Creating Wooden Jewelry. Sarah King
metal structures went on to be developed in silver and gold using laser-welding. Developing work for this book has led to a renewed interest in combining bio-resin, silver, and wood in new ways, in jewelry and some larger scale objects.
Bio-resin pieces from my Light Constructions exhibition held in Tokyo.
The use of wood in jewelry
The new movement in jewelry in the 1970s questioned traditional values—the nature of preciousness and of jewelry as a symbol of wealth and status. With that came experimentation in techniques and a greater use of non-precious materials such as wood, acrylic, aluminum, and textiles. Influential figures within education in West Germany, Holland, and the UK were part of this movement, and new galleries opened to exhibit this new approach. American jewelers often had a more individualistic, narrative approach compared to European designers. Bruce Metcalf epitomizes this genre, and he continues to work in a wide range of materials including wood. Another key figure of the American scene was Marjorie Schick, whose striking “body sculptures” were constructed from painted wood elements.
Heart-shaped pin by Korean jewe er Dongchun Lee.
It was within this atmosphere that Norwegian Liv Blåvarp started experimenting with laminated wood at the Royal College of Art in London in the 1980s, before returning to Norway where her work developed into smaller carved pieces joined together to have greater flexibility around the body. She is inspired by the Native American way of expressing feelings about nature. Some of her imagery is reminiscent of birds and animal anatomy. In her later work, there is a dynamic between internal and external forms, and all her pieces have integral solutions for their clasps.
Dutch jeweler Francis Willemstijn takes a poetic approach to materials that have historical resonance and personal significance. She used bog oak in her Heritage collection to make pieces reminiscent of memento mori, as bog oak was used in the 19th century as a substitute for jet. On a larger scale, British woodturner Eleanor Lakelin emphasizes the rhythm of growth, the eroding power of the elements, and the passing of time in her work. German jeweler Jasmin Matzakow has compared trees to humans, in that both have joints, skin/bark, and the ability for growth. Wood has been her primary material to explore jewelry, the body, and the social context of both, and she has gravitated toward woods closer to European traditions such as linden and spruce.
Other jewelers manipulate the physical properties of wood, for instance Dane Mette Jensen’s steam-bent work and Japanese jeweler Manami Aoki’s fiberized pieces. In recent years, digital technologies have been used for producing work, with British designer Anthony Roussel making early use of lasers for his laser-cut pieces. So the reasoning behind the choice of wood as a material for jewelry and the methods of its production continues to be very diverse.
Where the Daisies Grow, necklace in wood by Liv Blåvarp.
Choosing and using wood
The qualities and characteristics of different woods are a huge subject, and so I can only give a brief summary here. You will find a lot of information online or in specialty books on wood if you want to explore the topic further.
In choosing an appropriate wood for a particular project, your starting point should be the dimensions you will need and the technique you plan to use. It is also important to think through what finish you want—whether it will be painted or not. The choices can be rather overwhelming, so research the finishes used on similar techniques in wood jewelry and other applications, such as woodworker’s projects, produced with similar techniques.
This piece of horse-chestnut burr was used to create a pin that celebrates the wood’s form, see page.
SUSTAINABILITY
The thoughtful sourcing of materials opens up new possibilities that also embody a more contemporary consciousness of sustainability issues. The perfect situation has to be that designermakers are able to harvest their raw materials from their own trees. This is not possible for most people, but it is worth taking time to think about how you could source your materials from your own environment and having that as a starting point for your experimentation in wood.
Woods, especially tropical or exotic hardwoods, need to be carefully researched before deciding whether you can or want to use them (see Useful Information, page). Wood suppliers are usually knowledgeable about their stock, so find sources that you trust and discuss any concerns you have. Another good approach is to find scraps from other processes that would otherwise be discarded. Consider using wood from old, larger wood objects that can be cut down or found-wood objects that can be reworked. Also, you may be able to collect your own green wood or driftwood.
TYPES OF WOOD AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
Hardwoods and softwoods
Softwoods are derived from conifer trees and tend to be found in cooler climates. They are cheaper and more porous than hardwoods and typically less strong (but not always, as yew is a softwood). Hardwoods are produced from deciduous trees, and are separated into two categories—temperate and tropical. The temperate hardwoods come from colder climates and tropical hardwoods are from the equatorial regions such as Africa, Asia, and South America. Hardwoods are denser than softwoods and more commonly used for jewelry, as they tend to be harder.
Manufactured woods
Plywood is made up of glued veneers, with each layer rotated 90 degrees to one another. MDF stands for medium density fiberboard. It is made of wood fibers compressed with resin; however, as it contains formaldehyde, it is regarded as an unappealing material.
Harvested driftwood. See page for ideas for making jewelry from wood founc on the beach.
Heartwood and sapwood
Sapwood is the living wood where water is drawn up from the ground. As this becomes inactive, it will become central heartwood, and this is the wood that is usually used for woodwork, as it contains less water and will shrink less as it dries.
Wood grain and figure
A wood’s grain is formed by the differing density of its growth throughout the year. A piece of wood will be stronger when you work with the grain as opposed to across it. Sanding should be done with the grain, and if you run your finger over the wood surface, it will feel smoother going with the grain than against it. The pattern within the grain of some woods is referred to as its figure, and is sometimes selected for visual appeal.
Hardness and toughness
The hardness of wood is measured in lbf, which stands for pound force. On the whole, Jewelry does not have to withstand high impact, but the strength of wood you will need depends on the technique you are using and the scale of the finished piece. A wood’s resistance to splitting is referred to as its toughness.
METHODS OF DRYING WOOD
The moisture content of wood needs to be changed before it is ready to use. This process is referred to as seasoning, and it needs to be done in a controlled