Conclusion

This research report explores the use of roses as inspiration to create contemporary jewellery. Finding personal meaning in roses was a great experience for me. I also enjoyed exploring the imitation of roses using metal to make rose petals. At first, it was difficult to find an artist or jewellery designer who used the same references and techniques as I did. To make things easier, I started looking those who created final products that related to my work, rather than those who used techniques I was already using. This helped me to learn and try out different techniques to create my floral jewellery.

Rather than using pictures, I bought roses so that I could have a reference right in front of me as I worked. This helped me realize that roses come in many different sizes. This inspired me to try making both life-sized roses and rose imitations on a smaller scale, which worked out well for me. I also enjoyed working with metal throughout this process. However, I felt I was not experimenting enough, which lead me to start drying out roses. During the drying process, the rose petals became small and smaller. When I peeled off the petals from the dried roses, they were curlier than the fresh ones. I fell in love with this new shape, and decided to imitate them as well.

The dried rose petals inspired me to imitate rose petals as they are and the etching technique help me find how I can make detailed rose petals. The bright colours of the roses I bought brightened my mood and the process of making rose petals was very soothing, bringing peace to my heart. I am encouraged to continue with imitating my favourite flowers to create more contemporary jewellery for both men and women in the future.

Action research outline

Action research is a method applied in improving practice which involves plan, act, observe and reflect.

figure 1- Kang, Y., (2015). Action research.

The terms below explains how the action research works.

• Plan -  Having an idea to try out.
• Act - Making the idea.
• Observe - Examining what I did.
• Reflect - Deciding how well it worked and what can be improved which is the next plan.

The action research is a constant cycle which can be used by jewellery designers on improving their jewellery. I will also be using it on manufacturing and improving my own jewellery.

References.

Victoria Walker, Donna Barry and Michael Michaud used different metals when creating pieces that imitate roses/ flowers. Because of their influence, I also used metal when creating my roses and rose petals. Another artist who inspired me to use metal rather than plastic was Fabiana Gadano. Lauren Harpster, Yaron Bob and Mitricheva Iryna inspired me to create roses in a 3-dimensional form and imitate them in different scales. Wu Ching Chi’s enameling technique for floral jewellery pushed me to create detailed petals by using etching rather than using enamel.

Theme.

 

My theme focuses on floral jewellery. My research also includes reasons why I chose roses specifically, which I found from the writings of Bruce Metcalf, Kenneth Quickenden and Beth Bernstein. According to Quickenden, floral jewellery reflects various aspects of nature. According to Metcalf, jewellery is associated with the spiritual and the supernatural. Spiritual mediation is the function of jewellery that I chose to focus on. Bernstein inspired me to read about the meanings that other people find in roses so that I can reflect on these and use them to find my own personal meaning. I made prototypes of imitated roses in different materials and on different scales. The process of manufacturing the floral jewellery calmed me down and helped me to forget about everything else for a while. The creation of my jewellery also taught me to never lose focus, as I needed to pay close attention when manufacturing of very thin plates of metals I used.

Wu Ching Chi

Wu Ching Chi is a Taiwanese artist inspired by organic forms like plants and insects devoted to creating contemporary jewellery. He is specializing in plaque a jour enameling, chasing, reprousse and pattina. I love his work because it what I wanted to achieve with my etched rose petals. I wanted to imitate the veins and add colour on metal. I have not find a technique that suits me of adding colour on the metal but rose petals are element of making floral contemporary jewellery. The etched metal petals will help me to remake flowers in floral jewellery. 

Ching Chi, W., (unknown), Earring, enamel, copper and sterling silver.

Ching Chi, W., (unknown), Earring, enamel, copper and sterling silver.

Michael Michaud

Michael Michaud is a jewellery designer that casts an actual succulent plants to make jewellery as you can see images below. I like the his idea of casting from the actual because you get the exact imitation of the plant. I tried two times to cast the dried rose petal but it didn't work. I thought that the rose petals were too thin may be it reason why it didn't work. Since casting didn't work for me, I will continue to imitate hand made rose petals using metal.

 

Michaud, M., (unknown), Hydrangea pendant, bronze.

Michaud, M., (unknown), Daisy stud earrings, bronze and sterling silver.

Medieval floral jewellery

Medieval period began in 500 AD to 1500 AD. In this period there were lot of the techniques used in order to manufacture jewellery; those techniques are plating, chasing, repousse, enameling, inlay, granulation, filigree, stamping, and casting. In the pictures below how flowers evolve in floral jewellery from the floral motif to 2-dimensional flower. In this period of medieval, they didn't have a specific flower that they use to make jewellery. I couldn't find much about the floral jewellery made in the medieval period. I like these ideas below of how floral was made and I can use them to make floral jewellery by imitating a rose.

Figure 1- Pinky signet ring, bronze

In figure 1 shows that casting technique was used to make floral jewellery.  I like how the floral motif was used to make jewellery in a simple way. 

Figure 2- Gerochristo, (unkown). Medieval floral locket pendant, gold and sterling silver, 

The image in figure 2,  the flowers on the locket pendant are 2-dimensional and are plated with gold so that they can stand out. I like the way colour is used and it so detailed. The contrast of the black, silver and gold makes this locket pendant beautiful and neat.