GZ Art+Design Spots 2007 1

Fly now!

International jewelry makers should note this date. From August 6-12, 2007 Ruudt Peters helds this years' jewelry course in Ravenstetn (NL) under the title "fly now". Peters who teaches as a professor also at Adellab, Konstfack University College of art, craft and design in Sweden follows up with teaching at the private International Jewellery School "Opere". Its programme is intended for students or graduates of art academies and artists/designers who seek to deepen their work. During the workshop "fly now" - held in the countryside of the Southern Netherlands - the participants will overview their way of working. Peters: "You will fly over borders. Like a helicopter above your head. Go fast with high speed and go deep as in a free fall. Fly now teaches you to fly in difficult circumstances. This means that you will get in contact with yourself, your source, and the way you are making work-jewelry" Registration closes on April 6, 2007. More information: info@ruudtpeters.nl or: www.ruudtoeters.nl * cete

Platinum Fashions Grace the Catwalks

Italian fashion designer Pierluigi Fucci designed this waistcoat made from pure platinum and made it into a cult object as part of his new pret-a-couture collection. This top made from a 50 meter long platinum rope was developed in collaboration with the Italy Platinum Guild International and is worth more than 70,000 euros. * ahe

Book Review

Günther Heckmann studied work with Urushi paint for three years in the United States under the Japanese master painter Tomizo Saratani. In order to take the photos for the book, Heckmann traveled through Japan and visited numerous Urushi workshops. The book consciously does not list any recipes. It is not intended as an instruction for autodidactic studies. The risk of allergy is too great and the range of techniques is too wide. The book is now being translated into Japanese with the cooperation of the Art College in Tokyo and the Geidai University and is intended for release on the Japanese market as a standard reference book, the first western piece on this topic. The book "Urushi" is also available with additional index volumes and with an exclusive book box in solid pear wood. High-quality contents and over 1,350 top-class, color images ensure that this work and its elaborate design can truly be deemed a collectors item. * cp

Urushi Set, Günther Heckmann, German or English, hardcover in pear wood box (limited edition), 585 euros, or paperback, 78 euros, over 700 pages, over 1350 illustrations, diagrams and graphics, plus 2 index volumes (trilingual) with 350 pages, Nihon Art Publishers

The Theory & Practice of Hand Forging

One of the great advantages of a DVD compared to a book is its ability to show techniques that are difficult to explain. Richard Cook, who has been handforging cutlery for over thirty years, demonstrates in this DVD his forging skills from the annealing process through the various stages of forging as the metal grows and changes its shape to the finishing point. Richard Cook demonstrates this through the manufacture of a spoon. The chapters are structured according to the production steps. Starting with the preparation of the silver, templates and the anvil and continuing with the forging of the blank, the adding of the crank, the sinking of the spoon and the final filing of the spoon. The film is designed for use by students, apprentices and those interested in the craft of hand forging. www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk * cp

Richard Cook, published by The Goldsmiths' Company 2005, Technology & Training Department, duration appr. 30 min., 28 US-Dollar, for DVD Players, PCs and Apple Macintosh computers with DVD decoder

The Theory & Practice of Hand Raising

Hand raising is an ancient hammering technique used to create three dimensional forms from flat metal. Christopher Lawrence began hand raising as an apprentice over fifty years ago and is now an expert silversmith and a true master of the craft. Here, he demonstrates the various processes involved by raising a jug body in sterling silver. The steps of peening, annealing, blocking, caulking, creasing, back-raising, boudging, planishing, etc. are described thoroughly by Christopher Lawrence. He also demonstrates how the metal should sound when hammering and shows the usage of pencil lines for achieving a symmetric form. The film is designed for use by students, apprentices and those interested in the craft of hand raising. www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk * cp

Christopher Lawrence, published by The Goldsmiths' Company 2005, Technology & Training Department, duration appr. 30 min., 28 US-Dollar, for DVD Players, PCs and Apple Macintosh computers with DVD decoder

