Flux are a series of 9ct gold pieces set with Fluorite pebbles ranging in size. The first in the (soon-to-be-released) series is the Flux earring. Beautiful adornment and sculpture.
When I came across Fluorite pebbles I had in storage, I immediately felt that the pieces should capture a feeling of flowing metal. After sketching up the small series, I did some research into the gemstones and found that the narrative/concept behind my initial thought coincided perfectly with the stones themselves. The word fluorite is derived from the Latin verb fluere, meaning to flow. The mineral is used as a flux in iron smelting to decrease the viscosity of slags. The term flux comes from the Latin adjective fluxus, meaning flowing.
Typical of my minimalist and paired down approach to my work, these modernist earrings hark back to Art Nouveau with their generous, curvaceous lines. The look and feel of the future collection will be reminiscent of molten metal that seemingly runs down off the ear (or over collar bone OR up over fingers) and eventually trickling over the gemstone. This fluidity is a celebration of the semi-precious gemstone and explores deconstructionism, capturing a freeze frame of fluidity, their melting forms turning the traditional gypsy hook into a small wearable sculpture.
The earrings feature remarkable craftsmanship in solid 9ct yellow gold and are set with Fluorite pebbles weighing as much as 12,5 cts. The Fluorite gemstones (which are also used as flux to remove impurities from steel ore as it is refined) are a translucent green with planes of blue and purples running through them and notably, they luminesce when exposed to UV light.
The earring were created using a number of traditional methods, starting with the lost-wax process, which required more than 16 hours to get each sculpt right. They were then cast and along with a gold bar that runs through the centre of the Fluorite pebble are laser welded in place to ensure the stones wouldn't come loose. Simplicity is often-times harder to nail as you have to get the piece absolutely perfect.
