A Thousand Facets

*NOTE- A thousand facets no longer works with Ancients17

A thousand facets sits with Ancients 17 (aka Loren Gurche) they talk about being born in the natural history world and how that became his calling since childhood. We discuss the beginning of his opal business and we have a comprehensive conversation about the incredible world of opals and what makes this stone so unique.

About Loren:

I stumbled across the wonders of opal due to my passion for exploring all things natural history. I was fortunate to have been exposed to paleontology fieldwork at a young age, and I quickly learned I wanted to devote my life to exploring nature and understanding how the history of the land beneath our feet can inform us about the future of our planet.

I started teaching myself to cut opals when I was 19 and first starting college. Cutting opal quickly progressed from an experiment to an obsession, and I have devoted much of the last 4 years studying this gem, its formation, and how to process and cut them to best bring out their natural beauty.

I continue to follow a career path as a research paleontologist, while ancients17 helps to fund many of our expeditions and research endeavors exploring the history of the earth.

You can follow Loren on Instagram @ancients17 and @ancients17sales, visit his website

https://www.ancients17.earth/

Please visit @athousandfacets on Instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode.

https://www.youtube.com/@DeepTimePaleo

Visit John Gurche's work - https://www.johngurchepaleoart.com/

Music by @chris_keys__

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A thousand facets sits with Lene Vibe and they discuss their loved of nature, jewelry and cemeteries. Nature is Lene's love and it's perfectly executed on every piece she makes!

Lene Vibe launched her collection in 2002, based on her love for the natural world – from working in her garden, to exploring the forest and watching the constant movements of the ocean. All of this now provides inspiration for the whimsical flowers and creatures that surround precious pearls and gemstones in her collection.

She designs and manufactures her jewelry with great joy, and hopes each piece will be worn with the same happiness and passed down to loved ones. Lene handcrafts all of her pieces at her workbench with a thoughtfulness to how they will feel when they are worn.

Lene does not sketch any of the pieces first; it seems to all take place in her imagination and comes out in the way in which she approaches the metal. Her pieces have a three-dimensional quality and are brought to life in 18K gold, a range of pearls, colored gemstones and polish rough cut and raw diamonds.

You can follow Lene Vibe on Instagram @lenevibe.dk and visit her website http://www.lenevibe.com/

Please visit @athousandfacets on Instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode.

Music by @chris_keys__

https://youtu.be/nKQHjg_E0yE

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A thousand facets sits with Hannah Blount where they talk about her love for eggs, her upbringing with Nantucket and the beauty of "waiting". They discuss her different collections, what's the inspiration behind it including her grey ladies, And of course, we need to talk about the head of HR, Beryl!

About:

The daughter of a fisherman and a seamstress, Hannah was raised in the tradition of hand skills, hard work, and dedication. In their weathered island home, she and her six siblings learned how to entertain themselves amidst the chaos that comes with such a large family. The dingy fishing paraphernalia that littered their backyard was a playground of inspiration: gritty snapshots of beauty against the clean backdrop of their hometown of Nantucket. These familiar moments inspired her to create beauty of her own.

You can follow Hannah Blount on Instagram @hannahblountjewelry and visit her website www.hannahblount.com

Please visit @athousandfacets on Instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode.

Music by @chris_keys__

https://youtu.be/nKQHjg_E0yE

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A thousand facets sits with Fraser Hamilton and talk about his upbringing in Scotland, his passion for movies, basketball and being a maker. What being in the bench means to him and the wonderful symbolisms his jewelry carries.

About Fraser:

You can follow Fraser Hamilton on Instagram @fraserhamiltonjewellery and visit his website https://www.fraserhamiltonjewellery.com/

Please visit @athousandfacets on Instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode.

Music by @chris_keys__

https://youtu.be/nKQHjg_E0yE

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A thousand facets sits with Shivani Chorwadia to talk about her British/Indian roots, the inspiration her cultural background plays in her work and just their affinity for all things beautiful!

“ADORNING BODIES WITH OBJECTS CREATED USING OUR HANDS; ROOTED IN IDENTITY, SELF-EXPRESSION AND CONNECTION. THIS IS WHAT JEWELLERY MEANS TO ME.”

With a curiosity to explore dualities existing within contemporary visual culture, traditional artisanship + technical innovation, Shivani Chorwadia creates sculptural fine jewellery expressing the tension between a modern minimalist aesthetic and the richness found in her British Indian bicultural heritage. She is pushed by a desire to uncover what lies at the boundaries where the classic and unorthodox meet. 

Shivani established her studio practice in 2007 after graduating with a degree in Silversmithing.  By merging precision hand metalworking skills with the utility of technology, the studio explores challenging questions within the space of luxury, sustainable production and ethical consumption; as it relates to a wider global context. 

 “My mission is to make jewellery that breathes creativity and a celebration of ourselves into the everyday ritual of dressing our bodies.” 

You can follow Shivani Chorwadia on Instagram @shivanichorwadia and visit her website https://www.shivanichorwadia.com/

Please visit @athousandfacets on Instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode.

