My Newest Favourite Thing: Jewellery

A couple of months ago I went to the National Jewellery Showcase in Wellington. I took my mother – it’s always good to take your mum to these places. She actually bought me an exquisite necklace of green glass and ornate wire shapes, but I promise I hadn’t been hinting at anything!

It was such a joy to look at these pieces and to imagine wearing them – I could put together an entire outfit around their colours and inherent suggestions of style and mood. We were drawn to cases where things caught our eye. We have different tastes but we both appreciate fine things. And there were some very fine things indeed on display.

Juerg P Muff - this man made my wedding ring so I was delighted to see him here and to have the opportunity to introduce him to my mother. The picture he was using to advertise his wares is the wedding ring of a friend of mine. His works of timeless elegance or contemporary design is made to order, and he works gold, platinum and precious stones with the magic of a Swiss wizard.

Monique Therese (Creatif Design) makes fine and intricate pieces incorporating traditional and contemporary styles, emeralds, gold and diamonds.

Tony Williams displayed a scorpion brooch with a hinged tail ending in a diamond sting - a beautiful piece with more than a hint of menace. You would certainly make a statement with his jewellery. Apparently he endeavours to fulfill Ruskin's maxim that 'fine art is that in which the hand, the head and the heart work together.'

Chris Idour also has fantastical pieces, working in a mixed media of precious metals and stones. From butterflies and dragonflies to teddy bears, his work has a 'middle earth, medieval and Nordic feel, which is quite fitting with Chris's Norwegian ancestry.'

Henderson Jewellery stood out with spider and cross motifs - these are works of art with messages of a darker side and deep emotions. Iain Henderson claims, 'I have no boundaries and don't care what others think of my jewellery', which might be just as well. All of the pieces have names, and this necklace - 'A Question of Faith' - can be worn without or without the hanging spider.

The settings of Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler were striking and bold. They are distinctive and individual - you can imagine forming a personal attachment with these creations. She says, 'My preference is for warm, organic forms that drape the body like well cut cloth; subtle combinations of materials often carry stroies that extend meaning beyond immediate visual impact.' She won the award for fine jewellery and believes that every day is an occasion and that people should wear special jewellery whenever they want.

I really liked Gold Ore Silver Mine, based right here in Cuba Mall. These New Zealand handmade designs of gold and silver, greenstone, paua and other gemstones are exquisitely simple and immensly classy.

Hey Jo's Silver combines stones and silver in bold designs, and often pictures tell stories reflected in the jade, tiger's eye and amenonite.

Another favourite was Emily Lake's Flame Art Jewellery. It felt slightly out of place here as it was glass - beads and pendants and gorgeous paperweights full of flowers or seahorses. She lives and works in Picton and runs workshops where she takes two people and teaches them her techniques - what fun it would be to take a ferry over and spend a few days there, blowing glass and tasting wine! I took her card.

The halls were thronged with people exclaiming and enjoying, touching and trying on. So many beautiful things were brought together under one roof and everyone seemed to be enjoying the art and design. This is a really fun way to spend a girls' day out. Take in a film and a meal with a few glasses of wine and the day is complete!