How Carlo Scarpa Inspired My Jewellery Designs
One of the strongest architectural influences on my jewellery has been the work of Carlo Scarpa. I have always been interested in architecture, particularly designers who treat construction and detail as part of the artistic language rather than something to be hidden.
Scarpa’s buildings are full of layers, steps, interruptions, contrasting materials and precisely considered details. A wall is rarely simply a wall; edges change level, surfaces overlap and small structural elements become features in their own right.
This way of thinking has had a major influence on my own approach to jewellery and was particularly important in the development of my Strata collection.
Rather than thinking of a ring as a single continuous form, I began looking at it as a series of architectural layers. Gold can sit at different heights, gemstones can interrupt a surface, and edges can step backwards and forwards to create depth. Even very small changes in level can completely alter the way light and shadow move across a piece.
Scarpa also understood the importance of negative space. What is removed can be just as important as what is added. This idea appears throughout my work, where gaps, openings and spaces between elements often become part of the design itself.
I don't want to reproduce architecture in miniature. What interests me is taking the principles behind Scarpa's work — layering, proportion, material, construction and detail — and translating them into jewellery.
It reflects an idea that runs through much of my work: deconstructing familiar forms and rebuilding them in a new way. The result is jewellery that feels architectural and sculptural, but is still designed to be worn.