Music by @chris_keys__

https://youtu.be/nKQHjg_E0yE

https://www.shivanichorwadia.com/

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A thousand facets sits down with Vanity Fair editor Annabel Davidson. They discuss how she started her career as a writer, how her passion for jewelry, shiny things started and how ethical practices has become a priority in her articles! Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they all share a true love for jewelry, which is shown in this conversation!

Annabel Davidson is editor of Vanity Fair on Jewellery, a special issue of Vanity Fair produced annually in the United Kingdom. She is also the jewelry expert for Telegraph Luxury and a contributor for Vogue.co.uk. She has also contributed to British Vogue, Robb Report, and The New York Times.Davidson is one of the founders of the Jewellery Futures Fund, a nonprofit addressing racial inequality in jewelry. She is also a jewelry partner for the Fashion Minority Alliance, in which she mentors designers from minority backgrounds.



You can follow Annabel Davidson on Instagram @annabel_davidson_yeah and read her wonderful articles in vanity fair, financial times among others.

Please visit @athousandfacets on Instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode.

Music by @chris_keys__

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A thousand facets talks to marketing expert and jewelry spokeswoman Liz Kantner about the beginning of her career in marketing, how she found a community in the jewelry industry and how she has made the Stay Gold Collective the best vehicle for artists to find their place in the jewelry world.

Liz Kantner’s true passion is working with independent jewelry artists to help them thrive in the modern marketplace. 

While not an artist herself, Liz has the utmost appreciation for fine jewelry makers and loves to work one-on-one with her clients to help them tell their authentic stories and achieve success. She particularly enjoys the opportunity to work with emerging designers who have unique vision and a contagious passion for the work they create. 

​

Please visit @athousandfacets on Instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode.

You can find Information of the Stay Gold collective at: https://www.lizkantner.com/

or visit her Instagram page @liz_kantner

Music by @chris_keys__

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A thousand facets sits with British jeweler Alex Monroe and they discuss his upbringing in Suffolk, how he was the tinker of the group

during his childhood, moving to London where he found his community and how his jewelry started.

Jeweller Alex Monroe grew up in the 1970’s Suffolk countryside in an old, crumbling house surrounded by wild, tangled nature. He enjoyed a childhood rich with freedom and imagination - roaming through fields, forests and rivers and constantly crafting all sorts of interesting (and sometimes mildly dangerous) tools and inventions to accompany him on his adventures!

Training at the School of Art, Architecture and Design in London, Alex unexpectedly turned his hand to the craft of jewellery - and released his first collection in 1987 to critical acclaim. His intention was to produce excellent quality pieces, originally designed, made by hand and well priced. This was jewellery made to be worn, made to be loved and made to be treasured - values which remain unchanged to this day!

Please visit @athousandfacets on Instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode.

You can find Alex 's work at: https://www.alexmonroe.com/

or visit his Instagram page @alexmonroejewellery

Music by @chris_keys__

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Ellis Mhairi Cameron sits with A thousand facets and talk about her Scottish upbringing, her name

and how the terrain in Scotland has influenced the colors and textures of her jewelry.

From Ellis:

All of my jewellery stems from an interest in how our identities are influenced by our specific locations and how this forms social heritage. Throughout history, regardless of country or continent, ancient cultures have adorned their bodies. A focus of my research is exploring the reasoning behind why we wear jewellery and the symbolism and sentiment that a piece of jewellery can hold. 

Since inception, I have focused on creating sculptural gold jewellery. I use traditional techniques and hand skills, such as hand carving and casting, to give my pieces their signature erosive aesthetic. To ensure accountability, every piece is created in my London studio, from recycled gold and traceable diamonds.  Entirely made by hand, my work carries small intricacies as uniquely rich as the land which inspires it. 

At the foundation of my brand is a belief in the beauty of imperfection, hand craftsmanship and a desire to provide clients with beautifully made fine jewellery, that can be handed down through the generations.

Please visit @athousandfacets on instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode.

You can find Ellis Mhairi 's work at: https://www.ellismhairicameron.com/

or visit her instagram page @ellismhairicameron

Music by @chris_keys__

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Award winning Danish artist Max Danger sits down with A thousand facets on this candid conversation about growing up in Denmark, where did the name Max Danger

came about, his jewelry education and what he thinks of Trevor Noah.

Trained a fine jeweller from Copenhagen and with a MA in Jewellery and Metal from the prestigious Royal College of Art in London, Danger started up his own brand Danger Jewels.

His love for precious metals, gemstones and his meticulous attention to detail is projected into the work along with his life long passion for illustrating.

 The MA at The Royal College of Art was spent perfecting ways to integrate these passions and making them work in symbioses. His pieces are inspired by contemporary journeys and narratives, combined with a vivid imagination.

Growing up reading comic books and later finding the Copenhagen suburban street scene, Dangers practice delivers highpolished edgey contemporary pieces made with a respect for the traditional virtues within jewellery.

 Amongst his achievements is the Theo Fennell Award for Overall Excellence and the Best New Design Award from the Worshipful Goldsmiths Company in Great Britain.

Please visit @athousandfacets on instagram to see some of the work discussed in this episode.

You can find Max Danger 's work at: https://www.dangerjewels.com/max-danger

or visit his instagram page @danger_jewels

Music by @chris_keys__

https://youtu.be/nKQHjg_E0yE

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