Le Arti Orafe School Opens New Gallery

In December, the private Le Arti Orafe jewelry school and academy opened new exhibition rooms in Lucca. The new gallery managed by Gio Carbone (director) and Maria Cristina Bergesio (curator), was created to promote and spread awareness of contemporary experimental jewelry. The Art-Gallery will be exhibiting themed as well as individual exhibitions which will provide a platform for both established artists and fresh young talent. www.leartiorafeartgallery.it * cete

Mystery of the Damascus Blades Solved

Attempts have been made for centuries to solve the mystery of the Damascus blades, the sharpest blades in the world. At some point over 200 years ago, knowledge about the swords of Damascus was lost. Now scientists have solved the puzzle. Nanotechnology has helped fathom the legendary strength of the blades and their characteristic line pattern in the metal, as researchers at the Technical University of Dresden discovered. Investigations established that the blades contained small threads of iron carbide - so-called cementite as well as carbon nanotubes. Cementite dissolves in hydrochloric acid but carbon does not. Researchers came across completely undissolved cementite threads and concluded that they were encased in carbon nanotubes and as such were protected. This may be responsible for the strength of the blades and the famous line pattern. * ahe

Knife made of damascene steel with Mokume Gane rings on the grip. Klaus Loose

New Jewelry with a Traditional Background

Some two hundred jewelry artists from all areas of the world were inspired by the topic of 'New Traditional Jewellery' and sent in their designs. The result is an impressive collection comprising neck jewelry, necklaces, pendants, earrings, buckles, rings, clasps, bracelets and much more. The competition was set by the international silver design fair Sieraad which took place in Amsterdam form 7^th to 10^th December.

All of the artists have one thing in common - they have added a new contemporary chapter to the history of jewelry, which dates back to the centuries-old tradition of costume; items of jewelry which have long carried a symbolic significance but which have disappeared from the street scene worldwide. New Traditional Jewelry aims to retain this old cultural artifacts in our lives by attributing them a new form.

Mourning ornament by Joke Dubbeldam, Netherlands

Student prize for Claudia Schmedding, Germany

Clasp by the Greece designer Christina Karababa

From the two hundred or so anonymous entries, the jury selected fifty contributions to be displayed at home and abroad. The premiere of this exhibition took place at Sieraad, where the prizes were officially awarded. The four winners and the student prize have already been decided. Each of the five competition winners has succeeded in giving a new content to the original theme and in presenting this theme in a high-quality and contemporary form. Their combination of emotion, background, past and expertise also moved and impressed the jury. The winners are Christina Karababa from Greece, Sabine Lang from Germany, Carla Nuis from Netherlands and Joke Dubbledam from Netherlands. The student prize won Claudia Schmedding from Germany with her tightrope dancer. www.sieraad2006.nl * ahe

Buying Jewels without Remorse

In 1997, Sven Frahm and his wife Bettina opened their gallery in Wenholthausen. The Cologne-born artist found out about the Fair Trade in Gems & Jewelry initiative in an article. Now the gold for Frahm's jewelry comes from a river in Argentina and many gemstones from a mine in Brazil. Both sources have one thing in common: workers receive an appropriate salary and can work safely. The gold is also obtained using pans and is initially processed in Germany with the chemicals required for the separation process in closed circuits. The jewelry designer is attracted by the quality of the metal and considers fair trade to be financially reasonable. "The raw materials are not much more expensive than conventional precious metals and I avoid the middleman by making direct purchases" he concludes. His wife adds: "Producing goods which don't harm anyone and stop the overexploitation of nature is something everyone should help with". www.tigergarten.de * ahe

