EVOLUTION OF A JEWEL
The American Jewelry Design Council : In Retrospect
NOV 12-18 NYCJW HOSTED BY PRATT INSTITUE
The American Jewelry Design Council brings together finished works and archival materials from its members to explore how an idea evolves in the hands of an artist.
Presented at Pratt Institute, the exhibition looks beyond the finished jewel to reveal the experiments, technical discoveries, and influences that shape an artist’s practice over time. Earlier works, sketches, models, material tests, and working notes are placed alongside completed pieces, offering a rare view into the creative process and the accumulation of knowledge behind each object.
Together, these individual histories form a broader portrait of contemporary American jewelry practice and invite consideration of how artistic language, craftsmanship, and ideas change across a lifetime of making.
THE ARTIFACT
OF AN IDEA
EVOLUTION OF A WORK
Focusing closely on the development of a particular work or body of work, AJDC artists place the finished jewel in conversation with the decisions from which it emerged.
EVOLUTION OVER TIME
Tracing the trajectory of works from different periods of their careers; AJDC artists present works that reveal shifts in aesthetic language, technique, or philosophy.
WHAT IS AMERICAN DESIGN?
AN AJDC PANEL MODERATED BY RUTH PELTASON
A moderated conversation led by Ruth Peltason brings participating artists together to consider the influences that have shaped their practices — from place, material and technology to culture, travel and other creative disciplines — while asking what, if anything, gives contemporary American jewelry a distinctly American character.
What makes your work American?
Where do you find the greatest freedom in your practice?
What connects a community of fiercely individual makers?
What makes a work of jewelry distinctly American?
How do geography, freedom of expression, cultural exchange, travel, architecture, photography, industrial design, historic movements, and the work of other artists enter the studio?
What connects a community of fiercely individual makers? What makes a work of jewelry distinctly American? How do geography, freedom of expression, cultural exchange, travel, architecture, photography, industrial design, historic movements, and the work of other artists enter the studio?
How has your work evolved, and why?
CHRIS DAVIES
Chris Davies approaches jewelry with the eye of a couturier. His work is sculptural and deeply attentive to the body, with movement, texture and construction playing as important a role as the precious materials themselves.
TIM McCLELAND
Tim McClelland’s practice reflects a lifelong curiosity about jewelry and how it is made. Working from his studio in the Berkshire Hills, his one-of-a-kind pieces draw from nature, history and decades of accumulated knowledge at the bench.
JUDY GEIB
Judy Geib makes jewelry with a distinctly intuitive hand. Her work embraces irregularity, experimentation and the visible trace of making, resulting in pieces that feel personal, idiosyncratic and unlike anything produced by a more conventional jewelry practice.
NICHOLAS VARNEY
Nicholas Varney’s jewelry is deeply rooted in the natural world, with an eye for unusual materials, remarkable stones and unexpected forms. His pieces have a sense of discovery to them — intricate, imaginative and often wonderfully strange.
AMY LYONS
Amy Roper Lyons is a goldsmith and enamelist whose work is immediately recognizable for its luminous colour and beautifully observed natural forms. Her pieces have a quiet richness to them, shaped by an intimate understanding of material and process.
Our Moderator
Ruth Peltason
Ruth Peltason is an author, editor, jewelry historian, and lecturer. Her books include Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry, which made the New York Times Bestseller List; Living Jewels; and David Webb: The Quintessential American Jeweler, named the best gift book of the year in 2013 by the Los Angeles Times.
