Filigree is a classic design element that has recently been revived in the fashion jewelry scene, taking a prominent seat in many designers’ winter and spring collections including Argento Vivo and Kendra Scott.
Gold, which was the foundation of many fall jewelry lines, has remained popular within this trend. Virtually all of the filigree designs I have seen have been made from vermeil or gold-plated brass filigree.
There are two reasons why I think we’re seeing filigree return right now:
1. Filigree lends itself to the bohemian-chic look that is commonly popular in spring fashion. Designers are getting ready and making the shift from the reserved, sultry looks of fall and winter and back into the lighter designs of spring and summer.
2. One of the major trends for 2006 fashion will be a “return to innocence” of sorts, as our country experiences a sense of nostalgia for less complicated times. Filigree has a very romantic, timeless look that appeals to this collective longing.
Whatever the reason, I’m glad to see it return in popularity. I love to design romantic, timeless jewelry, and filigree absolutely fits the bill. I expect to see it combined with wood, shell and other natural materials in the spring collections of many designers.
Georgia Hadley is a jewelry designer, writer, and small business owner who lives in rural Vermont. In addition to her own business, Adorneya Jewelry (http://www.adorneya.com), she is also a founding editor of Craft Revolution (http://www.craftrevolution.com), a website dedicated to promoting mainstream awareness of independent designers and their products as desirable alternatives to big-box stores.
A popular motif in jewelry, even among city dwellers, is horses. Horse jewelry is enigmatic and evokes a sense of strength as well as of mystery. Now one would have to ask: why horses? Why care about an animal rarely seen in the city anyway?
Horses symbolize freedom, and pride in freedom. Wild horses come with the connotation of spiritual and emotional independence. Have you ever seen or read “The Horse Whisperer” or “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron”? Perhaps the snow-white horse named Shadowfax in the “Lord of the Rings” movies has evoked a sense of unbridled freedom in you? And yet, Hollywood has not even begun to touch on the importance of horses in ancient cultures. Far from being mere beasts of burden, horses were also trusted friends. Native Americans paid great respect to the horses they have domesticated, for they were useful in hunting and traveling.
Wearing horse jewelry is a celebration of independence, a rallying cry to break free from the bonds of society and be graceful, proud and natural.
It is a popular belief that the wild horse chooses its tamer. Alexander the Great’s horse, the celebrated Bucephalus, was known to be the wildest horse in his day: king of horses, unconquered by conquerors. And yet when the young Alexander cautiously approached him, Bucephalus calmed down and allowed the teenaged monarch to climb on his back. Together the two conquered cities, leveled fortresses, and built an empire — kindred untrammeled spirits faithful to each other until the end.
A driven, successful, hard-to-get professional woman may appreciate a gift of horse jewelry — in celebration of her strong, free-spirited nature. A young carefree lad may also benefit from horse jewelry, as an expression of virility and natural strength.
Horse jewelry comes in a variety of forms — from pendants to hairclips, brooches to bracelets, anything that catches attention! The flashier the better, or the more muted the more desirable, for people who gravitate to horses.
Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician and a writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of “How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.” This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at www.morninglightjewelry.com.
