Biology Inspiration
Biology Textbooks
For my final outcome, I have decided that I wanted to have my design ideas heavily influenced by bacteria and biology as a whole. While I had lots of inspiration from the bacteria I had grown, I knew there was an infinite amount of inspiration from resources like biology textbooks and slides.
I used some of the biology textbooks from the library and annotated the parts that I was drawn to.
Microscopy Slides
1. Skin Cells, 2. Liver Cells, 3. Plant Root Cells, 4. Unknown Slide, 5. Onion Peel 6. Lung Tissue, 7. Belladonna (Plant) Cells, 8. Cardiac Cells, 9. Xylem (Plant Stem), 10. Mitosis of Onion Cells, 11. Leaf Cross Section, 12. Succulent Leaf Cross Section, 13. Succulent Leaf Cross Section (Higher Resolution), 14.Muscle and Nervous Tissue, 15. Liver Cells (Higher Resolution), 16. Cardiac Cells (Higher Resolution)
In addition to utilising textbooks, I was keen on observing cells firsthand. Using a light microscope and pre-prepared slides, I examined cells from both plants and animals, including leaf cells and muscle tissue. I discovered that observing cells in person, as opposed to through a book, sparked more inspiration and led to the idea of colour exploration in my work. This was inspired by the use of various stains, such as the gram stain, which is often applied to these slides to increase contrast between organelles. These stains come in a variety of colours and so I want to experiment with adding dyes to my resin stones. This would also increase the contrast between the brass and the stones.
After collecting photos from the microscope, I drew around the shapes that stood out to me, so I could use these later on in design ideas.
Wax Caving Reading
Before this project, I had never tried wax carving. From my experience in previous projects, I knew that using textbooks on material techniques was one of the best ways to comprehend and picture the necessary steps when working with new materials. Therefore, for this project, I have read a few books about wax carving.
The two books below were the ones I found most useful, annotating the parts that I felt I may need to refer back to in the workshop. I learnt more about the properties of various waxes, and which ones would be the most suitable for my designs, as well as the colour-coded system. For instance, blue wax is brittle and hard when cold, but has a low melting point, making it malleable and carvable when warm. I decided that using a soldering iron would be the most convenient way to heat the wax and that dentistry tools were very good at carving the wax when it is cool, as they are small and have sharp edges for carving. After some experimentation with the wax, I later learnt that I could heat the dentistry tools on the edge of the soldering iron to make it even easier to carve the finer details.
Lost Wax Casting by Keith Edwards Pages 48-57
Metal Jewellery Made Easy by Jan Loney Pages 56-60
Jewellery Inspiration
1. Frances Kirk - 'Molten Stacking Rings' sterling silver 2. B Blane Designs 'Molten Necklace'- recycled sterling silver 3. Timothy Roe - 9K gold and Tsavorite Garnets 4. Free People 'Molten ring' Gold plating 5. B Blane Designs 'Molten Necklace'- recycled sterling silver 6. Petra Class - 18K and 22K gold with tourmaline and diamonds 7. Kirra-Lea Jewellery - 9ct gold and Australian sapphires 8. Lydia Niziblian - Emerald, silver, 18k gold 9. En Route x Isa Sung - 'July Ring' 18k gold plated brass and cubic zirconia10. Bar Jewellery - sterling silver necklace with 18K gold plating 11. Bar Jewellery - sterling silver necklace with 18K gold plating 12. Rigby Leigh Jewellery - rough Montana sapphires and recycled sterling silver 13. Jeffery Lloyd Denver - 'Matisse Revisited' Polymer clay ring 14. En Route x Isa Sung - 'July Ring' 18k gold plated brass and cubic zirconia 15. Kirstin Hanson - 'Falling Star' ring 18K gold with diamonds 16. Wolf & Badger - 'Double band hammered lava ring' 18k gold plating 17. John-Thomas Richard - Ceramic ring 18. Garage Bands Jewellery - 'Years Ring' recycled sterling silver and cubic zirconia 19. Irena Chmura 18K gold with freshwater pearl, diamonds and pink tourmalines 20. German Kabirski - Retros Amethyst Ring oxidised sterling silver 21. Paul Atelier - 'Aurora Necklace' solid sterling silver 22. Nicolas Wilde - 18K gold with diamonds 23. Orelia - 'Molten chunky hoops' with Swarovski Crystals
For some more jewellery inspiration, I collected a series of images with molten textures and biology-based inspiration. These images have helped me in the design process, thinking about the wearability of the jewellery I plan to create. Most of these pictures are of rings and I originally wanted to have a small ring collection. However, after reflecting on the limitations of only making rings, I have thought about the potential of doing a ring and necklace set, or even brooches.
