CRAFTED AT FORTNUM & MASON LONDON
Last week, I visited Crafted at Fortnum & Mason, an all-weekend event designed to get the London public acquainted with some of the best emerging craftsmen in this country. This comprehensive exhibition spread throughout Fortnum & Mason’s store on Piccadilly consisted of over 100 pieces of contemporary craft including ceramics, glass, jewellery, millinery and wood.
I love discovering the best of emerging jewellery designers, therefore Fortnum& Mason’s splendid jewellery room on the second floor – a hidden gem showcasing some fantastic jewellery that so few people seem to know about – was of utmost interest to me. Here, 5 of the 28 craftsmen alumni from the Walpole Crafted mentoring programme were on show.
The first jewels that caught my eye were the sculptural twist earrings by Jessica Poole hand-crafted from 18ct brushed gold and micro-pave set diamonds. This particular elegant and futuristic fine jewellery collection, entitled Twist, is inspired by the fluid forms, each piece gently twisting and curving, their forms accentuated by brushed textures, polished edges and delicate sparkling lines of diamonds and gemstones.
I absolutely fell in love with Miranda McCarthy’s collection of sculptural pendants, inspired by the Renaissance jewellers and the indigenous birds of Britain. These exquisite wildlife-inspired pendants are all crafted from Baroque pearls, natural sapphires, gold and silver, and come at an affordable price point.
Jo Thorne’s nature-inspired solid, yet seemingly delicate hair piece – nowadays a neglected accessory – crafted from solid 18K gold and sapphires was a winner of our hearts. I also chatted to the lovely designer herself, learning about all about her inspirations and aspirations.
Jacqueline Cullen‘s exquisite bracelet is made of whitby jet and a 180 million year old black fossil, it is mainly associated with Victorian mourning jewellery. Jacqueline is inspired by dramatic acts of nature.
Thanks for stopping by! Leave me a message in the comments below! Discover my new The Craftsmanship Of series with Ara Vartanian and Ole Lynggaard!
I am extremely happy to announce that my new jewelry book – GEMOLOGUE: Street Jewellery Styles & Styling Tips – is now on Amazon. I’m so excited. It’s the first book of its kind solely dedicated to jewellery.
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GEMOLOGUE jewelry blog by Liza Urla is a celebration of fine, fashion and vintage jewellery featuring talented jewellery designers, trendy urban street style, exclusive interviews and rare jewellery reviews. This jewellery blog’s goal is to encourage and educate about jewellery online in a fresh and original fashion to inspire women and men across the globe in a fashion and travelling context.
Jewellery blogger, writer Liza Urla, the founder of GEMOLOGUE, is a London-based and NYC-educated gemologist, who has travelled to and lived in many countries. She is now one of the most influential digital jewellery tastemakers. Her jewellery influence has been acknowledged by Financial Times, The New York Times, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
*Photographed by Flit Photography. Styling and Art Direction by Liza Urla. All photos belong to GEM Kreatives for GEMOLOGUE.
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