Modern India

 

India(Contemporary)

Mangalsutra necklace

This sacred necklace is usually made out of a thread, small black beads with a locket. The pendant is made out of gold and diamonds. 

According to Hindu culture, mangalsutra is worn by women. The necklace is a part of a wedding ceremony in India. Wearing a mangalsutra signifies a certain rank, which means if she is wearing this necklace it simple shows her marital status. It is believed that a women should wear this piece throughout her life as long as they are married(Accessed 18 September 2023.para 3).   

Modern Navajo

 

Zulu(Contemporary)

Umgexo Zulu love letter

Umgexo is made out of beads and nylon string.  As someone who has worked with beads before I would say this is brick stitch. Hence there are beads overlapping on both sides. 

Traditionally in a Zulu culture, if someone is wearing a beaded piece it mostly indicates a certain status. For example, in the above image the necklace in the middle indicates marital status. Nonetheless, if a Zulu women is wearing a diamond shape formed of two beaded triangles it shows that she is married. Also when the two tips of the triangles meet in the middle, it means a married man. 

Modern Xhosa

 

Xhosa(Contemporary)

Beaded collar iNgqhosha

This collar is made out of glass beads and a mother-of-pearl button. The pearl serves as a clasp. The beads are threaded and woven together to form a flat, semi-circular beaded collar. 

Among the Xhosa culture, there is a specific necklace that indicates one's social status which is called iNgqhosha. A similar beaded collar(iNgqhosha) was worn by the late former South African president ''Nelson Mandela'', which somehow conveyed his royal status. To mark the social rank of an individual in society was based on the use of patterns and colors of beads.  However, this necklace is worn by both men and women in isiXhosa culture.  

Ancient Ndebele

 

Ndebele(Historical)

iJogolo apron

To manufacture this garment you must have materials like plain leather, canvas, glass beads and thread. Dr Christa Clark said, "The newly married Ndebele woman embroidered that apron, creating bold geometric designs with imported glass beads"(Accessed 17 September 2023). 

The use of different colours with beads on this apron can mean a status . This iJogolo is worn by women from amaNdebele culture. Within the culture this garment serves as a marital status for women. On ceremonial occasions, she would wear iJogolo to signify her marriage. 

Ancient Turkmen

 

Turkmen Historical

 

Sinsile headdress Crown

This crown is made out of various materials such as silver, silver shot, table-cut carnelians, turquoise beads, and gilded chains. In my point of view, the technique that was used in this headpiece for the carnelians is a rub-over setting and how the loop-in-loop is soldered on the crown to hold the dangling chains with teardrop-shape pendants. From ancient times jewellery made by Turkmen craftsmen was mostly handmade. 

According to art historian Layla Diba, ''Jewellery was used as a way to establish one's rank in Turkmen society''. In this case, the Sinsile piece was worn by young girls in daily life to indicate their marital status. Perhaps this specific headdress is for unmarried women of Turkmen culture. 

Ancient Egyptian

 

Egypt(Historical)

 

Miniature Broad Collar

The broad collar is semi-circular and it belongs to the “broad collar” family.  According to Chi Yan Joanne Pang, the entire collar is plated or made out of gold, with a total of six bands of stones and decorations, leading up to a lotus flower that leads to the hooks of the collar’s necklace. 

Starting from the outermost band, there is a series of droplet beads on the necklace, with their outlines forged in gold or soldered sheets. The insides of the droplets are filled with turquoise, while lapis lazuli was used to fill in the triangular gaps between each teardrop.

The next band consists of a series of lotus flowers, also lined in gold, bearing a design similar to the lotus flower at the end of the bands. Each flower has five petals, with the outer ones filled with lapis lazuli and the inner petals with turquoise. They alternate with golden lotus buds. The spaces between all the lotuses are filled with carnelian.

The third band is composed of gold-lined turquoise rosettes, each with a golden center. Lapis lazuli was used to fill in the gaps between the rosettes. The fourth row is made up of gold-lined papyri filled with turquoise and lapis lazuli. There is no definitive pattern as to where these two are placed within the papyrus. They also alternate with small golden buds, and the gaps are filled with carnelian. The fifth row is composed of turquoise triangles lined with gold. Between the gaps of the large triangles are two smaller lapis lazuli triangles fitted in the center, forming a rhombus, separated by a band of turquoise. The gaps at the base are filled with turquoise. The sixth and final row is composed of gold-lined, turquoise lilies with a gold base, alternating with a golden lily bud. The gaps are filled with alternating lapis lazuli and carnelians. However in the ancient Egypt, the collar depiction was for Egyptian pharaohs. 

Ancient Romen

Ancient Rome

Roman ring

 

The materials used to make this ring are gold and bloodstone. The most common type of signet ring during this period had a motif engraved onto a gemstone. On the left, the ring depicts Hermes, and on the right the figure of Mars. Most male fingerrings had a specific function. These were signet rings used as a form of royal mark by higher-ranking officials. It was easy to identify the status of an individual who was wearing a specific ring. The engraved gem would be pressed into wax, impressing the shape of the image carved into its surface. Rings were worn as a mark of your identity and status. 

