Guest Selects

Elizabeth Goring Selects

Elizabeth Goring was the Curator of Modern Jewellery at National Museums Scotland for many years and is now an independent curator and writer specialising in contemporary jewellery and metalwork.

"I am a passionate wearer of jewellery myself, having bought my first pieces (from Dazzle!) in 1985. I love the power of jewellery to speak of and for us".

Pick 1

Transition Necklace by Evgeniia Balashova

A showstopper of a neckpiece, totally contemporary in its mix of non-precious and precious materials and its combination of making processes. This is a great example of what can be achieved with 3D printing, here beautifully combined with traditional hand skills, and a great deal of innovative thinking has gone into its ingenious design. Its wearer will love the tactility of its inviting surfaces – and the colour is magnificent.

View Transition Necklace >

Pick 2

Garden Brooch with 2 Leaves by Jane Adam

This beautiful brooch, with its elegant, superbly realised simplicity, achieves the rare feat of being both visually striking and easy to wear. Made from bimetal, offsetting the seductive warmth of gold against the coolness of silver, it is immaculately made and perfectly balanced in wear, like all of Jane’s jewellery. Closer inspection reveals the delicacy of its finely scribed surfaces. This is a brooch to reach for over and over again.

View Brooch >

Pick 3

Tri Necklace Blue by Lynne MacLachlan

Lynne is a master of her design and making processes, with a great eye for colour, and the lightness of her material makes this richly-hued necklace very easy to wear. Jewellery demands to be touched and played with, and the wearer’s fingers will love exploring the surfaces of this highly tactile piece. The design also produces remarkable optical effects as the wearer moves, adding to the striking visual impact of this thoroughly contemporary jewel.

View Necklace >

Pick 4

White Roof Brooch by Mariko Sumioka

A sophisticated and perfectly executed statement brooch of timeless beauty. Mariko’s work is highly regarded for its sensitive compositions and its meticulous attention to construction, often revealed, as here, with beguiling visual honesty. Deeply rooted in her strong sense of place, this piece shows her delicate handling of subtle colour variation and surface texture, and her capacity to bring a satisfying aesthetic complexity to a seemingly repetitive arrangement of individual elements.

View Brooch >

Professor Elizabeth Moignard

This weeks guest selection is Professor Elizabeth Moignard: an archaeologist with a passion for objects, ancient and modern, particularly those which tell stories. She also has a long and ongoing interest in contemporary jewellery and its design and making processes.

We called on Elizabeth's expert eye to pick her top 4 pieces from the Dazzle Invites online exhibition and shop.

Pick 1

Large Garden Brooch by Jane Adam

I have long been a fan of Jane’s work, particularly fascinated by her command of metal colouring techniques and texture. This is a very sophisticated, elegant example of her more recent work in precious metal.

View Garden Brooch >

Pick 2

Gravitate Neckpiece by DeeLyn Walsh

This is indeed a WOW piece – something which demands some careful thought about the associated clothes and the occasion. Clever, elegant, and eye-catching.

View Neckpiece >

Pick 3

Pebble and Hoops Necklace by Grace Girvan

Grace’s commitment to gentle colours which reflect her native shoreline via enamel and found objects, particularly pebbles, gives her work a distinctively contemplative character. This piece, gentle and very wearable, is a fine demonstration of her idiom.

View Pebble Necklace >

Pick 4

Oxidised Geometrical Necklace by Cristina Zani

A gentle advance from some of her earlier pieces, but still very recognisably her beautiful wooden elements, faceted and subtly coloured – here interfaced with the oxidised and partially gilded shapes to make a striking and very versatile piece.

View Red Necklace >

Philip Hughes

Phillip Hughes MBE, is a curator and commentator on contemporary craft. He is currently director of Ruthin Craft Centre and has served on many selection panels, including chairing the Jerwood Applied Arts: Jewellery in 2000. Phillip was a jeweller and Dazzle exhibitor some thirty years ago. His major claim to Dazzle fame is that at Manchester Dazzle over Xmas 1988 he deputised for Christine Bola during the final week of the exhibition. 

We asked Phillip to share his top picks from Dazzle Invites. 

