Hand made pieces of everyday objects seem just so sweet and wholesome. Victoria Mason's range of silver jewellery including necklaces, rings and earrings are as imaginatively and whimsical in design as they are to look at. Her range includes items such as toast, biscuits, pegs, cups of tea, animals, crochet squares, chairs, an iron, a letter, an empty bouquet (for you to put your own little flowers from your sweetheart) as well as pencil sharpening. I myself has always had a soft spot for the crochet enamel pieces as well as the pencil sharpening necklaces.
The pieces are hand-made by Mason and are very affordable unlike some of the more pricier silver pieces I have discussed so far on this blog. An extract from her website:
"Victoria Mason is a Melbourne based jeweller whose current collections reflect a love of nostalgia and family crafts as well as a keen understanding of different jewellery techniques.
She shares affection for ordinary house-hold items with one of her favourite artists, the late Howard Arkley, whose reinterpretation of familiar suburban scenes and objects show a similar reference to Australian domesticity. Miniature teaspoons as earrings, a pencil sharpening pendent or a tape measure curled into the shape of a heart are created in silver and sometimes take months to complete.
Her many years as a jeweller has seen her study a Bachelor of Visual Arts at SCA, complete a Jewellery Apprenticship & Gemmology.
Victoria currently works from a light filled studio in
Fitzroy, Melbourne, where this range is created."
It's refreshing to see pieces created with such tenderness and love; Mason clearly enjoys her work which is reflected in the passion she has for jewellery making and design. I myself do not own a piece but I think I would prefer to have a necklace rather than a ring since I am not as fond as skinny banded rings due to comfort.As her pieces are individual and unique they are one of a kind, variations on the same design. Her new range of miniature animals the fox and the rabbit could have been done better as they are sculpted it looks like from silver blocks and still have a heavy squared off look about them. I prefer my animals to have a keener sense of detail as with everything in my life but this simply means I would choose one piece over another in her range.
I love my country but will probably not choose to buy an "AUSTRALIA" necklace (although maybe a necklace in the shape of this wide-brown land I'd like to see), rather the measuring tape love heart, crochet square or bouquet holder. Once I have the money and stop buying cameras that is.
If you are interested in buying one of Victoria Mason's beautiful pieces I strongly recommend that you visit her website at: http://www.victoriamason.com/index.htmIf you were interested in viewing the pieces first hand and you happen to be in the Melbourne area:
"Victoria's studio is at Suite 5, 19 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy and is open on Fridays between 11 and 5 and Saturdays between 11 and 3 (other times by arrangement). Contact the studio on 03 9419 6707 or email studio@victoriamason.com"
