Opulent Ethics heading for New Designers

As we here at Opulent Ethics are finishing off our Precious pomander range we are also considering our next step. And we think it is time to show off our pomanders to the world.

One of Opulent Ethics' Cherished pomanders



So, as well as being on the Opulent Ethics website soon, we will be showing the Precious range at the Birmingham City University School of Jewellery Final Show from 13^th – 17^th June before heading to London to New Designers where the pieces will be on show from 30^th June – 3^rd July.

The shows are open to the public on the dates mentioned so come along and see us.

That’s all for now….

Sneak preview of Opulent Ethics’ pomanders

Just a quick one today.

Opulent Ethics can officially reveal the first photos of some of our new range of pomanders.

Mini sphere pomander closed

Mini Octagon pomander as it will appear when opened

Mini tubular pomander before assembly

These little gems will make up the lower end of Opulent Ethics’ range of modern pomanders which allow the wearer to put something precious inside.

Check back soon for the finished pieces.

That’s all for now….

London Jewellery Week set to be spiced up with an "Essence" of ethics

London Jewellery Week, the UK’s biggest jewellery event, will be running from 6^th – 12^th June this year and it looks like 2011 will be the biggest Jewellery Week to date.

A glimpse of what will be on show at London Jewellery Week

London Jewellery Week is always a mass of innovative, new design, beautiful pieces of body adornment, established and new and up and coming names and jewellery, jewellery, jewellery! But it is really great to see that an entire section of this London-wide event is being given over to ethical jewellery. In the same way that London Fashion Week has Esthetica, London Jewellery Week now has Essence as part of Treasure.

Following on from the release of Fairtrade gold on Valentine’s Day this year Essence will be showcasing the latest Fairtrade gold designers and makers. But, more excitingly, there will also be some of the miners who work to bring us this amazing gold in attendance.

Make sure you go along to show your support, like Opulent Ethics will be, and to view the latest in jewellery trends and fashions.

That’s all for now….

Opulent Ethics’ pomander update

As you may know, Opulent Ethics have been working on producing a range of modern pomanders in recent weeks. And after what feels like a lifetime of design development we finally have the first of our cast pieces.

Octagon pomander pieces

They were cast by Vipa Designs out of 100% recycled UK silver and Oro Verde gold and we are very happy with the results.

 

Sphere pomander base in Oro Verde gold



We now have a lot of work assembling the pomander pieces to make up the final articles, so we better get back to it. Watch this space!

That’s all for now....

Could Fairtrade diamonds soon be on your jewellery wish-list?

There is mention of a prospective exciting new Fairtrade development in Greg Valerio’s latest blog post! Having just been named as one of the 3 shortlisted entrants in the Global Campaigner section of The Observer’s Ethical Awards 2011, Greg has begun to conquer the Fairtrade and Fairmined gold world after years of tireless campaigning and developmental work. And now Greg seems to have set his sights on diamonds!



Could diamonds become Fairtrade?



Opulent Ethics have previously talked about the Kimberley Process and how it is not living up to its word in our “Is the Kimberley Process ruining Zimbabwe and can it ever work?” post from 31^st October 2010. At the time Opulent Ethics questioned whether, after making devastating decisions such as allowing Zimbabwean Marange Field Diamonds to be sold with Kimberley Process backing, it would ever be able to recover and whether the Kimberley Process could ever be trusted by retailers the world over.

Under the ideas being proposed by Greg Valerio certain diamond cooperatives would come under the auspices of the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation. In order to achieve Fairtrade certification it is expected that diamond miners would have to reach similar rigorous standards to those attained by Fairtrade and Fairmined Gold mines in South America.

This would include transparency throughout the entire supply chain, equal pay for all, improved working conditions, assurances that the environment being mined is not being exploited and that once mining ceases that the area will be returned to a natural, sustainable locale. Of course, any Fairtrade development would only work with small-scale mining communities rather than large-scale mining companies and the additional Fairtrade premiums paid would go back into improving community infrastructure and conditions.

