The names of the makers have been unveiled for the seventh annual Elements festival – Scotland’s biggest celebration of jewellery, silver and gold. 

Organised by the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust, in partnership with Lyon and Turnbull auctioneers, it will feature a blend of physical pop-ups and new online shop between September and November.

As ever Elements brings together work from some of the finest established and emerging makers from Scotland and across the UK. This year’s participants (see biographies below with additional pictures in the Dropbox here) include:

Michelle Currie: A Fairtrade jeweller based in Glasgow, Michelle used the prize money from her 2020 Elements Graduate Award to buy ethical gemstones from Nineteen 48 and for Scottish gemstones, which she plans to use in her collection for Elements. 

Leonid Dementiev: A London-based creator of ethical jewellery, Leonid uses gold, platinum, pearls and gemstones to create handcrafted pieces that explore the techniques used by his own great-grandfather.

Katie Lees: A Glasgow-based maker of contemporary pieces, destined to become tomorrow’s heirlooms, Katie’s “Armour” ring was featured in press as it was made in lockdown and inspired by stories from clients. 

Ella Fearon-Low: Mixing precious and non-precious materials Ella, from Surrey, is developing new work for the autumn, exploring ideas around strong women, leadership and historical queens.  

Alice Fry: One of the few UK makers specialising in the metal niobium. A recent Glasgow School of Art graduate, Alicesaw her work featured in May’s online exhibition run by AdornAxis in collaboration with NYC X DESIGN featuring 66 makers from 17 countries.

Francesca Marcenaro: Francesca’s signature “glass granulation” technique is inspired by ancient practices. Her current pieces interweave many materials including gold, silver, titanium and ebony.

Pop-up shopping experiences will be set up in Scotland and London – exact locations to be confirmed this month. An online shop featuring products by each of this year’s 37 participants, including Elements exclusives, will open its doors in September.

Ebba Goring, Scottish Goldsmiths Trust Chief Executive, said: “Elements is a wonderful opportunity to discover some of the best and most distinctive in contemporary, hand-crafted, designer gold, silver and jewellery.

“It celebrates the work and talent of the makers, from all across Scotland and the rest of the UK, whose skill and imagination results in such wonderful creations – from everyday jewellery to pieces that will become treasured heirlooms and from tableware to decorative sculptures.

“By offering a blend of online and physical events we are finding ways to give as many people as possible the chance not only to see a tremendous variety of gold, silver and jewellery but to find out more about the people and the inspirations behind each piece.” 

Due to COVID-19 the usual Elements exhibitions, talks, gatherings and large-scale sales event at Lyon & Turnbull’s Edinburgh showroom cannot be held this year.

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Notes for editors

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  • Website: www.elementsfestival.co.uk

Some of the 2021 participants

MICHELLE CURRIE: Investing the prize from the 2020 Elements Graduate Award into purchasing ethical gemstones from Nineteen 48 and Scottish gemstones, which she plans to use in her collection for Elements. She has also registered as a Fairtrade jeweller. Michelle was selected for the 2020 Graduate Showcase at Elements.

Design collaboration with Chetwood Architects in London, acting as an art consultant and design assistant on a large-scale interactive installation to be built in their London office, inspired by her experiments and work with Ferromagnetic materials. Bespoke large-scale metal etchings inspired by her science-inspired research will be on display at new restaurant Unalome by Graeme Cheevers in Glasgow — her work ties in with the restaurant ethos of enlightenment.

LEONID DEMENTIEV: Uses a wire drawing technique the most in his work to explore the techniques used by his great-grandfather in his workshop. Leonid uses all kinds of pearls in his work—freshwater, Tahitian, south sea, rounds and baroques. They all have so much individuality and he loves to give them justice by showing off their unique and natural beauty. 

ELLA FEARON-LOW: Ella mixes precious and non-precious materials with hand-carved Lucite paired with gold, gold vermeil, oxidised silver and vintage pearls being key to her current collections. She is developing new work for the autumn, exploring things around strong women/leadership/historical queens. Ella is also working with a collective of other makers to make some experimental pieces in response to COVID and the post-COVID climate that they will be taking to Milan Design Week.

