Wearable Art Blog

Defining Quality, Cost, and Authenticity

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:09:54 -0700

Questions about handmade and mass-produced jewelry have been brought to my attention, so I thought I’d give my perspective on the subject.
The information that I’m about to share is only for the sole purpose of educating on some of the pros and cons to purchasing handmade vs. mass-produced jewelry.
All of my creations are handmade, and my opinions and the information that I share reflect my experiences as a designer, sculptor, and silversmith.
Many have asked, “Why is it that handmade jewelry in sterling silver is so expensive compared to other known brands that are on the market?”
Since silver has gone up in price it's an investment just to buy the raw materials let alone the time it takes to create the pieces. The key thing to remember is that the work is one of a kind, (even if there is multiples made of the same thing) it is handmade, and high-end quality.
When purchasing mass-produced items keep in mind that large machinery is used for stamping out large quantities of parts to create thousands of pieces of jewelry. There is also many laborers who work for these companies at minimum wages. The time and labor that go into a piece is cut in half, so there is plenty of merchandise to fill store orders and it also keeps the costs of production low. Often times the quality of a piece is watered down as it’s passed from hand to hand during production.
An artist who creates only by hand can’t compete with this level of production. The time it takes to to create one piece is much longer and in most cases the parts are made with the use of traditional tools, which also slows down the process. In defense of slower processes, I want to add that it brings great attention to detail and finesse. This is where I feel the biggest compromise is made when purchasing something mass-produced.
Rarity is another point to consider when purchasing a handmade piece of jewelry. An artist can design a piece of jewelry that complements an individual instead of generalizing the whole world. A seamstress makes a pair of pants fit to the exact size, leg length etc., an artist, when commissioned, creates a custom piece of jewelry to fit the client properly.
I’ve purchased lots of mass-produced sterling silver jewelry over the years, and found that my jewelry never fit properly. I used to “mickey mouse” my necklaces and bracelets just to make them fit...most of my jewelry was just too big for me. After working as a silversmith for almost four years now I’ve learned that there is much more to purchasing jewelry than I had known in the past. One of the questions my boyfriend and I always ask ourselves when viewing handmade work is: "Would I take the time to make that myself?" or "If I thought I might, do I even possess the tools, skills, and time to create it?" If the answer is "No," then in my opinion it is far worth the money that is being asked especially knowing I like the piece of Art whether it be sculpture, Jewelry, or Clothing.
After learning the art of Silversmithing, spending time creating my own collections, and developing my style I’ve come to understand the difference between quality, cost and the authenticity of a piece. To clear up confusion about the quality, cost, the authenticity of handmade Jewelry, it’s best to educate, so that there is an understanding of what goes into pieces that are one-of-a-kind.

A Southern California Group of Chainmailers

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:50:38 -0700

I am excited to announce that we now have a group and discussion board for us to frequent on the Internet.
When I started this group it was simply with the thought in mind to connect with other chainmailers local to SoCal.
There are many other great forums on-line to go to for inspiration, advice, and tons of knowledge, but many are spread out and to connect would mean traveling (not that I’m opposed to that :-)).
The group that I have formed is based out of SoCal, and my hopes are to make it possible to connect in person without having to travel many long hours and great distances, so that we can get together and mail.
We are small and just starting out and are hoping to grow not only in volume, but in INSPIRATION!
So if you are a local to Southern California, and love to chainmail we invite you to check out our group @:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoCalChainmailers/
Hope you can join us!

Fiber Frolic August 2010

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:44:22 -0700

So I’m a bit late on this blog...have way too many things going on at times, oh well. :-)
On August 7, I taught a Chainmail workshop at the Fiber Frolic event at the Women’s Club in La Crescenta, CA.

I was so excited to share my one of my passions with others who were very excited to learn this great age-old art!

This workshop covered the basics in creating a European 4-in-1 chainmail weave.
For the project I had each student create a (5) row bracelet in 12 gauge and 14 gauge jumprings, which turned out very nice! The students really got to see and understand the use of two different sizes in jumprings as well as color. I prefer to teach in two different colors in the beginning stages of learning a weave, for the fact that one can really get a bit lost in the pattern.
As you can see we had a very busy day with lots of jumprings flying across the table! :-) We enjoyed our day of mailing so much that we are trying to put together another day of workshops in the very near future!
Thanks to the Fiber Frolic coordinators, cooks, and to the attendees! Together we had a great event and many thanks to Dawn, for helping me do what it took to become part of this awesome event! Looking forward to putting together our next event! Cheers for now! ~Jamie

Organic Wearable Art Collection

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:06:44 -0700

I’m very excited to announce the beginning of my NEW Collection: Organic Wearable Art!
Organic Wearable Art is a collection of work that I’m now creating by the use of a metalsmithing technique that I learned while I was in Ireland taking a workshop at the Bergin Clarke Studio back in April.

This technique is commonly used in the art of metalsmithing, and is called “Fold Forming.” Fold Forming is a process in folding a sheet of metal in half and it’s hammered along the fold in a controlled manner. Once the folded piece is opened texture, and shape are visible creating an organic form. Not all pieces that are fold formed turn out this way. It is my intention to utilize this technique to create and use shapes that mimic Organics.

All pieces that I’m creating with this process are made from 100% Sterling Silver, (these are not natural leaves dipped, or cast) Copper, and Brass. These pieces can be created in other precious metals upon request. I

I will be adding a separate Gallery for these pieces as the Collection grows, so please check back in the near future as I am working every chance I get at creating this new line.

These pieces can be purchased from my Artfire.com Store Front, or straight from my profile on Facebook.

As always if you have any questions you can email me. :-)

Purchasing Wearable Art

Fri, 28 May 2010 22:20:37 -0700

Since I had some website issues, and finally got the site up and going again (seems to be running smoothly at the moment) I’ve been in the process of creating a Catalog along with getting my Store up and going again.

I’m happy to say that I do have a profile on Artfire.com as well as AmericaCreates.com. I am updating the sites, and am hoping to have a larger selection in the VERY near future.

If there is something that you would like to purchase, and it isn’t listed on Artfire.com, or AmericaCreates.com please send me an email, and I would be happy to help you out. :-)

As always you can subscribe to my Blog and Gallery, so that you can get the latest up-dates before they are promoted.