Design Development
As mentioned before, I looked at microscopy slides and biology textbooks for inspiration, however, I also wanted to use the bacteria that I grew for inspiration. This was simply by looking at the shapes that grew on the plates and using them as an outline for the base of my designs.
Understanding Jewellery Collections
After deciding that I might have more potential in my designs if creating a matching necklace and ring set, I looked at inspiration from other designers and artists on Instagram, as well as the possibility of using multiple rings in a collection.
OSS Studio - matching sets between different types of jewellery (rings and bracelets), cohesive design
Susannah King London - molten design utilising the power of colour and colour combinations, rings drops all have different rings, yet the design is similar so they all match each other.
Rosydelights - creative stone setting, each has a different style but all use the same techniques, resulting in a cohesive collection
True North Jewellery - same style of ring but using different coloured enamels to create different rings, different shaped stones but all of a similar size. Using a complimentary stacking ring to pair with the coloured rings
Maisonmemoir - using a stacking ring to break up the other two rings, same style but using different colours and cuts of stones, all the same base metal
ND Jewellery - matching bangle and ring set, using the same stone setting techniques and designs. Utilising rings at different heights on the finger, breaks up the overall look and isn't overwhelming
Bezalel Academy of Art and Design - Using chain combined with rings, could I implement chain into my design?
Sketchbook and Design Development
Here are some of the design ideas that I have come up with after studying the Petri dishes, textbooks and microscopy slides. Before drawing I wrote a list of words that I wanted to describe my final piece. This helped spark inspiration and the final look I wanted.
Here is one of my designs, which includes a pendant with 2 parts, connected with a piece of chain. For UC1 I decided that I wanted to experiment with brass and silver due to their natural antimicrobial properties. I feel as if these materials paired with the bacteria stones add a compelling juxtaposition to the jewellery. As seen in the smaller drawing, I plan to have the chain between the pieces act as a gradient, having both brass and silver jump rings in the chain. I am going to test this design in brass first, before committing to the use of silver.
Pricing
From the pricing session with Geoff, I began to understand the method on pricing objects for a gallery. This included how to add a markup on my work to allow for gallery commission rates, as well as how to calculate overheads and consumables. I was also made aware of the need for liability insurance when exhibiting pieces, and that if I had an a-n subscription, this would be covered in the subscription price.
Growing More Bacteria
To make more bacteria stones, I needed to grow some more bacteria. For this round of samples, I wanted to focus on places that were significant to me. This included the studio, the big metal workshop, and the hot metal workshop. I also included samples from my coursemates and grew their individual bacteria. I decided that I wanted to continue to have a personal connection with my work while reconceptualising the narrative around bacteria.
For one of the samples (the studio), I also experimented with including scrap brass hoops, in the hopes that it would create some interesting patterns, however, this did not work.
After leaving the samples in a warm, dry environment for 7 days, these were the results:
My Bacteria
Big Metal
George's Bacteria
Hot Metal
Will's Bacteria
Craft Studio
These will then be turned into stones using different dyes and resin.
Creating Stones
To make the stones for my final piece, I used the same techniques that I had used for UC1. This involved mixing a small amount of resin into a small area of the petri dish and then transferring this new mixture into my silicone moulds. I repeated these steps until I had used all of my resin and bacteria.
My Bacteria
Big Metal
George's Bacteria
Hot Metal
Will's Bacteria
Craft Studio
Dyed stones
As well as using just the resin and the bacteria, for a couple of the stones I added dyes and brass wire. I used 0.5mm brass wire to create spiral shapes, inspired by bacteria grown in UC1, however, I felt as if it took away from the bacteria itself, so decided not to pursue this idea. As for the dyes, I also thought that the colours took away from the bacteria, and made the stones look cheap and more plastic-like, so I also decided not to continue with this design choice.
