This “pin” brooch, made in 1992 by jeweler Beppe Kessler, was part of a larger collection of “pin” brooches, each piece one of a kind. The series itself was derived from an installation by Kessler, also in 1992, which involved hanging large rounded, pin cushions on a wall. The brooches are an outgrowth of this...

During the last decade, Gaetano Pesce, long known for his varied designs and sense of experimentation, turned his attention to the creation of jewelry. Throughout his career Pesce has used resin to create such diverse objects as furniture, vases and shoes. Experimenting further, Pesce sought to create jewelry with this highly adaptable medium. To date,...

Ceramic beads have been used in jewelry for millennia. Recognizing the utilitarian quality of this material, Peter Hoogeboom chooses it as the primary material for his neckpieces. Hoogeboom had noted historical ceramic jewelry in museums yet did not often see clay used in contemporary jewelry. Through experimentation he found that the slip casting technique allowed him...

Felieke van der Leest’s Grey Heron Airplane ring is full of the whimsy which is an integral component of the artist’s imaginative and sophisticated design process, which incorporates techniques such as bead weaving and crocheting. This ring, like much of Van der Leest’s work, focuses on the use of mass produced toy animals, highlighted by...

This brooch from Esther Knobel’s Immigrant series expresses the artist’s playful side. The brooch features colorful figures, a circus performer and an ancient emperor, both cut from tin boxes of Chinese tea that Knobel found in an old shop on Jaffe Street in Jerusalem. The figures themselves serve as a metaphor for an immigrant, arriving...

An object like this brooch can tell a thousand stories. Are these two lovers on a romantic ride? Are they escaping and rowing into the sunset, never to return again? Have they been separated and is this the first time they’ve seen each other in years? The choices are endless, and that is only part...

While the 1960s brought on the Jet Age, the Beatles, moon landings and more, it also was a time of strife. The Vietnam War was not without its opposition, with students, anti-establishment activists, and mothers forming the largest groups of resistance. Mothers in particular were a strong sub-group of protesters, with groups such as Another...

When a piece of jewelry is made of natural materials such as this neckpiece designed by Liv Blåvarp, it forges a special connection with the wearer. There is something about natural substances that bring out feelings of sensuality and an intimate connection on a deeply primal level. When Blåvarp began making jewelry in 1984, she sought to make...

In 1922, Francisco Torres arrived in New York on a steam ship from his hometown of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, at the age of sixteen. Despite being an unaccompanied minor, he convinced immigration authorities to allow him to enter the United States by speaking the fluent English he learned from a native Virgin Islander living...