Fra guldsmed til TV stjerne?

I disse dage kan du, hvis du kan tage TV2Fri torsdag aften kl 20:40, se din guldsmed som deltager i programmet ”Klar, Parat SY!” – en slags ”Den store kagedyst” nu med syning, som er baseret på BBC's "Great British Sewing Bee". Se trailer her

I sommers havde jeg en tilrettelægger/journalist og kameramand/tekniker på besøg derhjemme, som skulle optage baggrundsmateriale. En hel masse spørgsmål fulgte samt en række klip hvor jeg viser og fortæller - hvilket senere er blevet klippet ind i selve udsendelserne.


Og så gik det hele i gang. Nogle meget intense uger fulgte med masser af stress, blod (det fik de vist ikke på kamera), sved (godt pudder er opfundet) og tårer (åhjo... op til flere gange :-(  ) -men også masser af sjov fordi jeg havde sådan nogle dejlige konkurrenter. På sættet var  vi var skiftevis i selve studiet

Og ventede i laaaang tid back stage på, at alt muligt andet end os blev filmet

Om jeg da også kan sy? Ja, det er faktisk et af mine yndlingshobbyer, der får mig til at slappe af derhjemme, når jeg har behov for at tænke på noget andet end guld og ædelsten. Jeg syr lidt tøj til mig selv, men har det allersjovest, når jeg kaster mig ud i at sy store, viktorianske rober som denne drøm af en balkjole.

Når jeg skaber disse rober, (som jeg i ny og næ bruger til at spille live rollespil), gør jeg det så historisk korrekt som muligt, det vil sige, at jeg også syr alt det der skal nedenunder: chemise, mamelukker, korset og underskørter. Ligesom med mine smykker, gør jeg nemlig sjældent noget halvt!

Alt dette har naturligvis ikke så meget at gøre med mine smykker, selv om det naturligvis giver mig mulighed for at lufte nogle af dem på TV - fx denne lettere fjollede drage, som hjalp mig igennem nogle af mine største kriser (for som bekendt mener jeg, at alle kvinder bør have en drage til at passe på sig):

 Sølv, 18k guld og peridot 3800 kr. Se flere billeder af drageringen her

Vi er nu halvvejs gennem programmet og jeg hænger skam stadig på! Kan du ikke modtage TV2Fri, kan det ses online (også de tidligere programmer) via TV2Play. Du kan få første måned gratis, hvilket lige netop dækker de sidste fire programmer, så der er ingen grund til at vente, hvis du kan lide at sy. Rigtig god fornøjelse!

Vil du have en diamant?

"Diamonds are a girls best friend", sang Marilyn Monroe

Nu kan du og din bedste ven/veninde komme med til et VIP arrangement om diamanter
og FÅ EN DIAMANT HVER. Alt du skal gøre for at vinde en plads til dette
eksklusive event med et meget begrænset antal pladser, er:

VIA FACEBOOK

•     Find dit yndlingssmykke her på siden
•     Post linket til dit yndlingssmykke i kommentar feltet på dette billede
•     Like siden
•     DEL derefter billedet på din væg og tag den ven/veninde du vil have med.

VIA MAIL

Du kan også deltage pr. mail. Så skal du finde dit yndlingssmykke her på siden
og indsæt linket til smykket i en mail til mig på: design@gallericastens.dk

Så er du med i lodtrækningen om 2 pladser til VIP arrangementet. I vil få to timer i selskab med bobler,
masser af carat og gå hjem med en goodiebag, fyldt med lækre ting, som ikke mindst indeholder en ægte, 0,01 carat diamant.

Arrangementet finder sted lørdag d. 26. april fra 14.30-16.30

HELD OG LYKKE!

