Nanz Aalund at Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery

'Swivel Locket' by Nanz Aalund. This locket will be on display at Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery as part of their "So Fine" exhibition until May 12, 2015. Photo used with permission.   Nanz Aalund has created several gorgeous jewels in sterling silver and yellow gold which are featured in Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery's "So Fine" exhibition. This exhibit, on display until May 12, 2015, in downtown Seattle, seeks to explore the concept of traditional jewelry in relation to the concepts of fashion and finery. Jewelry artists were asked to present works made from precious metals and gemstones which express their unique visions of finery and fashion. When asked what the title of Facèré's show means to her, Nanz Aalund said that after the lyrics of a bee-bop song  faded from her mind, what remained was the juxtaposition between jewelry as Fine Art and Fine Jewelry. "With this show, as she has done with many others, I feel, Karen is playing with the premise regarding 'fine' materials within our craft, celebrating the fine art of finely made adornments from fine materials. Thus, 'So Fine'," Ms. Aalund remarked. Nanz Aalund's pieces are a beautiful marriage of the terms fine and art. She works primarily in sterling silver, with its almost-white delicacy, and in high-carat yellow gold, with its unparalleled luster and shine. Her techniques are those of a true master, defined by this writer as one who insatiably learns new techniques while continually practicing, teaching,  and incorporating old ones. Ms. Aalund has several pieces on display in Facèré's exhibition, including several bracelets in sterling silver; earrings made with 24k keum boo gold foil over sterling silver; a number of bold and sculptural two-finger rings in silver, 18k gold, and 22k gold; as well as a necklace called Always Crashing in the Same Car. In a post written on her blog, Nanz credits the seven car crashes she survived as a child as her inspiration for Always Crashing in the Same Car. The necklace is comprised of a series of triangle pendants made from mashed up auto glass cast in resin and set in sterling silver frames. These beautiful aqua blue elements are linked together by intricate chains of sterling silver. This piece is beautiful and represents to Ms. Nanz both fragility and strength. It is, however, her Swivel Locket, featured in the above photograph, which has so captivated me. Ms. Aalund graciously shared with me the basics of how she fashioned Swivel Locket. Incidentally, she crafted this piece as an inspirational model piece for a lesson she taught to a classroom of high school students. Here's what she writes about the process: "he silver is roll-printed, which is an embossing process where paper with a pattern cut out of it is run through a rolling mill with a sheet of silver. The pressure from the mill cause the paper stencil to emboss the metal. Then the locket cases are Hydraulically pressed, which is an adaptation of an industrial production process. Finally the cabochon cut, pink tourmaline is set "volcano" style with rivets holding it in place." This piece beautifully captures the essence of Facèré's "So Fine" exhibition. Not only is it fashioned from fine precious metals, but Ms. Nanz relates that the jacquard pattern imprinted on the silver and the 24k gold trefoil embellishment are a direct reference to the textiles of 15th century France, and the faceted tourmaline serves as a reminder of the history of gemstone cutting. As she wrote to me, "by referencing the art historical elements of design," Swivel Locket serves as an "allegory to the personal history the locket will hold when the owner places pictures of their loved ones within it." In this way the piece makes a "very subtle artistic statement," which she is certain will enhance the experience of the one who purchases the piece. We invite you to visit Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery over the weekend to view in person the beautiful finery crafted by Nanz Aalund. Click here for more information.