Posted on

Ottoman Empire Inspired Jewelry

My early training and apprenticeship installed a love and respect for intricate design and workmanship, during my 20s I lived in London and began travelling the world and spending lots of time in museums soaking up as much history and culture as I could.  During this time, I fell in love with the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Empire was a 600-year state that controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa between the 14th and 20th centuries, They were known for their achievements in art, science and medicine. Istanbul and other major cities throughout the empire were recognized as artistic hubs, especially during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent.  This produced beautiful and intricate architecture, the domed mosques are magnificent.  They were also renowned for their jewelry making and carpet weaving.

turkey, istanbul, hagia sophia

When I finally went to Istanbul, I was struck by the beauty everywhere and inspired by their use of beautiful shapes in their architecture and incredible workmanship and structure.

Topkabi, Instanbul, Turkey

I fell in love with Top Kapi Palace and it continues to inspire my work to this day. 

I picked out some of my favorite pieces that were inspired by the Ottoman Empire.

18k Yellow Gold crownwork® pendant with pave diamond

Pendant, Jewelry, Sapphire

18k Yellow Gold crownwork® domed disc pendant with pave sapphire center

Pendant, Jewelry, Orange Sapphire, Diamond

18k Yellow Gold crownwork® pendant with pave orange sapphire and diamonds

pave tsavorite earrings january brithstone jewelry

18k Yellow Gold crownwork® egg earrings with pave tsavorite and tourmaline center stones

Earrings, Jewelry, Enamel

18k Yellow Gold crownwork® hand painted enamel earrings with pave diamond

Earrings, Jewelry

18k Yellow Gold crownwork® red enamel earrings

January birthstone color change garnet ring

18k Yellow Gold crownwork® rings with pave pink sapphire & color change garnet

One of a kind ring, pave sapphire, jewelry

18k Yellow Gold crownwork® multi sapphire one of a kind ring

xo Ray

 

 

 

Posted on

Charm Bracelets

Charm Bracelets really are the “choose your own adventure” of the jewelry world.

Charms date back to the prehistoric period when they were formed out of shells, clay and animal bones, then continued to develop into gems, rocks, metal and wood. Throughout all periods of history charms and talismans have been used as symbols of faith, luck, prosperity and to mark and celebrate achievements and occasions in life.

Bracelet, Bracelets, 18k Yellow Gold, Gold, Charm Bracelets

A beautiful link bracelet is a solid base for a charm bracelet, you want the bracelet to have some substance so it will support the charms as your collection grows and so it can still have some roll on your wrist.  Crownwork® lends itself beautifully to large link bracelets as it keeps them nice and light on the wrist but weighty on the eye. Click here to see all of the fabulous bracelets that work perfectly with charms.

 

There are so many ways to start a collection of charms, you can choose those that have meaning to you (birthstones/anniversary stones), those that have a design that you fall in love with, those that are made with your favorite gemstones.  We have pearl charms, tassel charms, coin charms, gold ball charms; the possibilities are endless.  The most important thing to keep in mind is to balance the weight and style of the charms around your bracelet so they lie nicely around the wrist and feel comfortable.

Its impossible to pick favorites, click here to see our current collection of charms.

18k Yellow Gold Bracelet, Charm Bracelet, Jewelry

All of our charms are made with a hinged bale on the top so they are easy to interchange and play with (this also allows them to serve double duty as pendants on your favorite necklaces)

Bracelet, Jewelry, Pearl, Pearl Jewelry

LOVE this all pearl charm bracelet we put together for a client a couple of years ago, so timeless and chic.

 

Working one on one with clients on their charm bracelet project is always so much fun, its like telling stories of events and travels throughout their lives through jewelry.   Ray has been working with a client for a few years on her bracelet, every few months they add a new charm.  The latest one is a green enamel “train track” he made to represent a train journey she went on through Ireland.

Repurposing old jewelry into charms is also a great way to breathe new life into pieces you no longer wear but have great sentimental value.  Drop us a line if you have a fun project for us to work on together or would like to build out your perfect charm bracelet.   We can book an appointment with Ray in the studio or over Zoom.