Ringing The Changes 2014

‘Ringing The Changes’ is an exhibition of internationally renowned British jewellers making contemporary wedding jewellery. Distinctly modern rings and wedding jewellery, complimenting both the contemporary and the traditional.
The exhibition includes 9 new designers, and new work from current Victoria Sewart Gallery designers. All specialising in rings made from a wide range of materials; traditional, contemporary, precious and affordable. Sustainability is important with the designers using materials that are sourced as ethically as possible.
People want a more personal wedding, which now includes contemporary and bespoke non ‘high street’ wedding jewellery. The gallery works closely with the client to customise designs to suit them.

Born in London, raised in Barbados, with a Jewellery degree from Middlesex University and a post-graduate diploma in Jewellery from Edinburgh College of Art & Design, Disa Allsopp set up her first studio in Barbados before starting her current jewellery studio in London in 1996

Disas’ work is inspired by the ancient jewellery of the Etruscans, Egyptians and Greek and Roman civilizations. She uses traditional techiniques such as forging, reticulation and patination to produce her unique finishes to the 18kt Gold and Sterling Silver metals that are central to her collections. Her travels to East Africa and her origins in Barbados can be seen in her use of gemstones, with golden Citrines, rich Garnets and Rubies being just a few of the stones that she uses. White and coloured Diamonds are set on unique bands and rough and rare cut gemstones make Disas’ work contemporary and current while maintaining a timeless charm. All work is individually handmade in her London studio.

Hannah 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, from intricate necklaces to bespoke engagement and wedding rings. Collections are inspired by organic growth patterns in the natural world. Hannah uses granulation to create raised, textured surfaces that entwine each piece. Fine granulation encaptures precious stones and interlaces between surfaces, linking bangles and weaving across rings. The work is often led by these technical explorations, using them to play with scale, form and contrasting precious metals to create aesthetically beautiful forms. Each piece is carefully handcrafted in her London studio, and her jewellery collections are exhibited nationally. Hannah also works with clients, to create beautiful bespoke commissions.

Farah Qureshi is a London based jewellery designer. Farah comes from an art school background where she specialised in jewellery design and she currently designs and makes contemporary ranges of jewellery, predominately using silver with some pieces made in eighteen carat gold. Her work has been inspired by many different subjects such as microscopic algae, traveling to different places, different cultures, visits to museums, art exhibitions and visits to botanical gardens. The pieces range from delicate and timeless pieces to bolder more glamorous styles.

Jean’s inspiration is rooted in her love of the artifacts of ancient cultures. She admires the textures, colours and purity of design, and to see the marks of the tools that made each object beneath the subtle patina of age is to see their makers’ workings back through time. In a direct link to those ancient craftsmen, Jean uses traditional hand tools to work with the metal – piercing, hammering and shaping – her designs developing as she works. Fragments of gold are fused to silver – some pieces are oxidised for depth of colour, then each piece is hand finished with fine emery papers, with edges brightly burnished. Simplicity of line and form are enhanced with carefully selected gemstones including pearls, spinels, coloured diamonds and topaz. All the work is hand made in her Sussex workshop and each piece is unique. Evolving continually, the collection radiates her flair for design and attention to detail.

Olivia Schlevogt’s work is characterised by strong, clear and simple shapes, softened with texture and surface detail. The geometric forms are made in gold or silver with a matt finish and yellow or white gold ornamentation. Sometimes adding Diamonds to highlight the design and including precious and semi-precious stones, Olivia creates one off pieces or small collections of characteristic design and high quality craftsmanship. Olivia was born and grew up in Germany in a small town called Schwaebisch Gmuend, which has acquired the name “Gold and Silver town” because of its jewellery and silversmithing history. Through this and her family of glassmakers and jewellers she was greatly influenced from an early age to become a jeweller. She spent 4 years as an apprentice in a well known jewellery company in Germany before continuing her training in a 4 year course at the Kent Institute of Art and Design in Rochester. Olivia has won several prizes for craftsmanship and design, and in 2007, she was selected to make an 18ct gold and diamond bracelet for the Modern Collection of the Goldsmiths’ Company. Now well established in England with a workshop near Rochester, she supplies Galleries and private clients.

As a designer and Goldsmith, Shivani is passionate about the whole creative process involved in crafting a piece of jewellery. Designing and making takes place in her recently opened studio in rural Worcestershire. Inspiration for recent designs has developed from studying the decoration and theory behind ancient Moghul architecture; particularly the geometric patterned tile work and inlaid marble. Shivani strives within each of her designs to achieve a balance between individual competing elements; these comprise composition, repetition, simplicity, symmetry, asymmetry and scale. Pieces produced exhibit the rich, soft qualities found in the traditional Indian alloy of 22k Gold. This deep yellow Gold is often combined with the contrasting colours of White and Green Gold and vivid Gemstones. Each piece of jewellery will be designed and made around an individually selected stone, consequently resulting in a fluid, continuously evolving range of one-off pieces. It is for this reason that Shivani is passionate about working to commission.

Victoria graduated with a first BA (Hons) degree in Jewellery & Silversmithing at Truro College in 2009. During the course, she began working for two local jewellers, and won the Goldsmiths Company Precious Metal Bursary award for her designs. She specialises in kinetic, fine jewellery inspired by the beauty of natural forms. Her signature botanical lockets feature miniature articulated flowers that gently emerge and unfold from within. Ring designs are also kinetic and feature beautiful stones set into entirely revolving spheres. These moving designs are inspired by the sentimental nature of lockets and indeed all jewellery, with the idea that sometimes the most precious and treasured elements are hidden beneath the surface. Using traditional techniques with silver, 18ct gold and diamonds, every tiny petal is carefully handcrafted and precisely engineered to create these beautiful impressions of the natural world.

Victoria works full time as a jewellery designer-maker at her workshop in Princes House, a beautiful Georgian mansion house in the heart of Truro, Cornwall.

Milly Swire has loved making jewellery since she can remember, experimenting with Fimo, glass beads and pretty much anything she could lay her hands on. With her passion for jewellery constantly growing, Milly decided to study in Florence, the heart of jewellery making, at Le Arti Orafe. Within three years the course enabled her to learn about and experiment with many different methods from very traditional techniques such as stone setting, and wax modeling to enameling and design. Whilst still at Le Arti Orafe school, Milly set up Milla Mee and began working from her flat in Florence. She created earrings, necklaces and bracelets using semi-precious stones, chain and charms, from a collection which she had acquired during her various travels around the world. All of Milly’s collections are constantly being developed and built on. One preferred method of work for her are individual commissions, enabling her to create unique and bespoke pieces, that allow her to explore character and style in jewellery. She views her jewellery as completely for the individual, with a strong belief in the idea that a piece can embody a person’s unique character.