Jewelry from Bones

It may sound like something from a sci-fi story, but it has long been a reality in Great Britain: jewelry is being made here from donated bones. This is a project led by design researchers at the Royal College of Art and a bioengineer at King's College in London. The aim of the "Biojewellery" project is to take the medicinal and technical processes of bioengineering out of the lab and initiate a discussion on ethical responsibility and problems. A commercial business is not planned although cannot be ruled out in the future and in other countries. Five couples have volunteered to give one another a gift of jewelry made from their own bones. A wisdom tooth was taken from each and then new bone grown from the tissue in a petri-dish. Jewelry designers will then design the individualized jewelry. www.biojewellery.com * cete

Jury Selects Laureates for HRD Awards

No less than 698 designers submitted 1092 drawing to the HRD Awards 2007, a biennial diamond jewelry design contest organized by the HRD (Diamond High Council). The competition offers an international forum to young designers of innovative diamond jewelry. A jury of experts selected 44 laureates. The qualified entrants now have to create the actual jewelry piece in cooperation with an Antwerp diamond company, who will supply the diamonds. The 44 finished jewelry items must be submitted to HRD before March 9, 2007. The winner of the competition will receive a check worth 5,000 euros. All the laureates will benefit from a promotion program both in Belgium and abroad. It will be launched at a gala prize giving event on May 24, 2007. During the months of July and August the HRD Awards 2007 Collection will be displayed at the Diamond Museum Province of Antwerp, and it then will commence a world tour, which will see it being shown at international jewelry fairs, as well as in museums and in jewelry galleries. www.hrdawards.com * ahe

Annelies Weinberger, Belgium: mouth jewel "Tache de beaute"

Ronil Magdaraog, Philippines hair jewel "Royal puff"

Ximao Miao, China: necklace/stomacher "Chinese red"

Hunt for the Green Stone of the Caribs

There was no treasure map. The knowledge about the location of the green stones was passed down from generation to generation among the Carib Indians. With the disappearance of the original inhabitants, this knowledge has been lost. By chance, a jeweler in Grenada has now re-discovered the deposits and is preparing jewelry bearing Indian motifs from the material. Jeweler Eva Kachelriess and her husband Lutz, an expert in precious gemstones, set out to find these "green diamonds" based on archeological literature. They traced the fakes and in this way came across the source of the stones. Initially the couple thought they had found olivine. However, a sample was sent to Germany and it was subsequently established that this was something previously unknown. The material is difficult to process even with an electric cutting machine. It is astounding that the Indians managed to produce figurines from it using their primitive tools. The re-discovered stone still has no name. Its finders would like it to have its Indian name. However, it's not that simple as the stones have different names for men's and women's jewelry which sound very cumbersome to our ears. * ahe

Jorge Manilla Navarette, Mexico: necklace "Amulet for Tristan and Isolde"

Winners Announced for AGTA's Spectrum Awards Competition

The Winners have been named in the 2007 AGTA Spectrum Awards competition hosted by the American Gem Trade Association. Judges for the 2007 competition included Stuart Moore, Stuart Moore; Christopher Walling, Christopher Walling, Inc.; David Rees & Ron Anderson, Ten Thousand Things; and Ralph Wobito, Wobito Gems. Entries in the AGTA Spectrum Awards were judged on the basis of overall beauty and wearability, innovative design, effective use of materials, quality of gemstones, quality of workmanship, broad-base consumer appeal and potential to generate positive publicity for natural colored gemstones. Spectrum Award categories included Bridal, Business/Day, Classical, Evening and Men's Wear. This year's AGTA Spectrum Awards were presented during the 2007 AGTA GemFair Tucson, January 31 - February 5 at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona, USA. www.agta.com * cp

Fashion Forward Honors and Business Wear 1^st Place: Gregore Morin, Gregore Joailliers, Santa Barbara, CA, "Hummingbird", 18 karat white gold brooch featuring pink sapphires, Paraiba tourmalines, brown and yellow diamonds, Boulder Opal

