Whether you work in the industry, are a jewelry designer or just simply love jewelry — when the topic of gold is brought up, we get so excited to talk about it. We collectively gasp and reflect on its richness, both in a literal sense and the stories it holds. A golden ring, a charm representing a moment in your life, a pair of earrings you bought yourself after getting that promotion, a gold bracelet that has stayed on your wrist since your partner has passed…these are all powerful sentiments that gold represents. There’s such passion involved when it comes to karat gold and we hope to pass this down from generation to generation.
It is the makers, the ones who get to forge, melt, hammer and mold gold into the treasure we call jewelry that are the special creators and magicians that create these pieces we hold so dear. Each maker has their own story, own technique and own intentions with designing and producing. I always love getting a chance to speak with these talented people — to bring up the topic of gold — and to see their faces instantly light up. That’s why I thought it would be best to include real video of each featured maker this year answering my gold questions. So you can see for yourself just how special each person feels about gold and why they love working with this precious metal.
Our May Is Gold Month features have kicked off this week and every Wednesday there will be a featured maker interview posted on my Instagram account. Every maker in this feature uses karat gold within their designs and has agreed to voice their take on this special metal. Hope you enjoy!
East Camp Goods
How is karat gold important in your work?
High karat gold is the foundation of my work. I began foremost as a metalsmith and concentrated on metal forming and forging for many years before I introduced gemstones into my designs. I work predominantly in 18k certified Fairmined gold, fabricating my designs with gold sheet and wire. I focus on handmade gold chains, because the look and feel of a handmade gold chain is so very different than a manufactured one. It has a soul and a spirit. Each link is formed one by one and the process is meditative and magical.
Why do you like working with karat gold?
I love the properties of high karat gold, 18k and 22k, how it moves under a hammer, how it can be manipulated with just hand tools into three dimensional shapes. I love how you can taper and twist an ingotof gold, gently moving it into a desired shape, and maybe finding a new form that you love along the way. It’s a fabulous process seeing the material evolve like that.
Learn more about East Camp Goods here.
Lola Zyscovich Jewelry
How is karat gold important in your work?
Gold is very important to my work. Gold adds value to my minimal, architectural designs. I often realize designs in silver first, and choose the best ones to be immortalized in gold. Since it’s so strong, I’m able to construct lightweight forms without compromising on longevity or strength. It takes longer to work in gold compared to silver, but the results are worth it.
Why do you like working with karat gold?
Everything looks better in gold. I love the buttery sheen of a matte finish, the way it highlights the geometry of the forms, and contrasts with the shine of a gemstone. Gold has an inherent preciousness that’s mirrored in every moment of the making. Each hammer blow and file stroke is more meaningful. The process is mesmerizing, I love sharing what I see and feel through my tools with the textures and forms in my work.
Learn more about Lola Zyscovich Jewelry here.
Mercurius Jewelry
How is karat gold important in your work?
Gold is, by far, the metal that we work with the most. It is the most versatile metal both in terms of the variety of alloys and possible techniques. This allows for tremendous flexibility in designing – such as fine tuning the best metal color for the project or choosing which approach we’ll take to achieve the design we have in mind.
The alchemists considered gold to be the most perfect metal – and we agree. In both Western and Eastern philosophical traditions gold was equated with the sun and sunlight. The luminosity and brightness of gold is undeniable. What could be better to compliment any gemstone!
Gold is also infinitely reusable – we love helping our clients rework heirloom jewelry into new pieces and it’s always fun to reflect on the journey of that gold as it takes on a new form.
The gold we use in our own collections is Fairmined certified. Supporting artisanal and small-scale miners through this program adds even more value to this precious material. We’re really proud to provide our clients with traceable gold that is ethically sourced.
Why do you like working with karat gold?
There’s a hypnotic quality to working with gold that is always satisfying. The alchemy of metallurgy is especially compelling, which is why we create all of our own alloys.
Gold is tremendously versatile in the techniques that can be used with it – from casting to hand forging – and this allows a lot of freedom in creating each piece.
Working with gold taps into a lineage of craftspeople and jewelers that stretches back for millenia – we’re using some of the same techniques that have been used throughout history alongside modern methods.
Learn more about Mercurius Jewelry here.
Yearly Co
How is karat gold important in your work?
Gold is important in our work because it’s the basis of everything we make. Solid 14k gold is the metal of choice for us because it’s strong and durable and beautiful. All of our bangles and everything we make at Yearly Co. will be made of solid 14k gold.
Why do you like working with karat gold?
I love working with gold because it’s both a very strong metal and one that can be molded into anything you want. The designs are beautiful and we know that once the gold is formed it’s going to stand the test of time. I think gold is the most beautiful metal especially in 14k yellow which is the most traditional of our pieces as well as rose and white gold. 14k gold has the best shine and color and creates pieces that are made to be worn every day.
Learn more about Yearly Co here.
Lauren Newton Jewelry
How is karat gold important in your work?
Gold is important in my work because it is by definition what makes my work fine jewelry.I think it increases the value, both perceived and in the literal sense, and it represents a sense or preciousness and worth that I think only a metal as special as gold convey
Why do you like working with karat gold?
I Like, actually I love working with gold, its my favorite metal to work with, Its properties are predictable and nothing beats the lustre of gold, whether it’s high polished or matte finished. I feel in some ways like some ancient alchemist, using these precious and beautiful materials to like, magically create something that didn’t exist before, so I think it’s just a really really special material, and it’s my favorite!
Learn more about Lauren Newton Jewelry here.
Chaparral Jewelry
How is karat gold important in your work?
Gold is treasured most for its physical+sentimental value, but I like to look at gold for what it represents to me as a jeweler and small business owner. For me, gold has always represented growth. Growth in my skills as a metal smith, and growth in my line of jewelry. When I was first learning the trade of jewelry fabrication I mainly learned on low stakes materials, like copper, bronze or sterling silver. Gold is a material that was slowly introduced to me as a beginning jeweler. It was a metal that I would get the opportunity to work with consistently once I became a more capable metalsmith. As an apprentice I remember being terrified to work with any of the gold pieces. It took years of practice, repetition, and most of all, confidence to start slowly adding gold to my own work. For me, adding gold in my work meant I’ve gained experience, skill, and and confidence before ever investing it into my own line of jewelry. 7 years later, gold is the material that brings me the most joy. I still give myself a-little pep talk before any soldering, but now instead of being intimidated by gold, I get super stoked by the challenge of what this beautiful and cosmic material brings to the table.
Why do you like working with karat gold?
There is no better feeling then when your gold castings arrive in the mail. My heart starts to race with anticipation of seeing this stunning material in its raw form. I love taking the dulled yellow surface to a high shine that will be worn for generations. Once I started working consistently with gold, this is when my love story began which has evolved over time. At first gold represented a milestone that I had to reach, but now it has taken on a whole new meaning since creating my line of topographic jewelry. I feel a great sense of connection+responsibility to our earth when creating these teeny tiny terrains. Ultimately for me, being able to create a tiny wearable mountain, out of the material that comes from that mountain is the perfect way to honor this precious material that I so deeply love+respect.
Learn more about Chaparral Jewelry here.
This sponsored post was brought to you in collaboration with May Is Gold Month.
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