February 2017
Found objects designed into jewellery
Lost & Found is our seventh fine jewellery collection and one very close to our hearts.
Inspired by the Victorian curiosity cabinet, the work of artist Joseph Cornell and our true love for collecting and taxidermy, this collection is definitely one of the most eclectic and fun to date, with the use of vibrant gemstones, enamelling and some unusual materials such as hand-carved bone and porcelain.
‘I really wanted to push the boat out with this particular collection and bring together materials and ideas that I’d collected over the past four years but that had never quite made it into a piece of jewellery,’ comments Tessa. ‘In all honesty, I had a lot of fun designing Lost & Found as I let my found objects dictate the design journey, resulting in a collection which celebrates both the weird and the wonderful and which I hope will ultimately challenge and excite our audiences.’
In contrast to many of our previous collections, this one looks to push boundaries and experiment with colour and materials. Eccentricity is celebrated through quirk and whimsy – this is not a collection about taking life too seriously. The natural world, both flora and fauna, also continues be a central influence in here, living up to what we hold the most dear at the heart of our DNA.
The jewellery takes the form of elegant opera length necklaces, weighty cocktail rings, statement drop and creeper earrings, as well as chain link cufflinks. Notable pieces include the Fruit Bat earrings in hand-carved bone, watermelon tourmaline, enamel and 18ct yellow gold; the Whoops a Daisy ring in hand-carved onyx, diamond and 18ct yellow gold; and the Miss Pig earrings in ceramic, cabochon rose quartz and 18ct yellow gold.
Ultimately this collection is also about sustainability and upcycling. Many of the objects used in the jewellery were antique, market finds with no material value aside from an adorability and aesthetic appeal. What we hope to show with this collection is that even the most humble of objects or ornaments can be given new life and timelessness with the right design approach. Jewellery isn’t just about gemstones and gold. It can also incorporate other unusual or even sentimental ‘things’ which come to life when worn.