Genesis - The Start Of The End

Everything has a start. Death, however, always signifies the end of things. Although I’m not dead, and I haven’t had any (very) close relatives die in my family yet, I am certainly well aware of it. So I shall call this ‘The Start Of The End’.

Honestly, the start isn't flattering. I came across a cool skull ring design I liked and decided to try to sell it or share it, whichever best meets your appetite. However, it would certainly be wrong to say that this was the start of my interest in the subject of death.

I grew up around old things (antiques), and began selling them at the age of 8. I had no desire to do so; I was forced to, though I certainly have no negative feelings towards those long, cold Saturdays that my parents made me work through. In fact, I’m very grateful for the experiences and lessons that I learned throughout those years. But how do antiques and death come together? Well, being artistically inclined, I had a sort of fascination towards the artistic glass that my parents sold, and to a lesser degree, the less significant pieces that I sold. This fascination led me to visit some museums over the years, in particular the Victoria and Albert Museum. One ivory skull carving sticks in my memory to this day; I’ll try to find it…

This beautiful carving of a grotesque, partially decomposed skull captured my imagination for years. Some years later I returned to the museum with a proper camera and captured it. I later learned that this carving was called ‘memento mori’, id est, a reminder of death, or “remember you must die”.

I’m very fortunate to be closely linked to the antique jewellery trade, doing countless repairs and adjustments to build up a collection of utterly unique references that allow me to draw inspiration and knowledge. 3-4 years ago, since I completed my 5-year apprenticeship in diamond mounting, I made it my life goal to get good at solving jewellery problems by learning new skills and acquiring new tools. From converting 22ct yellow gold wedding bands into 18ct white gold to faceting and carving gemstones, to machining watch cases, completing complex restorations on antique jewellery, and of course, making unique pieces of jewellery from literal gold dust. I certainly won't be stopping there, because jewellers of antiquity expressed a wide range of skills in the pieces they produced that remain today. I am in awe.

Thus, I have undertaken the challenging task of designing and recreating jewellery pieces inspired by the concept of death. By using historical approaches, I aim to create practical, long-lasting, and beautiful designs. The goal is to produce jewellery that evokes emotion and action, reminding the wearer of death and encouraging them to celebrate and live life to its fullest.