Jewelry Sparkles at Art Basel Miami Beach

Large Kinetic Earrings (1968) by Jesus Raphael Soto

By any measure Art Basel Miami Beach, which just completed its 11th year, is a huge success. One of the ways its success has been demonstrated is the more than 20 art shows that have grown around the big event, held this year on December 5 – 8 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

18k gold bracelet with white gold balls by Pol Bury, 1968, being shown by Didier Ltd.

Probably the most important of those fairs is Design Miami, which was held in a big white tent across the parking lot of the convention center. This was my first year attending what is now known as ABMB and was surprised to learn that Design Miami was focusing on art jewelry with no fewer than seven galleries dedicating at least some of their space to jewelry created by artists. The pieces included works by those who are known for their jewelry as well as world class artists who normally use other mediums. Among the highlights:

Ross Lovegrove 18k ring, made with 3D printing technology. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

* Louisa Guinness Gallery of London presented a show celebrating its tenth year of collaborating with artists to make jewelry. Ross Lovegrove was among the artists featured with a collection of 18k gold rings using 3D printing technology titled “Foliates.” Other artists on display included Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor and Alexander Calder.

Didier Ltd. of Londonde dicated its space to the 40th anniversary of a ground-breaking jewelry exhibition held at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston in 1973, "Jewelry as Sculpture as Jewelry." Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

* Didier Ltd. of London paid homage to the 40th anniversary of a ground‐breaking jewelry exhibition held at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston in 1973, "Jewelry as Sculpture as Jewelry." This exhibition brought together 131 pieces by 50 of the most avant‐garde jewelry designers and artists of the time. Didier Ltd presented a retrospective of this exhibition, including several unique pieces that were shown in Boston. It included pieces by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Jesus Raphael Soto.

White gold necklace with colors and lines by Carlos Cruz‐Diez.

* Elisabetta Cipriani of London presented 11 pieces of jewelry by Carlos Cruz‐Diez, (three bracelets, two necklaces, two rings and four brooches) the artist hand made in the 1970s for his family and friends. Cruz‐Diez specializes in kinetic and op art and his jewelry pieces reflect this through the use of colors and lines that produce movement in relation to how light is directed at them.

Brooch by Margaret DePatta, c. 1950.

* Mark McDonald of Hudson, NY, presented several jewelry pieces by Margaret De Patta, who specializes in metalwork jewelry using architectural forms.

Butterfly Brooch by Gjis Bakker

* Caroline Van Hoek of Brussels presented the works of Gjis Bakker, which included human figures, automotive motifs and more traditional pieces.

I hope this is a trend that continues at Design Miami, ABMB and at other art shows held during the week in Miami. I need an excuse to attend again next year.

Assistant Editor Maria Ling contributed to this story.

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes website.

A Clock Made Up Of Clocks

I try to occasionally attend events and learn about things outside of what I regularly do in order to challenge and expand how I view the world. This is what brought me to Design Miami (December 4 – 8), which is held alongside Art Basel Miami Beach.

It is here that I discovered a most unusual clock. It was actually a clock made up of 60 interconnected mechanical clocks that create the time on a giant display that is similar to a digital watch. Each of the clocks’ minute hands perform a choreographed dance (for lack of a better word) before displaying the correct time.

This work was made by a Swedish design firm by the name of Humans since 1982 and is on display at Design Miami by the Victor Hunt Gallery based in Belgium.

It was developed with customized software controlled by an iPad. There were three versions of the clock on display by the gallery. A white version used 24 clocks and a black version that used 96 clocks. They range in price from 33,000 to 96,000 euro ($45,227 to $131,500). Below is a video of the clock in action.



Assistant Editor Maria Ling contributed to this story.

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes website.

Miami Beach Antique Jewelry & Watch Show This Weekend

As the weather gets cooler in most places sunny Miami Beach looks all the more welcoming, especially for a last-minute trip. A good excuse to go this weekend is the annual Miami Beach Antique Jewelry & Watch Show, which opens Friday and runs till Sunday at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Hall B.

The show, which has been held in Miami Beach for 18 years, features antique, vintage and estate jewelry and watch collections—showcasing popular trends in jewelry and watch design. More than 100 dealers from all over the world will be displaying a range of products for antique jewelry and watch collectors as well as many celebrities and socialites. Attendees will have the opportunity to view and purchase brooches, cameos, earrings, necklaces, rare jewels and gemstones, signed designer pieces, and timepieces.

Show hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. There is a one-time admission fee of $15, valid for all three days of the show.