BECKY CROW

Located in Salisbury, England is the centuries-old Cathedral of Saint Mary (a/k/a Salisbury Cathedral).

The 13th century structure contains the world’s oldest, faceless clock, and also holds an original copy of the Magna Carter.

England is also home to featured jewelry designer Becky Crow.

I find it so intriguing that the sight of jewelry—inanimate and devoid of emotion—can induce a spontaneous, emotional reaction within an observer.

After a laborious creation process in which a designer puts his or her distinctive, individual style on their collections the ultimate joy for them is witnessing a prospective wearer’s response to their jewelry pieces.

While Crow’s designer jewelry of sterling silver, copper, and 22-karat gold leaf may not be glamorous or glitzy the jewelry’s beautifully sleek outlines capture heartwarming and poignant vignettes much like a photograph.

The images forever frozen in precious metal are alternately elemental in their wonderful storybook-like renderings yet incredibly evocative in its nature-themed symbolism. The collections are a very rich, original visual language that to me is like a broader, modern take on 18th century cameo jewelry.

The graduate of Camberwell College of Arts and the University of Brighton is a keen observer of life; human, fauna and flora each play a role in her vivid interpretations.

The magnificence of rolling waves, the fearlessness of wolves, or the resourcefulness of crows are carved into striking, details providing a lovely mix of metal tones, shapes and textures.

Crows’ Eternity Breathes Collection is particularly dramatic in its presentations. The Golden Firebird Brooch from this collection depicts woman standing on a hill her arms longingly outstretched as a majestic bird flies away from her.

“My work has always had a strong illustrative leaning,” says Crow. “Stories or poems are captured in sterling silver and transformed into miniature scenes telling out across the surface of a brooch or hanging as a pendant.

Trees in copper and silver are identified by shape, leaf, and bark. Woodland creatures like foxes stalk pheasants and the occasional person wanders through. Questions about where we—people—fit in the world; what journeys we are on; who we are connected to is among the themes in my jewelry.

I work with sheet metal of sterling silver and copper with small amounts of gold for detailing. The metal is pierced out, and I apply textures and patterns with a rolling mill and templates. These components are then layered and soldered.

My jewelry resonates with memories of watching different aspects of the world around me, and I try to express concepts and ideas around connectedness, and relationships. My hope is that people recognize part of their own story hidden within my jewelry.”
__________________
Photo 1 (top right): 22-Karat Gold Leaf and Sterling Silver Golden Firebird Brooch
Photo 2 (center): 22-Karat Gold Leaf and Sterling Silver Reaching for the Rushing Wind Pendant Necklace
Photo 3 (bottom left): Sterling Silver Woman in Stripy Trousers Brooch