Nature as Inspiration

Nature is mankind's oldest source of artistic inspiration. More than fifty thousand years ago, humans painted images of the natural world onto the walls of caves. Since these first expressions of artistic inspiration, people have drawn on Mother Earth as a source of creative vision. It is not an overstatement to say that our lives depend on the health of the planet's ecosystem, so it is no surprise that the natural world would be the seminal muse of human artistry. 

Following in the footsteps of artists past, jewelers today continue to take themes from the natural world as inspiration for their designs. Sometimes, this inspiration is literal. Artists take an image of something specific, like a particular species of flower, animal, or river, and carefully fashion a representation of that visual in precious metals and gemstones. Others are abstract and communicate more of a feeling than a precise representation. 

Both of these styles have their place within the jewelry market and artists selling their wares at the 2024 Las Vegas shows put forth stunning designs from each category. Let's explore some of the more spectacular pieces on display.

Literal Jewelry

Literal artistic jewelry is meant to transport the viewer without much conscious effort needed. You see something, whether that be an animal, plant, or place, and it immediately evokes some kind of reaction which might be emotional or intellectual. 

Tania Nawbar the designer behind L'atelier Nawbar, articulated beautifully why she creates jewelry that is intended to be passed down through generations. She, herself a fourth-generation jeweler, said that personal experience has taught her that the emotional importance of a piece grows with each year. However, with so much time passing between the commissioning of an item to its being given to a descendant, Ms. Nawbar said that her references must be very specific so that they may be remembered. Her work is sold in many different locations around the world and each place sells location-specific designs.

Yasmin Tjoeng of Maison Tjoeng tries to be as literal as possible. She compared her work to postcards and is happy to create bespoke pieces. She can also inscribe messages on the reverse side of her pendants to ensure that the meaning of the piece is remembered for years. To make her work accessible to as many people as possible, Ms. Tjoeng's line has two price points. Her more affordable pieces are constructed with 18K gold while the pricier items are decorated with gemstones. 

The Medallion Collection by Nouvel Heritage also seeks to draw upon happy memories to create pendants whose meaning will endure for years to come. At the Couture show, brand representatives James Nunciato and Emily Walsh showed me a six-piece mini-collection that was inspired by a vacation that the designer took with her mother and grandmother. One of the pendants in this collection was quite unique in that it sought to reference a sound rather than an image. The designer heard cicadas on her travels and fashioned a motif showing the bugs to remember the auditory experience. 

For Maha El Sharafy, an Egyptian jeweler, her homeland holds great personal significance and is a source of pride. Unlike many other artists who create images of specific places, she referenced her native country in an unusual way. For her line Nado's Jewellery represented by Maison Pyramide, she created a multi-strand necklace that shows the ancient spice cardamon which has long held cultural and economic importance in the region. 

Ocean Jewelry has a very specific mission - to deliver affordable jewelry with a nautical reference. As described by Lina Jimenez, head of marketing for Flaircraft which represents Ocean Jewelry, their designs include water motifs, sea creatures both real and fantastic, plants associated with the shore, and images connected to ships. They clearly have a winning formula. At the JCK show this year, they won the Jewelers Choice Award for Fashion/Bride Jewelry $500 & Under as well as the Jewelers Choice Award for Silver Jewelry $500 & Under. 

Abstract Jewelry

Some artists find that observing nature is only the first step in their creative process. They use the emotions and reactions that they have to the natural world and use shapes and colors to try and invoke the same feeling in their customer. Alix Dumas of Maison Alix Dumas says that she is "inspired by nature, but doesn't just copy it." Instead, her designs invite inspection and consideration. Her one-of-a-kind creations "are not meant to be worn by a hundred people". Rather, Ms. Dumas wants her customers to experience a connection to individual pieces.

 Timo Krapf of TBK Jewelry says that he is "inspired by nature, but more so movement and form". His three-dimensional work plays with light and texture to achieve an effect, not a literal image. 

Much like Mr. Krapf, Bibi Van Der Velden considers herself a sculptor who uses movement to bring her jewelry designs to life. Ms. Van Der Velden considers her brand to be "nature-inspired" and has put forth collections entitled "Alligator", and "Waves".

While jewelers translate their impressions of nature into their unique designs, it is important to acknowledge that nothing exists in a vacuum. All artists stand on the shoulders of innovators who have come before, and the expressive language they use has been honed since our most ancient ancestors decided to reproduce what they saw in the natural world. 

Brazilian jeweler Carol Kauffmann of Carol Kauffmann Jewellery spoke particularly eloquently about this issue. She explained that her Secret Garden Collection was born of her admiration of the work done by Joan Mitchell who, in turn, was inspired by Claude Monet. In Ms. Kauffmann's own words, her work "is the result of layers of inspiration".

Another jeweler whose work comes from the cumulative layers of creativity is Persian and Canadian designer Sanaz Doost. Ms. Doost is enamored with the shadows created as sunlight filters through traditional Persian architecture and recreates that effect with her lacy creations. Thus, her designs are born of a marriage between the natural world and human achievement. The message that Ms. Doost wants to communicate to her customers "is to seek the light when in a sad or depressed state".

Literality and Abstraction Combined

Some nature motifs have acquired so much meaning over time that they come to represent a concept that is bigger than their physical form. By using such images, artists can merge the literal with the abstract to create designs that communicate a message. As for what this message might be, the answer is only limited by the artist's imagination! 

One image that holds symbolic significance is the butterfly. As a creature that undergoes a dramatic change from a simple worm to a beautifully colored flying being, the butterfly has become associated with transformation and personal growth. Many designers at the show tapped into this inspiration and showcased their own versions of butterfly-themed jewelry. 

At the booth for Nada Ghazal Fine Jewelry, brand representative Ghada Makarem showed off their Doors of Opportunity collection which included a necklace with a butterfly set in an open doorway. Ms. Makarem described how the butterfly embodies positive change, and the doorway represents progress. By marrying these two motifs together, the necklace communicates a message of hope, which, as Ms. Makarem said, "is something that we all need this year". The necklace can be set with gems of different colors each of which has its own significance.

Tanya Farah "is inspired by women in history and nature" and uses two symbols in particular to communicate a message of female empowerment: elephants and the Tree of Life. Elephants, she explains, are matriarchal and rely on a wise, elder female to guide them in their roaming. Ms. Farah says that "their kindness and patience makes them more human than humans are".

With regards to the Tree of Life, Ms. Farah offers an interpretation of feminine empowerment rather than shame. Eve, she says, is nothing short of a heroine - "If she had not eaten the fruit, we wouldn't have the power of knowledge. (This work) is a celebration of women who are neither sinful nor wicked".

Conclusion

Some call the inclination to create art one of the defining characteristics of mankind, and the natural world has provided ample inspiration ever since the first human was motivated to reproduce what they saw. To this day, artists of all kinds find inspiration in the shapes and colors of the outdoors, as well as the creatures who inhabit it. Even with such a deep history, jewelers continue to find new ways to showcase the beauties of the natural world. As such, it remains an exciting and dynamic source of inspiration.