So is this all possible and could it ever provide ethically minded jewellers and consumers with the peace of mind they want? Well I am sure that Greg and others were wondering whether Fairtrade gold would ever be possible 10 years ago and look at it now; being worn on the Oscars Red Carpet by Olivia Firth and then being sold by Christies for Oxfam for £25,000, having some of the top jewellers in the UK signed up as Fairtrade Gold License Holders and having its own Hallmark.



Fairtrade and Fairmined gold bar which was unveiled on Feb 14th 2011



So Opulent Ethics believe 100% that Fairtrade diamonds can, and will be achieved. It will just take lots more hard work and campaigning from all involved. Good luck Greg!

That’s all for now….

A taste of Jewellery and Silversmithing history

This week in the Benchpeg Newsletter, the Goldsmiths’ Company have announced that they will be displaying a beautiful 2000 year old silver bowl called the Corieltavi Silver Bowl during British Silver Week which is running at Goldsmiths’ Hall from tomorrow.



Corieltavi Silver Bowl

 

Opulent Ethics were so taken with the idea that this simple, beautiful bowl was made during the Iron Age and yet, could match some of today’s silver-smithing masters. It got us thinking about what else has stood the test of time.

The Corieltavi Silver Bowl is made from over 84% silver which has been alloyed with copper, a process still undertaken with modern day silver. The bowl is the earliest example ever found in the UK of Iron Age silversmithing techniques. It was found in what is thought to be a Druid site used for ritualistic offerings to the Gods. Other pieces found included ingots, coins, wooden carved statues and pieces of jewellery.

Further investigation revealed that techniques still used by today’s silversmiths were used by the silversmith who made the Corieltavi Silver Bowl. Evidence of planishing (smoothing the surface of the material), caulking (thickening of the edge of the metal by hammering the edge rather than the top of the material) and peening (hammering a thick piece of metal to form the centre whilst the edges remain at the initial thickness) was found.

This made Opulent Ethics think back to when we visited the Staffordshire Hoard which went on show at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery after the Hoard was first discovered in Staffordshire in 2009.



Piece of the Staffordshire Hoard



Over 1500 pieces were found in the Hoard including what are believed to be the decorative patterning taken from the hilts of swords, a helmet and numerous religious artefacts. The Hoard contains over 5kg of gold but also some silver and copper alloyed metals.

Opulent Ethics were most taken by those pieces which contained patterning, especially filigree, and stone set sections. The main stone used was Garnet. It is believed that the pieces found in the Hoard were used by Royalty and elite due to the amount of craftsmanship used as well as the, now almost priceless, materials.

Garnet and Gold decorative element of the Staffordshire Hoard

Opulent Ethics really hope that the jewellery we make can stand up to the test of time like these amazing artefacts!

That’s all for now….

Opulent Ethics' personal ad!

There is a well known saying about “beauty being in the eye of the beholder” but when you are trying to advertise a piece of your work you don’t always want this to be so. Exhibiting your piece of jewellery or a design in its best light, so that it is appreciated by, and appeals to, a wide audience is important. There is a mass of faculties to consider when seeing your work through from conception to promotion. And Opulent Ethics completes each of these every time we produce a new range of ethical jewellery.

You would think that a designer would undertake each of these design and production challenges in a chronological order so once the design is completed then manufacturing goes ahead and that advertising is the last thing done when the piece is complete.

However, things are never that straightforward and each part of the process overlaps with others; for example, manufacturing highlights problems with the designs and sends you straight back to the drawing board. At Opulent Ethics we have always found there to be a close relationship between design conception and advertising as we can’t help but visualise how a piece will look in its display window in the future.

So, as we are moving ahead with the production of our new range of pomanders we have turned our attention to the display and advertising of the pieces.

We have all seen and reacted to numerous iconic adverts including:

Coca-Cola Christmas advert

The red of the background and font of the writing is obviously Coca Cola. And that is not even mentioning their standard Christmas adverts with jolly Santa and the Coca Cola trucks spreading festive spirit.

Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery advert

Their adverts always display the jewellery using strong props which seem to have inspired the design. Aside from this the Van Cleef & Arpels logo is the only other thing on the advert.