Collect 2024
In March 2024, I attended Collect at Somerset House. My objective was to seek inspiration for my designs and explore how my work could potentially integrate with the exhibition, as this was my chosen brief.
As I was walking around Collect, I created some quick sketches from some of the inspiring works I had seen. As it was very busy on the day I went, I only did quick sketches so I wouldn't be in the way of other people.
Looking at other artists' work at Collect, especially jewellery, I realised that a large majority of the pieces shown were either rings or brooches. This reinforced my idea about creating a series of brooches and potentially a ring alongside this collection. All of these pieces would then include their own bacteria stones, all from different sources.
One of the stands at collect was by Goldsmiths Fair. This was a collection of 100 different brooches. While each one was vastly different from the rest, many of them focused on texture and/or stone-setting techniques. I have decided that I will focus on these aspects of the brooch in my designs as if feel like they would integrate well with the rest of Collect.
Another stand at the gallery was by Objects Beautiful. This London Gallery "aims to throw light on the intergenerational, contemporary, multicultural visual art sourced internationally and homing in on a diverse range of collectables by emerging and established artists". Many of the pieces in this collection incorporated materials such as resin and precious metals, including 14k gold. Considering this, I believe that if my current collection were to be exhibited at Collect, then either one of these stands may be appropriate. However, this would only be realistic if I used materials like gold, along with diamonds or other precious stones, and mastered the refinement of my pieces.
V&A Exhibition
While visiting Collect, I also visited the V&A Museum. After noticing the vast collection of brooches and rings shown at Collect, I decided to look at the mechanisms and styles behind the ones shown at the V&A. As it was also very busy on the day I went, so I only managed to do a few sketches and therefore focused on texture and brooch mechanisms.
Brooch Artists
Melanie Bilenker
Melanie Bilenker is an American artist based in Philadelphia. She translates the historic art of Victoria hair jewellery, into a more contemporary style. This style depicts certain memories, such as places or even people. Often these memories are from everyday activities such as washing hair or watering plants.
I decided to look at how different artists utilise brooch mechanisms, and how they complement a design. Melanie Bilenker uses very minimal brooch mechanisms, as to not distract from the rest of her design, which continues onto the back of the brooch. I have decided to look at different brooch mechanisms and how they function with a piece.
Sarah Pulvertaft
Sarah Pulvertaft is an Australian jeweller based in rural Oxfordshire, whose work was part of the Goldsmiths Fair stand at Collect 2024. Her use of fine materials extends to her brooch mechanisms, including tubing and hooks crafted from silver and gold.
I'm drawn to the sleek aspects of her pins, and the complimentary design achieved when paired with her brooches. The pin aspects seamlessly slot into her designs, especially when made from the same material as the brooch itself. I plan to experiment with different mechanisms, including these double-pin brooches.
Brooch Mechanisms
Sketches of different brooch mechanisms, inspired by the ones seen at both Collect, and the V&A
For my final piece, I have chosen to develop a series of smaller brooches. The concept behind this was that these brooches would become more interactive with the wearer compared to a pendant, allowing them to rearrange and alter the arrangement of the brooches. This design offered versatility, enabling a more subtle look when wearing only a single brooch, while also allowing for a bold statement when wearing them all together. To achieve this design, I needed to test the brooch mechanisms I had initially designed and sketched. I used 1mm steel wire, 1.2mm tubing and scrap pieces of metal to test these.
Testing Brooch Mechanisms
My first mechanism was very simple, including a hook and brass tubing to hold the pin in place. While this design functioned well, there was little to no tension on the pin so may cause the brooch to fall off if it became unhooked. I also felt as if the brooch had the potential to become unhooked as the hook was not curved enough.
For another idea, I had a very similar design, however, this time I created a small triangle at the base of the pin. I was careful to bend the wire into place as I wanted there to be a slight increase in height so that the brooch now had tension. This meant that the wire in the hook was a lot more secure. I felt as if it was important that there was still the full range of motion while the pin was unhooked, as this meant that getting the brooch on and off easily was important to the functionality of these pieces. However I worried that if the pin became unhooked somehow, then the brooch would be more likely to fall of with this range of motion.
