Character
Beauty in handcrafted imperfections
As I was organizing my closet, I came across a ring I’d bought online a few years ago. I remember how excited I was at the time. It’s a 14-karat gold piece with a small opal and diamond, and it was a bit of an investment. Not long after I got it, one of the prongs snapped and the opal fell out, so I tucked it away and stopped wearing it.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with the ring (aside from the broken prong), but looking at it now with a better understanding of jewelry design and craftsmanship, I realize why it no longer feels special to me. The proportions are almost too perfect - precise, polished, and symmetrical in a way that leaves it feeling a bit lifeless.
When I study antique jewelry or well-made contemporary pieces, even those that aim for symmetry have subtle irregularities; these tiny hand-shaped nuances catch the light differently and make the piece feel alive. That imperfect balance is what gives them warmth and depth.
An independent jeweler who I think captures this very well is Ellen Johnston of Brisbane. Her pieces are ornate, have interesting construction, and you can see little imperfections reflective handmade; these imperfections give them character.
Current projects
I spent several hours this week making very little visible progress on my cathedral ring. The ring shank is now shaped and sanded and I opened up the cathedral part enough to fit the stone setting.
While I genuinely wouldn’t trade the labor of love that goes into handcraft, this ring is definitely making me understand the temptation of computer-aided design and 3D printing! It is so challenging to work on such small pieces of metal and get a precise result.
I made slight progress with my pearl sakura setting by soldering the back cup to the face of the flower. I need to refine the shape of the cup a bit more and I want to add some kind of rim to the front to hug the pearl.
My plan is to turn it into a pendant, so I will also need to solder on a loop for a bail.
Packaging two rings
I packaged two pairs of my Sunbeam Hoops to mail out next week! I took a lot of enjoyment from seeing them wrapped and ready to be opened.