SOME 25 Scottish designers are to attend a national festival celebrating the finest jewellery in the UK.
There will be 50 makers and designers in total selling work at the Elements 4 event – with around half coming from Scotland including makers Heather Woof, Linda Lewin and Misun Won.
The event, organised by the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh and Lyon and Turnbull auctioneers, will also feature an exhibition dedicated to sustainable making entitled Perspectives: Creating Jewellery for a Fairer Future.
Elements, which runs from October 19 to 21, will include 33 jewellers and 17 silversmiths with work for sale on the ground floor of the Lyon and Turnbull’s auction rooms.
The Perspectives exhibition, which is curated by Fair Luxury, an independent group of jewellers working towards greater traceability, responsible sourcing and sustainability, will be on the upper floor. It will explore sustainability issues such as the origin of metals or stones and the environmental impact of creating a finished piece.
The exhibition builds on a major initiative by the incorporation that has seen it work in partnership with Scotland’s art schools to develop the world’s first Ethical Making Pledge that means all jewellery and silversmithing students in Scotland will have a thorough knowledge of ethics and sustainability.
Rachel Sweeney from Fair Luxury said: “Fair Luxury is excited to be exhibiting at the inspiring Elements festival to celebrate sustainability and provenance as the new dimensions of luxury.
“With 2018 seeing the incorporation launch the Ethical Making Resource and the Ethical Making Pledge, there is no better time to showcase makers for whom design, sourcing and making are each as important as each other.
“From fashion to fine jewellery, this broad body of work shows a shared passion and tells jewellery lovers everywhere, that responsibly sourced jewellery is here and is beautiful.”
Mary Michel of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths said:“Elements has rapidly developed as one of the most exciting events in Scotland for anyone who loves the finest in jewellery and silversmithing. And we are delighted to be able to offer visitors such a superb array of makers and designers from Scotland and all across the UK.
“We hope that the Perspectives exhibition will underline how beauty and ethics increasingly go hand in hand.
“By working with makers, designers, suppliers and art schools across the sector we hope to help Scotland become a world leader in design for a fairer future.”
Ruth Davis, jewellery specialist at Lyon and Turnbull, said: “We are very excited to have Elements back in our beautiful saleroom
this year, the fair and exhibition have grown year on year and the talented jewellers and silversmiths always bring something new and fresh to discover.”
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