Art Jewelry

Art jewelry is mostly related to be bought by collectors or museums. It is created with a variety of materials not just precious metals and gems. Art jewelry should be compared to expressions of art in other media such as glass, wood, plastics and clay.

Though many of us consider art jewelry still part of crafts as opposed to real "Arts" things are changing considerably. In the 1960s and 1970s the German Government and the commercial jewelry industry decided to foster and heavily support modern jewelry designers, and thus creating a new marketplace. They focused in particular on combined contemporary design with their goldsmithing tradition and jewelry making. At present art jewelry is no longer a niche and many designers are sold in regular jewelry stores.
An example of current trends in art jewelry is the use of modern synthetic materials such a polypropylene, nylon and acrylic. Art jewelers have developed techniques for using these materials to dramatic effect. One example of this is award winning jeweler; Anoush Waddington, a designer working in the UK and selling internationally.
The American art jewelry scene has not gone through such a phase yet, but the number of collectors, and museums that exhibit (exclusive) art jewelry is growing constantly.
Some famous artists who created art jewelry in the past were Calder, Picasso, Man Ray, Meret Oppenheim, Dali and Nevelson. Some of which represented at Sculpture to Wear Gallery in New York City which closed in 1977. A collection of art jewelry can be found at the Schmuckmuseum in Pforzheim Germany.