Category Archive: Jewelry

René Magritte lovers brooch. Felt, floss, Japanese toho beads, jewelry alloy. 5.6 cm. Alexandra Minati embroidered brooches

Alexandra Minati embroidered brooches
Living in the ancient Russian city of Yaroslavl, Alexandra Minati has been fond of vintage costume jewelry for many years. Historian by profession, she has always had a passion for jewelry and handicrafts. As for miniature brooches, it all began 5 years ago. First, she embroidered fox brooch, then some cute animals, and finally she realized that embroidery based on works of world painting was more interesting. Now Alexandra is working in this direction. According to Alexandra, stitch embroidery in one thread is similar to drawing, only with the help of a needle and a thread, and of course, the master gives free rein to her own imagination. Also, she uses her favorite vintage pieces, the so-called vintage “junk”, which she collected for many years, and this “junk” still carries a certain charm. In addition, such elements (chains, parts of clips and brooches) give her ideas for future embroidery. In particular, this René Magritte inspired brooch. Making brooches takes her from 8 to several tens of hours of work, depending on the complexity.
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‘Two myths’ bracelet. Coconut, garnets, moonstone, 925 sterling silver. 9cm. Jewelry Balagan by Russian artist Kirill

Jewelry Balagan by Russian artist Kirill
‘Two myths’ bracelet. The ancient Indians imagined the Earth in the form of a hemisphere, located on four elephants, which stood on a turtle swimming in the sea of milk. And myths about the future portray aliens in flying saucers. The plot of this bracelet arose at the intersection of these two myths.
Moscow based jewelry shop “Jewelry Balagan” is in fact, a one-man show of a self-taught artist named Kirill. Noteworthy, he has been producing jewelry of his own designs for more than 25 years, since 1993. Traditionally, the artist uses various techniques in his work. In particular, engraving on copper and silver, hot enamel, carving art, painting, graphics. Also, Kirill works with various, and sometimes very unexpected materials, skillfully combining them in one product. For example, silver and coconut, garnets and moonstone, etc.
Kirill took part in exhibitions of the Association of Artists of Decorative Arts, including the anniversary exhibition “75th Anniversary of the Moscow Union of Artists”.
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Delicate yellow Chrysanthemum brooch. 11 cm. Foamiran, plastic suede, stamens, Japanese accessories, paints. Tatyana Biota realistic flower brooches

Tatyana Biota realistic flower brooches
Moscow based artist and jewelry designer Tatyana Ivanovna is a biologist, she graduated from Biological Faculty of Moscow State University. Having worked for many years in her specialty, she decided to create, fantasize and experiment. According to Tatyana, she constantly learns. And her main teacher is Nature – with an endless and unique variety of shapes and colors. Although she doesn’t strive for naturalism in her work, yet the fact is her flower brooches look very realistic. For her, images and associations are more important, so that each created composition has its own character, its own “zest”, and its own history.
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Vintage “Chorus Line” oval brooch. Gold tone jewelry alloy, porcelain, enamels. 6 cm. Patricia Buckley Moss porcelain brooches

Patricia Buckley Moss porcelain broochess
Talented American artist Patricia Buckley Moss has created a whole gallery of paintings, brooches, and Christmas-tree decorations that you cannot confuse with any others. Country landscapes, people, animals, children, and, of course, her unique geese – they are so wonderful!
Patricia Buckley Moss began to produce brooches in limited quantities for her foundation engaged in helping children with learning difficulties. Each year, she produced one or two kinds of brooches, and each of them has a serial number.
Born on May 20, 1933 in New York, Patricia Buckley Moss attended the fine arts school in Manhattan. Diagnosed with dyslexia and having difficulty communicating and teaching in high school, she struggled with both diagnosis and problems. Shortly after graduating from college in 1955, she married a chemical engineer Jack Moss and moved with her family to Virginia. By the way, she and her husband has six children.
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Birth. Pendant. Materials – silver, gold, opal. Work by Russian artist jeweler Alexey Semanin

Russian artist jeweler Alexey Semanin
Born in 1975, Alexey Semanin graduated from the Suzdal Art and Restoration School, and worked at the Ulyanovsk Art Museum as a restorer. He spent several years in Stockholm, working as a designer, but not forgetting the jewelry art. Then he settled in Moscow.
Alexey, as a professional restorer, owns both old-fashioned and modern technologies. He is able to work with the most diverse materials – metal, stones, wood, including painting, gold leaf, and plastic. With an ingenious mixture of various materials and techniques, he creates unprecedented complex textures and color effects, and with their help, archetypical images filled with philosophical content. Main motifs – Angels, birds, women, and animals. Strange archaic, but not ethnic, things that must not only be worn, but also examined, thought about them, endow them with meanings, and associate memories with them. In short, the genre of his works – Amulets.
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Crocuses. 2004. Amethyst, citrine, nephrite, chalcedony, metal. Work by Ural stone cutter Viktor Vasiliev

Ural stone cutter Viktor Vasiliev
Born 10 April 1954, Viktor Vasilyev is a talented Nizhny Tagil artist-stone cutter, master of stone cutting art, who works mainly in the genre of floristics. A former geologist, head of the Vasilyev Stone-cutting Workshop. Awarded the Order of Denisov-Uralsky.
According to the master, the world of stone is familiar to him since childhood, because Nizhny Tagil and its surroundings are a real natural treasure. Participation in the work of the club “Polyus”, classes in the geological club and art studio helped Victor understand the scientific and aesthetic value of minerals. And further study in the geological technical school and at the Geological Faculty of Perm University is quite natural.
Professional miner Vasiliev worked in mines and lovingly collected minerals. To discover and show the beauty of minerals, for example, variegated jasper, it was required to master the methods of its processing, which he later applied in the decorative composition “The island of Buyan” (1995)
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Mythological bird Sirin brooch. Silk of dark-blue color, decorated with embroidery, beads and sequins. Face – polymer clay, several layers of lacquer. Maria Knutova mythological jewelry art

Maria Knutova mythological jewelry art
Moscow based jewelry designer and artist of applied art Maria Knutova (aka Marisha) creates fabulous decorations based on Russian folklore and mythology. In her gallery – stunning embroidered brooches depicting a beautiful woman with the body of a bird. In Slavic and in particular, Russian mythology, these are mythological birds Sirin, Gamayun, and Alkonost.
According to Maria Knutova, she is a miniaturist artist by education, and a sham decorator by profession. In general, an artist of applied art.
Noteworthy, each work created by Maria Knutova is unique and can’t be repeated exactly. However, the variations of each item are no less beautiful. To create her brooches the master uses high quality textile, beads, sequins, freshwater pearls and thread. Also, she uses polymer clay, lacquer, watercolors and pencils.
According to the artist, she works in various techniques – jewelry, dolls and toys, papier-mache, plastic, painting, and applique.
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