The studio
It’s here, in the joyful clutter of my
studio, my “atelier d’art modeste”,
where the jewelry leaves come to life…
From fresh leaf to jewelry
Please come in, for a step by step view of
how the leaf turns into a piece of jewelry
and learn some of my trade secrets !
The materials
I prefer to use natural materials wherever and whenever possible. I have deliberately given up polyester resins, polymers and all other plastic materials. Although they are undeniably less fragile, for me there is not enough life in them.
The insects and leaves are made of porcelain, the flowers are silk or paper.
Each piece of jewelry is delivered in a silk or linen pouch, or in a handcrafted presentation box made from recycled materials.
The Pigments
Everything is coloured using mineral pigments or natural dyes, such as plants, tea, spices, ashes, etc.
The colour is applied in several very thin layers, partially revealing the white porcelain in the finished object at times.
Sometimes, I bring out the veins of the leaf with silver powder or gilding wax.
The assembly
This is the last step of a slow process, when the leaf becomes jewelry…
I spread out my treasures searching for and selecting elements to go with and enhance the leaves : freshwater pearls, semiprecious stones, mother-of-pearl, horn, wood, bone, lava, shells or a myriad of other materials… even glass beads from old or vintage jewelry.
Be assured : for the glazing, for mounting the materials and for the fastenings (clasps and wires), of course I do use new materials
