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| 18k gold pendant, ring and earrings with pink tourmaline. |
The rising price of gold has caused many jewelry designers and manufacturers to find creative ways to lighten the amount of the precious metal they use for their jewelry. Not John Petet. At the Buyers Market of American Craft, held February 17-21 in Philadelphia, he said he is still creating his textured gold jewelry designs in the same manner that has given his fairly young company, J. Petet Designs, a strong following.
After spending a career working for others, the Monument, Colo., resident founded his jewelry design business in 2002. One of the persons who helped him get started was his neighbor, jewelry designer Barbara Westwood, who recently graced this publication.
Organic forms, clean lines and geometric shapes are at the heart of his designs. Westwood’s influence could be seen in the stone carvings, as he uses some of the same master gem carvers, such as Steve Walters and Dieter Lorenz, as Westwood. However, the most importance aspect of his work is his adherence to texture.
“My work is not typically seen in a jewelry store,” he said. “I’m very heavy into creating new textured patterns and concepts.”
The gold jewelry collection above is a good example of how Petet uses texture, as wavelike lines move across the round pieces, giving them dimension and motion.