ALICE FRY: Alice is one of the few makers in the UK who specialises in using the metal niobium, and also uses chasing and repousee. Alice is currently in residence at Bishopsland Educational Trust and is now working towards the end of the year exhibition ‘Retrospective’. Her work was selected for the international online exhibition run by AdornAxis in collaboration with NYC X DESIGN featuring 66 jewellery artists from 17 countries in May 2021. Alice was selected for the 2020 Graduate Showcase at Elements.

CATHERINE HARTLEY, London: Catherine is currently finishing a new collection of rings expanding upon the design behind the ‘Block Light Ring’ which will be launching this summer, using champagne and cognac baguette diamonds from the recently closed Argyle mine in western Australia. The Argyle mine ceased operations at the end of 2020, and Rio Tinto will now spend the coming years rehabilitating the area back to its natural state. With the closure of the mine, there is an increasingly limited supply of these Australian diamonds left. This collection of rings is made to celebrate the unique beauty and rich tones of these Argyle diamonds, each hand-fabricated using traditional goldsmithing techniques in 18k Fairmined gold.

KATIE LEES, Glasgow: Katie’s “Armour” ring was featured in press as it was made in lockdown and inspired by stories from clients. Front line workers have likened 2020 to a ‘war-like’ mentality, and while questioning the status of jewellery during this turbulent time, it has been a joy hearing the sentiment that is attached to jewellery from clients. For some it has brought comfort, a closeness to loved ones, a ritual and a connection and protection. I wanted to design an armour for the modern warrior, something that signifies strength and resilience where physical connection is lacking.

FRANCESCA MARCENARO: Francesca’s signature technique is ‘glass granulation,’ a technique inspired by the ancient techniques of granulation and enamelling. Francesca makes granulation with glass granules giving to the surface of her pieces a unique and soft sparkle. The 2021 pieces are not made just in gold and silver, but also in titanium and ebony, giving the wearing a new tactile experience.

CAIYANG YIN, Birmingham: Last year was special in many ways. For a young contemporary jewellery artist like Caiyang, the very difficult part is to find an affordable working space and keep motivated in the days of repeating lockdowns. Under the panic of COVID-19, Caiyang found expressing his feelings with his work an effective therapy. Caiyang started his ‘2020 Impression’ series from home with the hand chased ‘2020 Impression’ brooch and later created matching cuff links. During the time he developed his CAD modelling skills with Rhinoceros and ZBruch, which will surely help him with work in the future. Although Caiyang would never want to experience such a situation again, he knows now how to turn the positive into a negative no matter what happens. Caiyang won four GCDC awards in 2019 and another four in 2021.

About the Elements 2021 partners

  • The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust (SGT) was founded by The Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh in 2000.
  • The SGT has a dynamic programme of opportunities, exhibitions and educational resources.  
  • The SGT curates the Millennium Silver Collection, Silver of the Stars and the historical archives of The Incorporation.
  • It aims to promote and support the education, art and craft of Scotland’s gold and silversmithing heritage and trade. 
  • In recent years, their work has expanded with the creation of the Ethical Making Programme to support the adoption of responsible and sustainable practices in Jewellery and Silversmithing.
  • Established in Edinburgh in 1826, Lyon & Turnbull are Scotland’s oldest firm of auctioneers. In recent years Lyon & Turnbull has become one of the fastest growing independent auction houses in the UK. They have achieved this through innovative marketing, flexibility and dedication to personal service delivered by a team of specialists.  It has offices and representatives throughout the U.K. in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. 
  • Together with Samuel T. Freeman & Co, Philadelphia’s leading appraisers and auctioneers, they make a powerful transatlantic force in today’s auction world. Both Freeman’s and Lyon & Turnbull are now becoming identified on an international stage, setting world record prices for Scottish paintings and Asian works of art, along with outstanding results in other areas, such as jewellery, silver, furniture, ceramics, books and decorative arts. See http://www.lyonandturnbull.com

For information about SGT contact Ebba Goring Chief Executive on 0131 557 6938 or 07881 623 826 or [email protected]. For media information contact Matthew Shelley at SFPR on 07786704299 or [email protected].

scottishgoldsmithstrust.org

ethicalmaking.org

elementsfestival.co.uk

The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust, Goldsmiths’ Hall, 24 Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3RH. The trust is a Registered Scottish Charity no. SC028384