ON VIEW
Development of a Work
Collar
TITLE: Magnolia Collar, 1980
MATERIALS
- Silver
- Cloisonne Enamel
Brooch
TITLE: Adaptability/Resilience/Determination Badge, 2021
MATERIALS
- Silver
- Cloisonne Enamel
- Various Gems
Evolution Over Time
Necklace
TITLE: Untitled (The Beginning), 2013
MATERIALS
- Artist-Cut Agate
- Sterling Silver
Pendant
TITLE: Untitled (Of The First Aspen Pendants), 2015
MATERIALS
- Argentium Silver
- Placer Gold
Pendant
TITLE: Untitled (From Sculpture to Jewelry), 2016
MATERIALS
- 22-Karat Gold
- 18-Karat Gold
- Sterling Silver
- Aquamarine
Cuff
TITLE: Autumn Glow, 2023
MATERIALS
- Oxidized Argentium Silver
- Placer Gold
Pendant
TITLE: Montana Impressions, 2026
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Yellow Gold
- 14-Karat White Gold
- 14-Karat Rose Gold
- Gold Nuggets
- Oxidized Sterling Silver
Evolution Over Time
Ring
TITLE: Star Struck, 2009
MATERIALS
- White Gold
- Star Rose Quartz
- Pink Sapphire
- Diamonds
Ring
TITLE: Royal White Ring, 2010
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Yellow Cat Eye Opal
- Mexican Opal
Ring
TITLE: Frog in a Pond, 2014
MATERIALS
- Silver
- Black Lip Shell
- Fire Agate Cabachon
- Green Garnets
Evolution Over Time
Earrings
TITLE: Green Envy, 2015
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Chrysoprase
- Tsavorite
Earrings
TITLE: Copper Love
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Copper
- Verdigris
- Lagoon Tourmaline
- Pink Tourmaline
- Diamonds
Earrings
TITLE: Rajasthani Dreams
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Paraiba Tourmaline
- Pink Spinel
- Diamonds
Evolution Over Time
Ring
TITLE: Confetti Heart, 2017
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat White Gold
- 18-Karat Yellow Gold
- Diamonds
- Fancy Coloured Diamonds
- Coloured Sapphires
- Tsavorite Garnets
- Amethyst
Earrings
TITLE: Confetti Heart Earrings, 2019
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat White Gold
- 18-Karat Yellow Gold
- Diamonds
- Fancy Coloured Diamonds
- Coloured Sapphires
- Tsavorite Garnets
- Amethyst
Ring
TITLE: Open Heart Confetti Ring, 2022
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat White Gold
- 18-Karat Yellow Gold
- Diamonds
- Fancy Coloured Diamonds
- Coloured Sapphires
- Tsavorite Garnets
- Amethyst
Development of a Work
Earrings
TITLE: Radar Earrings, 1990’s
MATERIALS
- Platinum
Earrings
TITLE: Stars and Stripes Earrings, 1990’s
MATERIALS
- Platinum
Brooch
TITLE: ByPass Brooch, 2010’s
MATERIALS
- Platinum
- Synthetic Raffia
Development of a Work
Brooch
TITLE: Small Luna Moth
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Black Coral Branches
- Plique-à-Jour Enamel
- Amethyst
Development of a Work
Brooch
TITLE: Rosette Brooch, 2026
MATERIALS
- 14-Karat Yellow Gold
- Sterling Silver
- Peridot
- Citrine
- Vitreous Enamel
Evolution over time
BROOCH
TITLE: Resilience, 2021
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Sterling Silver
- Gem Silica
- Malachite
- Diamonds
- Freshwater Baroque Pearl
RING
TITLE: Untitled, 1991
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Tanzanite
- Diamonds
EARRINGS
TITLE: Untitled, 1992
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Sterling Silver
- Iolite
Development of a Work
Necklace
TITLE: Celestial Garden
MATERIALS
- 22-Karat Gold
- 18-Karat Gold
- Sterling Silver
- Carved Quartz
- Labradorite
- Tanzanite
- Aquamarine
- Blue Zircon
- Tsavorite Garnet
- Lightning Ridge Opal
- Diamonds
Development of a Work
Earrings
TITLE: Underwater Secret Garden, 2020
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Black Coral Branches
- Red Coral Branches
- Freshwater Pearls
Earrings
TITLE: Double Gold Framed Coral and Pearl Drop Earrings, 2026
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Polished Mediterranean Coral
- Diamonds
- Tahitian Pearls
Brooch/Pendant
TITLE: One of a Kind Framed Emerald Slice Brooch/Pendant, 2026
MATERIALS
- 18-Karat Gold
- Emerald
- Black Diamonds
ABOUT THE AJDCThe American Jewelry Design Council (AJDC) is a non-profit educational corporation, which recognizes and promotes the appreciation of original jewelry design as art. AJDC is committed to raising the awareness of the jewelry industry, the art community, the media and the consumer about the aesthetic value of artistic fine jewelry.
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