Jewellery & the body

The close relationship between jewellery and the wearer’s body has been contingent on function since time immemorial. Since a theoretical rethink set in during the 1960s, not only have the handling of materials and the formal aspects of design been called into question but a radically new perception of wearability and functionality has evolved. To be contemporary, jewellery was above all to be an expression of individuality, and that perception has redefined the jewellery– body relationship. Persons wearing jewellery have been revealed as communicators of messages, and including the body and its movements in the design process has made fresh sources of formal innovation accessible to designers.

At the same time, the jewellery object was understood as a sculpture, which was rooted in functionality but was equally justified in its status as an autonomous work of art. This development has been shaped by the influx of sculptors into jewellery-making, who transfer their perspectives and approaches to jewellery design, thus adding a new conceptual plane to the definition of jewellery. These works often stand in stark contrast to the organic forms of the human body and are deliberately made to do so.