CHARLOTTE DE SYLLAS
Charlotte De Syllas makes bespoke jewellery, mostly to commission, for private individuals and major collections. Each piece is designed to suit the wearer’s own style and personality through color, shape and texture. Fusing tradition and innovation in characteristically intricate combinations of carved gemstone and precious metal, De Syllas’s work has been inspired by a curiosity and practical interest in fine carving across time and place, whilst also reflecting a love for all living forms and natural organic qualities. Initially introduced to lapidary techniques by her tutor Gerda Flöckinger whilst learning enamelling, De Syllas found carving so appealing that, after making her first cabochon, she went on alone to explore new ways of shaping and assembling stone pieces of different colours and textures. Over the four decades as artist-jeweller that have followed, she has gradually refined ways of inlaying and hollowing carvings to make them as light-weight and light-filled as possible, meanwhile bringing a consistently original approach to the handling of gemstones and devising striking new methods for setting them. A willingness to push materials to extremes in pursuit of a desired effect coupled with mastery of a wide repertoire of technical skills has gained her widespread recognition. Among awards and honours she has received are the Jerwood Prize for Jewellery and the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship. She was made a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths Company in the City of London . Having been a Visiting Lecturer at the Royal College of Art, she has also taught jewellery courses throughout England & Scotland, as well as India & Finland. She now runs an intensive course on gemcarving each year.
Inked Water Necklace, 2004 Hollow aquamarine beads inlayed with synthetic sapphire on platinum chain Photo: David Cripps Cover Photo: Sam Barker
De Syllas’s work is well represented in public collections: the Victoria & Albert Museum holds four major pieces on permanent display, while the Goldsmiths’ Company of London owns all her early work as well as two commissioned pieces, with a third major necklace due in 2014. The Crafts Council of UK commissioned two pieces. The remainder of De Syllas’s work is all privately owned in small or individual collections and seldom shown in public. A white jade necklace called Migration was recently acquired by the well known Chinese collector Tuan Lee, while another major piece, a large double aquamarine brooch, was acquired in 2011 for the William and Judith Bollinger collection in London. Regularly included in exhibitions at the Goldsmiths’ Hall and the Victoria and Albert Museum, De Syllas’s work has also been shown at Collect (London), as well as the Dovecot Gallery in Edinburgh, the Electrum Gallery in London, at Idar-Oberstein in Germany and in Finland. Her work has been featured in many specialist jewellery books, amongst them the Lark Books series in America. She was featured in a British TV Channel 4 series Not Pots and her life has been recorded by the British Library in their series Craft Lives. De Syllas is currently working on a pearl and white jade necklace commissioned for the forthcoming Pearl Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in late 2013.
Twin Brooches, 2010 18ct White Gold & Tourmaline Photo: Simon B Armitt
Twist Ring, 2009 22ct red gold, red to blue tourmaline Photo: Simon B Armitt
Bud Ring, 2012 Superb pink tourmaline, 22ct yellow gold Photo: Simon B Armitt
Trumpet necklace, 2011 Synthetic (man made) Ruby, 22ct & 18ct gold Photo: Simon B Armitt
Taplin Ring, 2012 22ct gold, heliodor Photo: Simon B Armitt
Faceted Aquamarine Ring, 1996 Faceted aquamarine, platinum. Photo: David Cripps
Fish Brooch Carved tourmaline set in 18ct green gold Photo: Simon B Armitt
Heliodor Curl, 2012 22ct yellow gold & heliodor Photo: Simon B Armitt
Jellyfish Necklace, 2004 Rock crystal, black jade, synthetic sapphire on black gilt chain. Photo: David Cripps
Photo: Sam Barker
dramatic Jewelry: The 5 Masters
An Exhibition at Aaron Faber Gallery 666 Fifth Avenue New York. NY 10103 (212) 586-8411