Pick 1

Fluted Spiral Bangle by Jane Adam

Jane Adam has pushed the boundaries of anodised, dyed and distorted sheet aluminium for several decades now. This bangle is part of an ongoing classic range: delightful to wear, light, subtly colourful, and shimmering, but also comforting with the gentle noise it makes. Jane’s work was once famously described as ‘Intelligent women’s jewellery’, well it absolutely is. (…and hey it works for men too!) 

View Fluted Sprial Banlge >

Pick 2

Ridged Brooch with Pebble by Grace Girvan

Rarely is a piece of jewellery so evocative of its maker’s origin. Steeped in finds from Scotland’s coast this brooch reminds me of the flotsam I frequently saw on the beaches of Oldshoremore and Shegra in Highland’s far northwest. Many years ago I purchased a necklace from Grace for a dear friend, who loved it and then went on to commission more. This is Jewellery with a sense of place.

View Pebble Brooch >

Pick 3

Flower Ring by Misun Won

A gorgeous ring that sits beautifully on the hand; it is both fun and elegant. However, it’s also a highly innovative design idea being cleverly cut from one sheet of silver, then simply folded up to make the flower. Misun Won has created a delightful body of work here: simple, intelligent and oh so wearable.

View Flower Ring >

Pick 4

Wabi Sabi Earrings by Mariko Sumioka

The ethos of the Japanese design philosophy Wabi Sabi, the beauty of the imperfect, is eloquently demonstrated in Mariko Sumioka’s beautifully balanced pair of earrings. Fabricated from oxidised silver and 18ct gold; lightweight, stylish, responding to every move its owner makes they are elegant and so easy to wear. How clever is that and what fun to have.

View Wabi Sabi Earrings >

Emmanuelle Morgan - @thedesignerist

Emmanuelle Morgan aka @thedesignerist. Emmanuelle is a design historian with a love of fashion, colour and all things geometric. She set up her popular fashion blog as a way to promote a positive image of living with a disability.
"Clothes are very empowering, they make me feel good about myself and confident about the way I look. I love that the fashion industry is becoming more inclusive, I just hope that in my own small way, I can help challenge perceptions of fashion and disability".  

We asked Emmanuelle to select her top picks from Dazzle Invites.

PIck 1

Red Modular 6 Brooch by Poppy Norton

Poppy’s use of geometry is very architectural both in scale and shape. I also love the fact this modular brooch is red and powder coated, a somewhat industrial technique not usually applied to traditional silversmithing.

View Red Modular Brooch >

Pick 2

Blue Tri Statement Bangle by Lynne MacLachlan

Lynne’s 3D printed pieces are strikingly beautiful in their simplicity, and really easy to wear as they are very light. Bracelets are often difficult for me as I can only use one arm, therefore Lynne’s bangle is perfect for me as it is flexible and slips on and off easily.

View Tri Statement Bangle >

Pick 3

Loop the Loop Necklace by Emma Morris

I love how Emma’s colourful pieces are evocative of fun fairs and bring such happiness and joy. The Loop necklace is a statement piece which doesn’t take itself seriously yet it is a beautifully crafted piece of wearable art.

View Loop the Loop Necklace >

Pick 4

Levitate Maxi Ring by DeeLyn Walsh

What attracted me to Deelyn’s ring was her use of geometric shapes in a very understated way yet on such a large scale. I love how it evocatively sits on the hand akin to a mini sculpture.

View Levitate Maxi Ring >

Christine Bola Selects

Director of Dazzle Exhibitions and lovedazzle.

A lifelong jewellery lover, wearer and collector. Christine picks her four favourites from Dazzle Invites.

Pick 1

Jali Earrings by Lucy Martin

They remind me of trips to India and the delicate tracery of Jain Temples. I love the mixed colours of the stones.

View Jali Earrings >

Pick 2

Disc Studs by Jane Adam

I have collected pieces by Jane Adam for many years and this is totally different to anything I have. Mostly my pieces are her signature anodised aluminium so these earrings would be special.

View Disc Studs >

Pick 3

Asymmetric Twig Earrings Michelle Fernandez

I love the smooth tactile feel of the material, cellulose acetate and the subtle patterning.

View Asymmetric Twig Earrings >

Pick 4

Levitate Maxi Ring by DeeLyn Walsh

I can't resist a statement ring!

View Levitate Maxi Ring >