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April 26, 2002
Jewelry or Art? New exhibit stretches the imagination
Mauricio Minotta
© GIA and Tino Hammid.
This cameo brooch from the 19th century is made from gray and white agate set in gold with black enamel detail.
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© GIA and Tino Hammid.
This Carnelian intaglio features the portrait of England's King Charles I. After his execution in 1649, British royals regarded him as a martyr and wore rings with his portrait.
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Photo courtesy of Michael Christie.
Michael Christie's perfume bottle serves multiple purposes: the accent stones inserted into the base are removable earrings and the dipper doubles as a pendant.
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Photo courtesy of G&G.
Steve Walters' brooch carved in black onyx demonstrates a level of artistry that focuses on artistic form rather than gemstones.
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Photo courtesy of G&G.
Michael Dyber's award-winning 262.70-carat Bolivian ametrine featuring his carved Dyber Optic Dishes won first place in the 1994 AGTA Spectrum awards.
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The ways gemstones can be used are endless. Cut into any number of shapes and sizes, they can either be worn as jewelry to compliment a gown or made into magnificent art objects to be admired from behind a glass case. Occasionally, the two extremes find a middle ground as “wearable art.” Curious? You can visit GIA’s world headquarters in Carlsbad, California, to see some of the best examples.
“Gems in Art: Art in Gems,” a new exhibit demonstrating the versatility of gemstones will be on view in the Mikimoto Rotunda beginning May 4.
“My goal is to show the many ways in which gemstones can be used to create beautiful art objects,” says Elise Misiorowski, G.G., GIA Museum director. “I also want to give people the understanding that gems offer another medium for creative expression beyond jewelry.”
“Gems in Art: Art in Gems” is scheduled to remain on campus through Oct. 31. The following six categories will be featured in the exhibit.
Cameos and Intaglios
Engraved gems have a rich history that date back to the ancient Roman and Greek civilizations. Cameos feature one image protruding above the base, while intaglios feature an image engraved into the gem. These miniature artworks became enormously popular in the 19th century during the reign of Queen Victoria of England, and were carved in a variety of gemstones, as well as coral and shell.
Natural Carvings
Gem artists fuse nature and gemstones to create some of the most beautiful figurative carvings of birds, wild animals and human figures. For example, Thomas McPhee frequently uses rock crystal quartz to intermingle animal and human forms in an unusual meld, and Susan Allen creates miniature worlds with her internal carving technique on polished crystal.
Boxes and Bottles
Although some pieces are designed simply as decorative objects, others are created to serve a purpose. Nicolai Medvedev is a master at intarsia, the art of inlaying precious gems in beautiful patterns. His intricately designed boxes with colorful gemstone mosaic inlays are prime examples of functional gemstone art objects. So are Michael Christie’s perfume bottles carved from gem crystals, which have accent stones inserted into the bases that are removable earrings and dippers that double as a pendants.
Fantasy & Abstract Carvings
Fantasy or abstract cuts became popular in the 1990s as designers looked for ways to stand out in a highly competitive market. New and unusual cuts were incorporated into eye-catching jewelry, much like Michael Dyber’s award-winning 262.70-carat Bolivian ametrine featuring his carved Dyber Optic Dishes (pictured). Pieces by Bernd Musteiner, who introduced abstract cuts in the 1980s and is considered to be the Father of Fantasy Cuts, are featured in the exhibit, as well as creations by Glenn Lehrer, Steve Walters, Lawrence Stoller and Bart Curren.
Objects D’Art
Some jeweled items are made as decorative objects simply to be admired. One hundred years ago, the legendary jeweler, Faberge, produced jeweled flowers in rock crystal “water glasses” to brighten the spirits of his clients during long Russian winters. Today, gem artists and jewelers are making art objects that are equally pleasing. The internally carved pieces created by Susan Allen, for example, are designed as little microcosms. From Southwestern motifs and celestial space temples (pictured), to animated bear families and vivid underwater scenes, Allen uses some of the most advanced technology and her imagination to create artwork of stunning detail.
Jewelry
While all jewelry demonstrates a level of artistry, the focus of some pieces isn’t so much the gemstones, but the artistic form in which the gems are placed. Items such as the brooch set with a black onyx carving by Steve Walters, (pictured) are considered to be wearable art. Jewelry by Marianne Hunter incorporates figures or scenes in enameled gold, set with carved gems, gem beads and pearls. Earrings by Richard Kimball depict the mountains, rivers and canyons that are part of his Colorado environment.
For More Information:
“Gems in Art: Art in Gems” features the artists mentioned above among others. The exhibit is open to the public from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission is free.
Upcoming: The GIA Museum will unveil an exhibit on opalized fossils from Australia’s National Opal Collection in June. The exhibit will be featured in the summer issue of The Loupe. For information on the Museum, call Laurie Stein at (760) 603-4033.
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