Prizes in Succession

The Brazilian designer Antonio Bernardo was honored to receive his next international award within the last three years. He was given the iF Design Award 2007, one of the world's three leading design awards, in the category of Lifestyle for his earrings "Impulso". Given that be received the iF Award 2004 for his rings "Expand" and "Ciclos", in 2005 for the ring "Fold" and in 2006 for the "Puzzle Ring", this year's honors represent the fourth time in a row for the Brazilian. But this was the first time Antonio Bernardo was rewarded for earrings. The designer describes his winning piece as follows. A single thread describes in space an unexpected trajectory. It begins to outline a descendant curve, but once it reaches the inferior base, changes direction and protects upwards as if it was impelled, returning to base and keeping the initial trajectory. As it represents the impulse movement, the earring calls attention for its shape and construction. www.antoniobernardo.com * cete

Amber Trip 2007

From 9th to 12th March 2007, the "AmberTrip20AT" fair will be held for the fourth time in the Lithuanian city of Vilnius. Lithuania will play host to exhibitors from across the globe who use this opportunity, along with the diversity of amber, to establish fruitful international contacts in this specialist field. Workshops, presentations and fashion shows complete the program. www.ambertip.com * cete

Karl Fritsch wins Francoise van den Bosch Prize

On January 21, Munich jewelry designer Karl Fritsch was awarded the renowned Francoise van den Bosch Award 2006 in the Stedelijk Museum in Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Karl Fritsch, born in 1963, studied initially in Pforzheim and later in Munich where he now lives and works. He belongs to the younger generation of jewelry designers who skillfully experiment with traditional elements and new design ideas. His work is internationally recognized. Over the last years, his jewelry ideas have come to define his style as opulent and colorful.

Since 1980, the van den Bosch prize has been awarded every two years to striving young international jewelry artists. The 5,000 euros prize is awarded by the same trust and was launched by friends and relatives of the renowned jewelry designer Francoise van den Bosch (1944-1977) in 1980. The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam is acquiring a piece from the winner for the van den Bosch collection. The works of Karl Fritsch will be presented in a comprehensive show until 25th March, 2007. www.fvandenbosch.nl * ahe

Intergem - The Call of Gemstones

This year also, the Intergem 2007 in ldar-Oberstein is the world's top address for all goldsmiths and jewelry manufacturers, looking for extraordinary gemstones and cultured pearls. The world's leading exporter, Germany, is also strong with jewelry and gemstones in terms of design, processing and export. The trend toward opulent, colorful jewelry with genuine stones and pearls is persisting. The demand for perfectly crafted, high quality and rare jewels is therefore high. Unusual design from Germany, sparkling with voluminous and magnificent miracles of nature, is coveted throughout the world. This combination of top-level craftsmanship and creativeness is proven once more by numerous exhibitors from the gemstone region of Idar-Oberstein.

Creative, playful, young, fresh and risque… Naturally, the topic of design is omnipresent at the Intergem; it inspires specialist buyers and manufacturers and keeps people talking. Trends that are shown here often advance to become classics. The Intergem is an absolute must for specialist visitors seeking exquisite and modern gemstone and jewelry design. From Friday, October 5, until Monday, October 8, roughly 140 exhibitors will inspire and inform and will present exquisite gemstones in modern and classic cuts, perfect jewelry, artistic engravings, refined necklaces with colored stones, minerals, uncut stones, cultured pearls and accessories. As a complement to the interesting range of products, there will once more be exciting industry information in the communication forum. www.intergem.de * ahe

Jewels for the Trend Color White

When Apple introduced the small MP 3-Player iPod in 2001, the white, lacquer design launched a new trend: White suddenly became one of the trendiest colors. And white has now arrived in jewelry also. "Our new jewelry design with rutile quartz, mountain crystal and white agate and diamonds draws on the fashionable white trend in combination with the sterling silver that shimmers like moonlight," is how the gemstone specialist Axel Fritsch from Bastian explains the trends for the coming jewelry season. "The transparent purity of the crystals is reminiscent of clear water. On the other hand, the changing white of the agate is more mysterious. These gemstones reflect the longing that many people feel for simplicity, reduction and clarity," is what Axel Fritsch believes. www.e-bastian.de * ahe