Review

AI evidence

Overview

Shoulder strap with the rank of General of the Army

This is a shoulder strap worn by a general of an army. It has two different symbols. The gold enameled United States coat of arms and the five-star silver metal. This shoulder strap indicates the general high rank of status in the army. As Bruce Metcalf has mentioned the stars that a general wears(in paragraph 6. line 1), I think it serves as an indicator of social status. However, the use of precious metals shows how wealthy the general is. It also shows a high status among others because of the material being used in the shoulder strap. In terms of jewellery if someone is wearing a gold ring it gives a glimpse of the wearer being wealthy. 

Ndlovu(Ivory)

Ndlovu

Ndlovu yophondo, nto evela ngasezimpondweni.

Ecicini

Ecicini

Reflection AI

reflection picture of my designs

1. Understanding the term "concept" and its significance in the industry: In the jewelry industry, a "concept" refers to the overarching idea or theme that guides the design and creation of a collection or individual pieces. It's the core essence and inspiration behind your work. Your concept is to achieve stitching in different metals, making it a dominant and significant element in each piece of jewelry you create. Understanding your concept is crucial because it will guide your design decisions and help you create a cohesive and meaningful collection.

2. Exploring possibilities for your concept: The possibilities for your concept of stitching in different metals are vast. You can experiment with various metal types, techniques, and styles of stitching to create unique and innovative jewelry pieces. You may also consider combining different metals, textures, and stone settings to further elevate your designs. Your willingness to explore amber as a covering material for your wire/cable stitching shows your openness to innovative approaches.

3. Advancing techniques in jewelry manufacturing: To achieve more techniques in jewelry manufacturing, you can consider taking specialized courses, and workshops, or seeking guidance from experienced jewelers or instructors. Learning new techniques will broaden your skill set and enable you to incorporate diverse methods into your designs.

4. Focusing on delicate jewelry pieces and stone settings: Emphasizing delicate jewelry pieces and experimenting with various stone settings will add intricacy and detail to your work. These elements can enhance the overall aesthetic and value of your creations.

5. Finding inspiration in fashion/clothing techniques: Drawing inspiration from fashion and clothing techniques is an excellent approach, as jewelry is indeed a form of fashion accessory that people wear. By incorporating innovative stitching methods, you can infuse your pieces with a unique fashion-forward appeal.

6. Learning from other artists, like Songezo Baleni: Studying the work of other artists like Songezo Baleni can provide valuable insights and inspiration. While your techniques may differ (he uses weaving while you focus on stitching), you can still learn from his approach to craftsmanship, attention to detail, and how he conveys meaning through his pieces.

7. Protecting and preserving your wire stitching: Your observation about the exposed wire and potential loss of shape in your stitching is essential. Exploring materials like amber or Perspex glass as coverings can protect your wire/cable and maintain the integrity of your design. The transparent and lightweight properties of amber are advantageous for showcasing intricate stitching details.

Plan

 

woven bracelet, round black cubic zirconia

My intentions for this semester are to elevate skills through jewellery and build confidence towards my concept. I would like to fully understand the term concept and how it works throughout the industry and what are the possibilities for it. I would like to achieve more techniques in jewellery manufacturing. As for my concept as a student, it is to achieve stitching in different metals. By doing so maybe I can find a metal that I will be comfortable using for my jewellery pieces. The way I make my jewellery can be seen as commercial jewellery because of the innovation it has. I would like to make my jewellery pieces more delicate and to fully understand how to apply stitching in my jewellery. I want my stitching to dominate in every piece of jewellery that I make because it holds the significance of my concept. I also want to explore more different stone settings just to add more details to my jewellery pieces. I like how my concept drives me in the direction of fashion/clothing techniques because either way jewellery is fashion, it is something that a particular person wears. Last semester I was so glued in stitching solid pieces and that made my stitching not so interesting because it felt like I was just decorating my pieces. This time around I want to play with separated/splitting metal pieces and stitch them together. In order for me to put more emphasis on how I want my jewellery to look. By doing so I think my pieces will have more value and meaning. It will also correspond with my concept title. I realized that my wire stitching is exposed and the thickness of the cable is thin which makes it easily band or lose shape of the pattern. I would like to explore amber to cover the wire or Perspex glass in order for the wire/cable to be protected and not to lose the pattern shape. I want to use amber because it is transparent and lightweight. The detail of stitching will not be hidden if I were to use amber. The fine detail of the designer Songezo Baleni’s woven jewellery pieces, I think somehow influences my work although my jewellery is stitched. This beautiful woven bracelet with a black round cubic zirconia on a four-claw collet was made by him.  

Display

 

End-of-semester display

My end-of-semester display looked promising because I had managed to stay on track with my designs which depict the conceptual idea behind my designs. The main purpose is to put more emphasis on the idea of stitching my jewellery. My designs need to show the importance of stitching and how it connects. My pieces that were on display have shown a glimpse of where my designs are heading. However, the feedback I received in class has helped me to sort of understand what to expect from my designs. Amade ngawetyala.