*Konkurrencebetingelser

Konkurrencen løber fra d. 03/04 2014 til 22/04 2014. Præmien er 2 pladser til VIP arrangementet "Diamant dag" hvor man i goodiebaggen får en 0,01 carat diamant. Præmien kan ikke ombyttes til kontanter. Medarbejdere hos Galleri Castens, deres familier og Galleri Castens samarbejdspartnere og deres familier kan ikke vinde i konkurrencen. Galleri Castens forbeholder sig ret til uden varsel at foretage ændringer i eller tilføjelser i konkurrencebetingelserne. Galleri Castens forbeholder sig ret til at fjerne deltagere fra konkurrencen, hvis der er tegn på snyd eller andre uregelmæssigheder. Denne konkurrence er på ingen måde associeret til eller sponseret, støttet eller administreret af Facebook og du kan finde alle informationer om konkurrencen på www.gallericastens.dk

An inherited ring turned into a 

one of a kind piece

This ring has been created from the old wedding ring of my customers father, which she wanted to wear, but changed into something special and personal to her. On the exterior the 18k gold ring was to look radically different, but it was a prerequisite that all engravings on the inside were preserved. 

I solved the task by locally file a bit away of the width of the ring, stretch it and shape it into an organic, curved design. The ring was given a coarse surface and had a slim curl and some bubbles added, which hold an oval and juicily beautiful green tourmaline.

The ring turned very, very beautiful and my client was happy when she left the gallery.

In retrospect I created a number of sketches of rings inspired by this design. I chose to put a blue stone in it, but materials and surfaces are as always interchangeable and optional.

Want to see another ring based on the same directions but with a different outcome? Take a look at this amethyst ring

 Custom made

– How old jewellery can be turned into a

stunning new ring

Most of my work is custom made – for customers, who have a jewellery dream which can’t be bought in normal shops. They ask me to create that extra personal piece of jewellery, maybe even recycling old, beloved, but aesthetically less pleasing heirlooms.

 Here is an example of how an old ring of my customer Louise’s much loved mother was turned into a new ring which reflects my customers taste and personality.

My customer Louise brought me a simple ring with a 40’s design featuring a large, and very beautiful blue gem. It had been worn every day by her mother and showed the signs of it: the facets were ground smooth and the stone had lost its lustre. However, when I removed it from its setting and turned it over, a whole new gem showed itself to us:

Suddenly the facets were crisp and new and if set upside down in the new piece, this would become a very unusual ring with a uniquely cut gem.

I set about to sketching designs which would showcase this lovely stone, while reusing the gold of the original ring. My customer brought more inherited gold than was needed, especially since she preferred a combination of silver with only accents of gold.

I chose to melt everything in one bowl

And cast it into a sheet

Which was milled down to a more useful dimension

A piece of thick-walled tubing served as the base of the setting

It was shaped oval and tapered

And the gold was shaped into a brim to rest on top of it, ready to enfold the gem

It is a trademark of mine to place oval stones diagonally on the finger, and so I filed the bottom of the setting accordingly

Now for the ring shank: A piece of oval silver wire was first milled stepwise smaller and smaller and then filed smoothly tapered

By melting the tip of it, a delicious drop emerged and served as the delicate starting point of the tendril, smoothing itself around the base of the setting

After much adjusting, the shape was right

And the ring and setting were soldered together

Another trademark of mine is the use of bubbles. I love them, because they lend life to the design – much like champagne wouldn’t be the same without its lively bubbles.

The spheres are created by melting tiny pieces of gold, which naturally draws up on to itself in order to find its new shape

Now I arranged the bubbles. This stage takes time and an artistic eye. My designs are fluid and asymmetrical, but never out of balance. The bubbles play a vital role in balancing out the design correctlyand often it takes quite a bit of fiddling around before I am satisfied by the arrangement

The last solder is done; the ring has soaked in hot acid to remove stains from the process and has had its initial polish. Now for adjusting the setting in order to fit the stone perfectly. With a setting burr I grind a seat for the stone

And repeatedly test if it fits without rocking

Perfect fit! Now I carefully push the brim of the gold over the edge of the stone in order to hold it securely

A small, green tzavorite garnet is to play the role as the cheeky companion of the lead actor and so I grind a seat for it into one of the larger bubbles

And set the vivid gem

After a last, thorough polish, here is the result, baptized “Sing Blue Silver”

(which she had engraved on the inside of the ring) by Louise:

See more handcrafted rings with each their personality here