Bird in Cage

 

 

The sheer amount of invention shown by a new

wave of New Zealand jewellery designers is

stunning. Here is the work of dedicated individuals

following their own paths of imagination, themes and

choices of materials.

One of the many trends to captivate designers is the

enjoyment of working on a small, almost microscopic

scale. These are the pieces of jewellery you get close

up to; they become the objects which carry the patina

of heirloom about them.

This delicious work, titled the Bird in Cage locket, is by

Rebecca Fargher and revels in minute execution. It is

modelled in sterling silver which has been oxidised, then

the surface highlights have been polished back to give

the gleam of silver. As a locket, it is a charming sphere

which opens to reveal a bird swinging from a collar against

a background of finely-etched trees.

For much of this jewellery, it has been the rise of specialist

dealer galleries offering featured artist exhibitions which have

allowed such works to be viewed and sought after by a

global public. In this case, the dealer gallery is Quoil of

Willis Street, Wellington.