Iris Bodemer

Bijou, Cailloux… / Jewels, Pebbles…

The gem is part of the decisive elements of the traditionals jewels. It is mostly the choice of the gem that Cefines the prize. But the gem before revealing its sparkle is simply a stone. The exhibition "Bijou, Cailloux…" which takes place in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera deals with the original stones through thoughts from contemporary artists such as Astrid Meyer (F), Gilles Jonemann (F) or Julie Rouault (E) who give priority to the pebble rather than to the gem Karl Fritsch (D) or Iris Bodemer (D) use gems in a radically opposite way compared to the one Jewelry usually does take benefit from. They both question the mounting of cut stones. At the meeting points of these two approaches Maike Barteldres (GB) cuts the very heart of the stone to let the jewel emerge. With the "Espace Solidor" the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer has acquired an exhibition space entirely devoted to the promotion of contemporary jewelry. It schedules three exhibitions a year revealing different international projects. "Bijou, Cailloux…", Espace Solidor / Cagnes-sur-Mer, March 4 - May 14 2007 * cete

Correction of the Product Presentation Fischerscope X-Ray XDV-SD

In GZ Art + Design 4-2006, page 32, there was regretfully a bit of a mix-up in the product presentation of the new device FISCHERSCOPE X-RAY XDVSD by the Sindelfingen-based firm Helmut Fischer: in gold analyses, a repetitive precision of 0.5 permille (instead of 0.5 percent) is possible. X-ray fluorescence is therefore the fast, effective and inexpensive enhancement to coupling as a method of determining the fine contents of gold and other precious metals. www.helmut-fischer.com * ahe

Ideal and Practical Mini Casting System

The new mini casting system MC 15 by Indutherm was successfully launched on the German market in the fall of 2006. The device will be presented to a specialist audience at this year's international trade shows. According to the Indutherm Managing Director Peter Hofmann, users of this new machine concept to date can be found among both self-employed designers and goldsmiths, as well as in industrial production. MC 15 is the ideal solution, whenever it is a question of producing small quantities or unusual alloys that should be cast with the lowest possible material losses, but also if cast elements are needed as quickly as possible. The small casting bulb means that on the one hand, the firing times are very short, and it also means that very little material is required for the dead head. This is certainly a reason for the fact that the small system is used frequently and specifically for casting platinum. In the 2007 version, the maximum bulb dimensions were enlarged to 80mm in height / 80 mm Ø, thus meaning that the capacity is also fully sufficient for larger items of jewelry, for examplebracelets. www.indutherm.de * ahe

Day and UV Light from one Lamp

The firm System Eickhorst from Hamburg recently presented a special edition of the silver Dialite lamp with a table joint, which can be switched from daylight to UV light, depending on the needs. The patented assembly of the upwards-facing, long-wave UV light with black glass filter as stone inlay reveals even week fluorescence, e.g. from diamonds and illuminates them with considerable contrast against the dark background of the filter and the shadow blind, which screens off the room's light.

The daylight colors 5.500 Kelvin meet the CIBJO requirements for all gemstones and pearls. The 6.000 K, specifically designed for diamonds, can be used to the power of three and can also be controlled individually. The extremely flexible and feather light, double spring arm joint means that the Dialite DUV can be adjusted to suit any cramped assembly, irrespective of whether it is used with a table clamp, a screw connection or a heavy foot. Wobble and flicker-free operations and the quick start function mean that the silver lamp is an all-round, universal working unit for everyone involved in creating gemstones and jewelry. www.eickhorst.com * ahe

