a part of something special and meaningful and this is a great example of what I offer as a custom goldsmith. This client wanted to remember her mom by refurbishing this ring she had worn for years. Sometimes it's not the intrinsic value that means the most, as this ring had been lovingly worn, most likely 24/7, to the point that the sapphire was damaged and I had to have it re-polished. The diamonds were not the best quality either, but I still thought they deserved to be included as they were part of the original ring. I took these very modest stones and created a beautiful leaf ring- all while keeping the spirit of the original wearer.  original ring   A pair of 14kt yellow gold earrings with a replica of an ancient Roman coin cast in sterling silver and oxidized for dramatic effect. I wanted to keep the cost down for my client so made a simple pair of shepherd hooks and hung the coins from these, giving them nice movement yet still secure in that they close. The second shot shows the back of the earrings and the back of the coin- the image seems to be a chariot and horse type of thing. Beautiful, elegant and timeless. I have used this coin for cufflinks and made one heads and the other tails, I kind of like that asymmetry but my client preferred a matched pair. I never get tired of this image, very versatile.   This is a beautiful yellow sapphire set in 18kt yellow and white gold accented by pavé-set diamonds. It started off as a left over piece from a necklace I made a couple of years ago. The "doughnut" of diamonds didn't work and was in my safe, begging for somewhere to put it. My client's husband decided that his lovely wife deserved a beautiful new ring for her birthday. The stone is very bright and lively.
 Good morning! Today I thought I would take a stroll down memory lane and post some pictures of my Divine Divas, from my Circle Craft show in 2003. My inspiration was based on the fact that I had quite a few large gemstones that were in my collection for a long time (years), begging to be set into wonderful, over the top cocktail rings. I made nine individual rings, with the defining element being that the stone had to be BIG.
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About Hélène:
Hélène is a Vancouver BC designer/goldsmith with a passion for beautiful gemstones and precious metals. She works with the philosophy that objects that are thoughtfully conceived, hand made with technical precision and infused with artistic passion have an energy that cannot be attained with mass produced objects. With this belief, no two pieces are identical and each are unique and one of a kind. Archives
February 2015
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