Apple MacBook advert

Anything with the Apple symbol on is instantly recogniseable and synonymous with Apple’s clean, sleek, technologically advanced, iconic products.

Guinness Sea Horse advert

The famous contrasting colours of Guinness take centre stage in their advertising and over the years, they have created some of the most iconic images seen.

And what is it that makes these adverts so memorable? A strong brand includes a distinctive logo, font, tagline and colour scheme. Any collaboration of these will instantly bring the brand to the viewers attention.

Many of Opulent Ethics’ favourite adverts are simple in their layout and concept. It is quite common for viewers to lose interest or fail to grasp the point of an advert if there is too much going on. Adverts which focus on one clear point work much better we feel.

The most important point is a strong image. Above all, the advert is there to promote an item or brand and this should be at the heart of the advert. As Opulent Ethics considers how we will layout our pomander adverts we are thinking of the best way of photographing the pieces to convey the point of the range and to show them in their best light.

Also, through this part of our design process Opulent Ethics have been looking at other green, environmental, ethical, Fair Trade brands, especially the luxury ones, to figure out the best ways of conveying Opulent Ethics’ ethical intentions without being self-righteously ethical. From looking at brands such as Green & Blacks and Stella McCartney we feel that their ethical luxury is best conveyed through simple but strong wording, colours and images.

And with regards to the wider presentation of pieces Opulent Ethics try to continue these principles throughout. We do, however, like to make more eye-catching 3-dimensional use of the space we use to present our work. In the past we have used items from what inspired us or props made using the techniques we have used in the production of the piece (such as laser cut signage for Opulent Ethics’ Eveoire` Range which was laser cut vegetable ivory) for a cohesive look. We always err on the side of caution though as we find it very easy to get carried away. 

We hope that, by understanding why other adverts do or don’t work and by adhering to the principles highlighted then we will be able to produce a range of effective, eye-catching classic adverts for our up and coming range. Watch this space!

That’s all for now.... 

The world's biggest wedding...how was the jewellery?

With over an estimated 2 billion people worldwide watching the biggest wedding of the decade it was necessary that the jewellery worn by all involved sparkled with all the beauty and quality required by a princess. And were we let down?

The most important piece of wedding jewellery was the 18 carat white gold Sapphire and 14 round diamond cluster ring worn by Princess Diana during her marriage to Prince Charles. The ring was one of a selection offered to Lady Diana for her engagement and, at the time, was worth £28,000. The ring selection was all from Garrard, jewellers to the Royal Family since 1735.

Diana's Engagement Ring

There has been much discussion about whether the couple’s wedding rings would be made from the Welsh gold that other royal wedding rings have been from since 1923 or whether Fairtrade gold, released on Valentine’s Day 2011 would be preferred by the couple. And the answer? Catherine’s ring is made from Welsh gold by Wartski. Catherine’s ring was made from gold that had been presented to Queen Elizabeth II. Interestingly, William has chosen not to wear a wedding ring and this section was omitted from the ceremony.

Catherine receiving her wedding ring from Prince William

Both Catherine and Pippa Middleton were dressed in Alexander McQueen gowns for the wedding ceremony and their earrings were just as beautiful. Catherine’s earrings were bespoke made at her parents bequest and were shaped as the acorn and oak leaf which is present in the Middleton’s new coat of arms. Pippa’s earrings were also made by Robinson Pelham but in a more floral design.



Catherine and Pippa Middleton's Robinson Pelham earrings



And other jewellery worn by guests at the wedding? Samantha Cameron chose to wear an Erdem jewelled head-piece rather than her hat to compliment her beautiful bright Burberry dress.



Samantha Cameron wearing an Erdem hair-piece



The Queen wore a very appropriate piece of jewellery to go with her eggshell yellow outfit; Queen Mary’s True Lovers Knot Brooch which is diamond encrusted with scalloped edges. It was entrusted to Queen Elizabeth in 1953.

Queen Mary's True Lovers Knot Brooch worn by Queem Elizabeth

So were we let down? Not a chance. All the jewellery new and old was beautiful, exquisite and played its part.

That’s all for now....