Dypold Eductions

Design Show Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary

As always, the main focus will be on individuality when the design show 'Blickfang' (which means as much as eye catcher) opens its doors to design enthusiasts from March 16 to 18 in Stuttgart. Roughly 160 young designers and labels from the sectors of furniture, lighting, fashion and jewelry will present their extraordinary products under one roof and will there fore exude the particular charm of this event. This year's anniversary proves how successfully the concept is: in 2007, the end consumer and specialist show is being held in Stuttgart for the 15th time, while it has marveled the crowds in Zurich for 10 years and has also been on show in Vienna for three years. In addition to the large selection of innovative products from Germany, this year's Blickfang in Stuttgart will feature presentations of creative ideas by designers from the major cities of Vienna, Warsaw and Istanbul. Additional special shows include a fashion show, the award of the design prize in gold, silver and bronze, the Special Show tight 2007 and the presentation of the 'design for men'. www.blickfang.com * cete

Andrea Auer

New Things from Zauberberg

At the end of last year, matching the pre-Christmas period when sweet things are much in favor, Julia Koenig, the young goldsmith at Zauberberg close to Frankfurt am Main, joined with artist friends to present her works under the motto Chocolart. Guests were not only able to marvel at the latest pieces by Julia Koenig. In keeping with the topic, Katja Hunold presented her praline jewelry. The Venezuelan artist Elena Ponta displayed paintings and photographs that pay testimony to the unique beauty of the cocoa plant. A band playing salsa music made sure there was the right South American atmosphere. Additionally, guests were able to sample the finest Venezuelan chocolate together with selected wines by the Rheingau vintager, Achim von Oetinger. The Venezuelan consul and his wife were also present at the event www.julia-koenig.de * ahe

Hiltrud Schafer

Artworks Made of the Everyday Material Paper

We are almost constantly surrounded by industrial paper: whether it comes in the form of newspapers, books, letters, advertising brochures, gift wrapping paper or as useful and decorative items. The new special exhibition "paper road - industry paper art" runs in the Deggendorf Museum until February 25. 39 artists from nine countries have based their artistic work around the topic of industrial paper. In the pieces, paper grows out of grass or fills space, is in movement or pretends to be so. Telephone books are transformed into graphic symbols reminiscent of a typesetter's box, newspapers are woven to form quilts, float on water like ships or interact with upholstery like cushions. Packaging paper is transformed into cloned beings, punched cards for pre-industrial looms are made into room installations, while confetti paper produces lamella images. There are no limits on fantasy. The exhibition was initiated by IAPMA, the International Association of Paper Makers and Paper Artists. The multi-faceted exhibition was part of the supporting events around the 18th IAPMA Congress in the Austrian Paper Making Museum Steyrermühl in the summer of 2006. As the second and only stop in Germany, it will be on show in the City Gallery City Museum and in the Crafts Museum Deggendorf. www.deggendorf.de * ahe

Erica Rasmussen

Art Grows Blossoms

Blossoms are among the earliest and also the most repeated motifs of art. They have been discussed controversially as objects of artistic reflection, not just since the 20th and 21st centuries. The exhibition "Art grows blossoms" draws on the critical appraisal between jewelry, applied arts and this old subject. From June 17 to September 24, visitors can admire historical and contemporary pieces on this in the premises of the Schmuckmuseum (Jewelry Museum) and in the Kunst-/Kunstgewerbeverein (Art and Crafts Association) of Pforzheim in the Reuchlin House and even out in the surrounding city gardens. Golden blossom jewelry from Ancient Greece, baroque blossom brooches, richly adorned with gemstones, or the extravagant flower motifs of Art Nouveau indicate the different manners in which goldsmiths have approached the topic over the course of time. Indeed, during a relatively short phase of naturalism at the end of the 19th century, the term "botanism" was coined for particularly authentic, natural depictions of plants and blossoms. The exhibition also features the latest and new trends in contemporary jewelry art, for example gaudykitschy blossom brooches or examples manufactured simply using grey, prefab plastic elements and silver. There is a particular slant in the show due to the comparison between contemporary jewelry and current work from the field of the applied arts. Within this framework, there is a broad spread: from contemporary natural drawings and artificial, parallel worlds in installations, documentary video work, right through to one woman's obsession with the amaryllis. www.schmuckmuseum.de * ahe