Description: |
Jewelers have been mining the past
for inspiration since ancient civilization. When you look at
the history of antique jewelry, you see themes and
techniques vanish and then reappear, over and over again,
altered to fit the times.
A great example of this
exotic style was the wildly popular Egyptian revival during
the 1920's, responding to the discovery of King
Tutankhamun's tomb. The likes of Louis Comfort Tiffany,
Louis Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels created high jewelry,
in the finest materials, setting the global imagination on
fire with their reinvention of an historic theme using
contemporary techniques.
My inspiration stems from
the architectural aspects of the ruins of the ancient
capitol city, Tikal (dating back to around 350 BC and
abandoned in the 9th century AD). This pre-Columbian Mayan
civilization is located in the archaeological region of the
Petén Basin, which is now northern Guatemala. Consumed by
the rainforest, Tikal was "found" again in the 1840's. The
site is famous for its soaring temples, large royal palaces,
residences, gaming courts and even a jail.
The
central component of the necklace is a layering of CRAW
square shapes, stacked on top of one another, topped with a
CZ platform. The edges have crystal embellishments to "tie"
the shapes together. A peyote stitch bezel around a pear CZ
adds the dangling element.
The necklace consists of
alternating smaller CRAW squares embellished with CZ
platforms and CRAW squares left plain, ending with a CRAW
component that leads to a flat peyote stitch strap and metal
bar clasp.
A
Parure, means a set, and In Plain Sight really needed a pair
of earrings. I used the small square CRAW component, the
smaller bezeled CZ component and the pear drop, connected to
beautiful CZ set ear wires, for a stunning pair of earrings.
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