Opinion :
Wire wrapped jewellery has to be one of the most abused methods of construction known to metal craft. The plethora of ugly, misshapen abominations I endured while searching for good examples to show you meant that I searched through FIFTY PAGES on Etsy before I came up with these few examples (that’s around 2,400 products if you’re wondering).
These are the best I’ve found. While they’re not all exactly my cup of tea, these examples do display admirable skill, attention to detail, precision and a sense of form and composition.
{red landscape earrings – KUKLAstudio.etsy.com}
{Luna Lovegood dirigible plum earrings – yoola.etsy.com}
{green bastard pendant – NoeticEffect.etsy.com}
{spaceship pendant – IMNIUM.etsy.com}
Why is there so much bad? I really believe it’s because of that gigantic monster of a double-edged sword that is the DIY movement. I love the DIY movement because it has encouraged people to create and do and believe in handmade.
Sadly, it has also meant that anyone and everyone with a pair of pliers and a hank of wire has decided to call themselves a ‘jeweller’. Crikey. It’s like me changing the washer in a tap and calling myself a plumber.
No.
It’s a question of quality. Like any material, with any method, there are utterly stunning examples. They all have three crucial ingredients –
imagination + design knowledge + skill
Try these from the grand dame of wire jewellery, Arline Fisch. She is a US jeweller who has been translating textile techniques through wire for most of her working career – more than 50 years.
Arline Fisch – Lace Hub Necklace
Arline Fisch – medallion halo necklace
And watch out when she chooses to introduce coloured wire into her work.
Arline Fisch – coral wreath necklace
Arline Fisch – corals – photo William Gullette
Craft needs more skill.
The world needs more beautiful and less ugly.
Thank you for sharing the stunning work of Arline Fisch. Now that is what you call a true artistic skill with wire. Even though you mentioned that there are not so pretty creations in the wire jewellery department, I have to admire their guts for even listing it online with hopes that someone might buy it. Who knows it might be their cup of tea 🙂
True Cassie! I know everyone has to start somewhere, and I know that there may be issues of taste at stake here as well. However, my fondest hope for those starters though is for them to realise that they are starters, and that what they are making is not an end point. I wish with all my heart for them to learn and grow and think and push themselves to higher levels, and blossom.
I like where you’re headed here – I find there are two kinds of people; one kind is blessed with confidence and a go get ém attitude, but at the same time maybe not so much creative brilliance – and the other kind of person is genuinely good but perhaps not the best at self promotion. I prefer the latter, and tend to see the former popping up briefly as a handmade maker before slinking away to back to suburban anonymity with tail between legs. Hot? maybe not…
Absolutely Brendan! Unfortunately though, as much as it’s true that cream eventually rises to the surface, and the people with real talent (mostly) end up where they’re supposed to, it is also true that in our society, the emphasis on words means that those that can tell the best stories win.
There is ALWAYS going to be that element that goes places because they have the confidence and the words, despite being mediocre at what they actually do. It’s my personal mission to change that.
Dear Julie,
Thank you very much for the feature, I really appreciate it, you’ve done a really good job!
Wishing you best of success
Yael aka Yoola
Thank you Yael! It’s always a pleasure to feature lovely work like yours 🙂