Vibrant coral, turquoise, amethyst, seed and baroque pearls upon antique filigree. Vintage jewelry inspired; 1930-40's glamour.
Exclusively at www.jwassoriginals.com.
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My apologies for the delay in this series as I have had many other tasks at hand in this early half of 2007. I have just finished a major revision to my web site, to which I will be adding many new pieces that I have created over the last several months. If you would like to preview the new pieces, please sign up for my mailing list. I am very excited about the revisions and hope that you will agree.
Back to the idea of elements of good design. In my last log I explained that as I travel and search for vintage and estate jewelry, findings and supplies I notice a lot about what works and what has not over the years regarding timeless design. So many items that have been produced over the years just do not hold up today, whether is it designer jewelry, furniture, home goods, or clothing, while others are just as fashionable or even more so today. Last time I explored quality materials as being an important element of timeless design. Today I will explore color.
Color is one of those wonderful sense enhancing elements that brings so much life into our experience of the world. Each color has it’s own symbolic meaning in our cultures and also evokes core emotions in each and every one of us. Giving roses...do I give red or yellow? White has forever been associated with purity, while red a symbol of fire and lust. Each year designers decide what colors will be trendy for the seasons, some more appealing than others. But why is it that some colors and combinations hold up over the decades and others fall flat?
I believe that every color can be timeless if used properly. If one thinks about at the colors of the late 60’s and 70’s it evokes images of burnt orange, avocado green, and shades of brown. Looking at patterns of the time, they look quite dated today although still appealing to some. But if you look at each of the colors individually, they work quite well in new combinations for the modern day. In my opinion, if too many trendy colors are used together it will look very dated several years down the road.
For me it is best to use strong color as accents...accessories of good classic design. In my work I do stick with natural elements and thus many colors used in my designer jewelry line are found in nature. That is not to say that the colors that I use are at all earth tones, or dull. I often think of colors that naturally occur together in nature for inspiration...colors found in a flower or landscape for example. Sometimes during the design process when a design is just not right, I pull another color from nature to sort of ground the design or give it some life. I do the same in my paintings as well.
Knowledge of properties of color such as complimentary colors, hue, saturation etc also helps in creating classic good design. Sometimes I want to have the centerpiece really stand out and I will look for a gem that is the compliment, the opposite color on the spectrum, of the surrounding stones. These are simple artist techniques that have been used for centuries. As I play with color in my designs and artwork, I am constantly learning more about how colors works. I think that most importantly that color should be used in design to evoke emotion in the human soul...this is the true sign of a classic as this is something that will make a piece of artwork, whether a designer necklace or an oil painting, live and speak regardless of the century or time.
Please check back to my entries as I share the other elements of Classic Design.
Please feel free to review my collection from Simply Pearl Jewelry, to Classic Antiquity, and Floral Vintage Jewelry Designs, and more as examples of how I try to utilize these quality elements into my own jewelry designs.
For those of you who may not be familiar with my work, I design hand made, vintage jewelry inspired original designer jewelry pieces using genuine pearls, gemstones, and antique filigree. Each piece is designed and executed by hand in a Vintage Couture process that takes hours to complete. It is a true passion, for this process is almost a lost art as many of the Classic Designers have abandoned this technique because it is too costly to manufacture. With my pieces you are purchasing directly from me, the designer. By purchasing a J. Wass Original piece, it gives you the opportunity to work with the designer and know that you are receiving a true one-of-a-kind original and a quality piece of jewelry that one will wear again and again over one's lifetime. I do make custom necklace pieces for special occasions and wedding jewelry. Please email me with any questions that you might have and I always enjoy hearing your feedback. Thank you for browsing the Collection. -J. Wass, owner/lead designer for J. Wass Original Designer Jewelry.
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J. Wass Original Designer Jewelry: Everyday designer necklace & wedding jewelry selections
Offering designer jewelry originals & wedding jewelry inspired by vintage jewelry and incorporating modern style. Made using vintage couture techniques with vintage filigree, genuine pearls, and semi-precious gemstones. Custom necklace designs offered.
CONTACT via EMAIL
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Copyrite 2006-2007. All rights reserved. All designs, copy, pictures protected under U.S. & International law.
The more I design, the more that I find my inspirations can come from anywhere. Yesterday I decided that I needed to take the afternoon off from my normal work of juggling two businesses and did some work on the yard and house. I can do this during the week as I am often working full long days on the weekends selling, sourcing, and meeting with clients who normally work during the week. After some long hard rains here in Southern CA, the yard started looking a bit overgrown in stark contrast to last year's dry dead brush that kindled the devastating fires in the area. After weeding out the beds and seeing what survived and what perished this Winter I decided to run out for a few replacements. I found this beautiful Japanese Tea Flower plant to grow near my fountain. I was really looking for something white or purple (purple being the appropriate color for that area of the garden according to Feng Shui), but I was drawn by the graceful form and delicate blooms of this beautiful specimen. I find that when I step back for a moment from being engrossed in my business that I often have thoughts that inspire me to do or make something completely different for my line. My goals for 2008 are to push myself in different directions...to take some more risks and to do so I think that I need to remember to take those moments out and away to take care of my environment and myself. 
