Throughout history, artists have explored jewelry as a powerful medium for self-expression.
From surrealist icon Man Ray’s Lampshade earrings, famously worn by French actress Catherine Deneuve, to sculptor Alexander Calder’s whimsical yet architectural creations adored by Simone de Beauvoir, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Peggy Guggenheim, art and jewelry have long been intertwined.
Italian jeweler Gem Montebello collaborated with Man Ray in the 1970s, much like feminist artist Niki de Saint Phalle, whose colorful brooches reimagined the human form.
Salvador Dalí ventured into jewelry design in 1941, crafting extraordinary pieces like diamond-studded eye brooches and ruby-lipped jewels, often in collaboration with couturier Elsa Schiaparelli.
“My art encompasses physics, mathematics, architecture, nuclear science – and jewelry,” he declared in 1959, cementing his belief that adornment was as profound as painting.
Even Pablo Picasso turned his talents to jewelry, crafting shell necklaces for Dora Maar and later exploring goldsmithing in the 1960s.
His daughter, Paloma Picasso, went on to become one of Tiffany & Co.’s most celebrated designers.
Artists see jewelry through a different lens—shaping, molding, and redefining its meaning beyond conventional beauty. Sculptors, architects, and even archaeologists bring fresh perspectives, merging craftsmanship with concept.
Among today’s contemporary jewelry designers, Faith Hilda of Faith Jewels stands out. With a background in architecture, the Melbourne-based jeweler approaches each creation as she would a building.
“I sketch my designs as architectural drawings—top, front, and side elevations—to ensure harmony from every angle,” she explains. “Jewelry, like a home, must interact seamlessly with its environment.”
Hilda’s foundation in architecture informs her aesthetic, translating light, shadow, and geometric structures into exquisite pieces. Inspired by domes, skylines, and bold spatial compositions, her designs embody a sophisticated interplay of form and function.
By bridging the worlds of architecture and jewelry, she continues the artistic tradition of turning adornment into an evocative form of wearable art.
Related topics:
