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, 2004Hollow aquamarine beads inlayed with

synthetic sapphire on platinum chainPhoto: David Cripps

Cover Photo: Sam Barker

Twin Brooches, 201018ct White Gold & TourmalinePhoto: Simon B Armitt

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.

Twist Ring, 200922ct red gold, red to blue tourmaline

Photo: Simon B Armitt

Bud Ring, 2012Superb pink tourmaline, 22ct yellow gold

Photo: Simon B Armitt

Trumpet necklace, 2011Synthetic (man made) Ruby, 22ct & 18ct gold

Photo: Simon B Armitt

Taplin Ring, 201222ct gold, heliodor

Photo: Simon B Armitt

Faceted Aquamarine Ring, 1996Faceted aquamarine, platinum.

Photo: David Cripps

Fish BroochCarved tourmaline set in 18ct green gold

Photo: Simon B Armitt

Heliodor Curl, 201222ct yellow gold & heliodor

Photo: Simon B Armitt

Jellyfish Necklace, 2004Rock crystal, black jade, synthetic sapphire on black gilt chain.

Photo: David Cripps

dramatic Jewelry:the 5 masters

an exhibition at aaron Faber Gallery666 Fifth avenue

New york. Ny 10103(212) 586-8411

Photo: Sam Barker