Melbourne’s Studio Brendon Collins keeps it natural when it comes to making jewellery.
Take a moment to compare these two utensils in your kitchen: a plastic spatula and a wooden spoon. Consider the difference in the weight, the temperature, and the sound they make when coming into contact with other objects. We all agree that the wooden object wins hands-down when it comes to pleasing our senses.
To the Melbourne jeweller Brendon Collins, the colours and textures in solid timbers speak of quality and substance – warm to touch, subtle in tone, and delightful to the eye.
Square stud earring made with pink ivory wood and silver. Click here to see more earrings.
That’s why this beautiful handmade jewellery is designed to showcase the natural beauty of real timbers, with no artificial colours or flavours.
“My jewellery practice is based on the belief that when nature offers such a spectacular palette, it should be celebrated. I always like seeing people’s reaction when they discover that the vibrancy of the work is all natural, with just a little lift from light oiling.”
Cufflinks made with pink ivory wood, kingwood, tagua nut and ebony. Click here to see more cufflinks.
There’s an art to using timber as it comes, and Brendon enjoys the challenge of combining the materials in their natural colours without trying to manipulate the surfaces.
“I’m not interested in fooling anyone with an artificial surface. To me it’s about integrity and authenticity – it’s about creating truly unique pieces that have their roots in nature but have a contemporary edge.”