For my third design, I took into account the features of my previous design and created a double-looped brooch. This was the most secure setting as the mechanism needed to be pinched to release the prongs. There was tension in the piece as the wire naturally wanted to move outwards to line up with where it had been bent, however, the loops would prevent this. As well as that, I feel as if this would work best on my brass casted pieces as they can be quite heavy. This meant that having 2 pieces of wire gave it extra support. However, I did worry about the large range of motion that the pin in the tubing had, and how it would affect the brooch in the unlikelihood that it became unhooked.
This next mechanism was designed with the intention to be used on a simple circular brooch. I plan to create a small brooch that can be worn with the other brooches or on its own, however, I knew that I wanted this design to have an openwork backing, allowing the light to shine through the stone. I wanted to utilise this design choice and create a mechanism that highlighted this backing, with the pin moving around the circular edge. Here I used the brass tubing to help guide the wire into place and give a more dynamic-looking pin backing. There is enough tension on this piece to secure the pin into place, however, in future, I would use a slightly thinner wire to do so. The 1mm wire is quite thick and I found it hard to bend the wire into an even round shape. As this would be used for a much lighter pin I feel as if it won't be an issue to use a thinner wire, and I would be able to manipulate the wire on a mandrel before trying to thread it through the tubing. This design will only be included in the final collection if I feel it complements the design, as I don't want to add a differently designed brooch into a more refined collection if it doesn't completely complement the rest.
Final Design Ideas
Brooches
For my final outcome, I decided that I wanted to create a series of smaller brooches that could be rearranged and interacted with, as I wanted this collection to be a fun and eccentric series. After looking at my inspiration sources again, I became quite overwhelmed by the number of references I had. To help myself narrow down my ideas, I took the shapes of the bacteria grown and used these to create the shapes of the brooches. From here I added the shapes of my bacteria stones (either the ovals or circles), and then added texture from both the organelles in the textbooks and the microscopy slides. I decided to add the larger stones first as then I could look at what sort of shapes worked well with the shape of the stone. This was also useful as I would be able to see how the texture would be able to frame the bacteria stone used. I also attempted to add where the prongs to hold the stones would sit, as this is crucial to the design and the making process.
From these samples, I decided to choose 3 for my final piece. I believe that these all work well together and complement each other. As I couldn't cast them for a few more weeks, I then moved on to creating mock-ups of the designs so I could begin to explore different stone combinations and any design tweaks.
For my final designs, I decided to use traditional prongs to hold my stones in place. I made this design choice after reflecting on the stone setting techniques I saw at Collect, with traditional prongs being the most popular. I also felt that these prongs would compliment the design the best, as well as combining traditional techniques with modern materials.
CAD Examples
These were my designs using a brass texture and pictures of the bacteria stones. From these designs, I decided to add Cubic Zirconias to two of the designs, depending on which final bacteria stone I pick, I may try and use similarly coloured gemstones. The reason I will be adding CZs is because I want to combine traditional and unconventional materials and begin to hint at the illusion that the bacteria is spreading. I felt as if this design choice worked well with my cast ring, however, I will need to evaluate the positioning of the CZs during the wax carving stage. I also noted that these brooches will need to be made from a slightly thinner wax than I had been previously using. This is because I don't want the brooches to be too heavy, or not be held up by the brooch mechanisms on the back.
I also decided to experiment with a different design element. I feel as if a simple bezel setting on one of the stones would be a complimentary touch, and give the illusion of a petri dish. This design would also give me the opportunity to have a stone with an openwork backing, therefore letting the light pass through the stone and highlight the texture of the stones, as I found this technique quite hard to create in wax. I created this version in CAD so I could see how the light passes through a translucent material.
When creating a bezel setting I knew I would be using brass sheet. It is important to note that brass sheet is a completely different colour to cast brass, so once again, I would need to see how this would look with my other pieces.
I've had the idea to attach this bezel setting to one of the cast brooches. I experimented with this idea and attached the setting to one of the brooches that I had digitally drawn. While I like the idea, I feel as if the execution isn't quite right with this brooch. I have decided that I'm going to try having the bezel set bacteria stone on its own and explore the concept of incorporating a chain between the brooches. This chain would symbolise and reinforce the theme of relationships and connections among individuals, as seen in my pendant design.
I have also looked at a potential way to fix a brooch backing onto the casted brooches. This design includes brass tubing, with a double-pin aspect. These pins would need to be pinched in order to release the mechanism. The pins would be made from steel, which I will work harden in order to support the brass.
