EDINBURGH.- Theres still time to see work by eight exceptional makers and designers on display in a pop-up shop promoting the finest hand-made jewellery from Scotland and the rest of the UK.
The first Elements pop-up shop is a collaboration between
The Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh, Lyon and Turnbull auctioneers and Harvey Nichols.
Hosted by Harvey Nichols, Edinburgh, and taking place until 31 August, it offers an opportunity to meet and see work by Akvile Su, Eileen Gatt, Flora Bhattachary, Georgina Orme (TipToe Jewellery), Hannah Bedford, Hannah Louise Lamb, Romany Starrs and Ruth Leslie.
All are recognised as highly accomplished jewellery makers and are part of the new wave who have embraced ethical practices buying precious metals and stones from responsible sources, recycling materials and minimising the use of damaging chemicals.
They are all among the 50 makers and designers specially selected to take part in Elements Scotlands annual festival of gold, silver and jewellery, which takes place in Edinburgh from 8-10 November.
Mary Michel, Director of The Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh, said: Its exciting for us to be able to team up with Harvey Nichols to offer a preview of all thats on offer at the Elements festival later this year.
A pop-up like this is a great way to meet some of the leading talents in Scottish and UK handmade jewellery and design and perfect for people who value high quality, beautiful work.
It also provides a platform for our own drive to make Scotland a world-leader in ethical gold and silver and jewellery making.
All of the eight contributing to the pop-up have highly distinctive approaches. They include:
Akvilė Su, from Edinburgh, a specialist in jewellery that questions standard notions of gender and sexuality.
Ruth Leslie, who has a reputation for beautifully designed and crafted sculptural jewellery. Working in metals such as silver, gold and titanium uses finely twisted wire to create sophisticated, subtle and highly contemporary forms. One recent piece of jewellery used a total of 70 metres of silver wire.
Hannah Louise Lamb whose inspirations are gathered from maps, cityscapes, coastal borders, and textures from the coastline influence the textures and profiles in her work. Her pieces all tell a story, so she often works to commission using the maps of people's favourite places.
Eileen Gatt who recently transformed a former post office in the small village of Munlochy, on the Black Isle, into a centre for ethical making and design. She has worked with the RSPB to create pieces that respond to its conservation campaigns for example to protect puffins with a percentage from each sale going directly to the charitys Scottish endeavours.
Flora Bhattachary, who was taken on a year-long road trip across India and Afghanistan in a camper van by her hippy parents. Nowadays she is the maker of timeless jewellery with a strong Indian aesthetic.
The Incorporation of Goldsmiths champions Scotlands jewellery and silversmithing trades across the country and far beyond. Founded by Royal Charter in 1687 it is also Scotlands oldest consumer protection body and are believed to be its oldest continuously existing business.
It not only runs the Assay Office (which has been testing and hallmarking precious metals in Edinburgh since 1457) but strives to make Scotland a centre of excellence for design and the crafts.