Refinement of Brooch Mechanism
After testing one of the brooch backings on one of my older casts, I realised that I strongly disliked the effect it had on the brooch (Note that I also tried using a design with only one pin to begin with, as I had never soldered wire onto cast brass before). Adding the brass pieces after casting made the object look cheap and unresolved. As well as that, the 1mm pin looked far too heavy for my brooches, and once again, made my piece look unfinished and rushed. I realised straight away that I needed to find a different way of creating a brooch backing, as this was not giving the desired effect.
As well as that, I faced significant challenges when attempting to solder the brass pieces onto the brooch afterwards. The process involved heating up the solid brass, adding and melting the solder, and then adding the brass pieces, which resulted in the movement of the solder and colour discrepancies in the brass. This movement of the solder before placing my brass tubing also led to the pin being shorter than intended. Furthermore, extensive cleanup was required for my pieces, as I had to sand and clean them before soldering, only to repeat the process afterwards.
After testing this I realised that the best way to create a refined looked brooch backing would be to cast the mechanism with the brooch. This would be the most secure method and would also be the same colour as the rest of the brooch.
To The Point - Pin Mechanisms and Brooch Back Design
By Daniela Malev
As part of my research into a more refined brooch backing, I read the book 'To The Point', written by jeweller Daniela Malev.
The book showcases more than 350 unique brooches crafted by over 111 international artists. It highlights the significance of a brooch pin beyond its practical function, emphasising how the design of a brooch backing can elevate the refinement of a piece.
Inside there are 7 chapters on different technical aspects: single needle, double needle, two-point needle, fold-out, pin buttons, safety pin, and, separate needles. For my designs, I decided to focus on 'fold out' pins and 'double needle' as these are often the most secure and would be able to hold my solid brass cast brooches.
Final Design
For the final design of my brooch, I have opted for a design inspired by Lana Crabb. This design uses a sleek mechanism where the pins have to be pinched in order to be released. The pins also have elevation provided by the thickness of the tubing at the top of the brooch, which will leave room for fabric between the pins and my casted brooch. I also knew that I would be able to make the mechanism pieces out of wax as well, so I could add them to the back of the brooch for casting.
While the pins won't offer 180° rotation like my previous designs, they will still offer flexibility for opening. As well as that, this design minimises the risk of the pin falling off, as even if it were to open, gravity would help hold the pin down and in place due to the restricted range of motion.
The design was shown on a smaller brooch, featuring a more compact mechanism compared to some of the other brooches featured in the book. Taking into account my preference for this compact design, it felt like the natural choice for my own brooches as well.
Displaying My Designs
While visiting Collect, I found myself looking at how galleries had displayed the work on show. The work would be displayed in ways that would compliment the designs, while still being a practical and simplistic way to showcase the work. Examples that I was drawn to include this table from Objects Beautiful, as well as the fabric 'plinths' used to display Qiwei Liu's work.
What I was drawn to with both of these displays was the simplicity of the design. Objects Beautiful's mirrored table meant that visitors could easily see the mechanisms and backs of the jewellery displayed without having to touch them. The mirror also introduced light into the pieces, shining through any stones or transparent materials. The fabric displays showing Qiwei Liu's work highlighted the colours of his work, as well as the brooches having something to fasten to.
Objects Beautiful
Objects Beautiful
Qiwei Liu
Qiwei Liu
Sian Evans
Xiaoli Ning
Other displays that I was drawn to were jeweller Sian Evans and Ceramicist Xiaoli Ning. The clear material bases and staggered heights of Evans displays meant the viewer could also see the mechanisms of any brooches or rings, while not taking away from their designs. The circular plates from Xiaoli's work immediately reminded me of my Petri dishes. I felt as if incorporating a circular display into my own work would be a fitting homage to the origins of my work and its transformation into my final piece.
Mock-Ups
Here I have digitally drawn my design idea, as well as using CAD. While I'm not confident with CAD I did use this as an opportunity to practice using a different CAD program, Shapr3D.
My design shows a clear material, either glass or plastic, shaped like a Petri dish including a mirror background.
I know that if I were to show at Collect with a gallery then they would pick the displays, however with Collect Open I would be able to choose my own.
As a physical display mock-up of my idea, I have used a Perti dish lined with silver paper, to represent the mirror.
