Finger nails rings made in silver wire.

I just completed my fingernails ring by adding imitation of crystals. The important part I did was, to make my wire rings look fancier by putting colourful crystals. I will use this crystal in my next set of jewellery but I will use my setting skills. Whereas in this picture I only spotted them on top on the wire by using clear gel polish and a UV lamp to stick themselves. I will do it differently by appropriately setting the stones by using my setting skills.

Reflection

Looking back to the jewellery I made, I have achieved what I wanted to make which was to make wire fingernails rings. The very important thing I did was to use my jewellery skills to band the wire to get the actual shape that I was aiming for.  Which was an oval shape, in the index finger and V shape on the middle finger. This method of banding thin wire as finger manicure, I'm still going to use this technique because it doesn't take time to band a wire whereas with a flat band its tricky. In the picture below if you can look clear on the pink finger and on a ring finger both fingernails have texture. I used a wool fabric to create these rough pattern. Almost in all my work this year I have used this pattern. Looking at my fingernails rings, I think they all look stunning because I have improved better than the first rings I made last year. What I can do differently in these fingernail rings is that I should have added nail art design and colour. In my next set of fingernail rings, I will use all the techniques I used in these rings and explore more skills. In future, I want to make bangles with this texture on the ring finger. As jewellery design and making jewellery inspired by the beauty of nail art, I have noticed that I'm being precious about my skills whereas I'm supposed to explore more.

Fig1 Fingernail rings.

Table of Contents

 The Beauty of Nails.

I'm making contemporary jewellery inspired by the beauty of nail art. I'm using plastic nails to make jewellery form, by using the beauty of original nail shapes. I used a coffin nail shape, almond nail shape and stiletto nail shape and change it into earrings, rings, necklace, bracelet and brooch pins.

Writing of my topic.

 Topic  -Beauty

            -Topic explanation

 VGCJ -Mixed materials

            -Dress and Jewellery

 Metcalf -

 Consideration of my topic

References.

- I'm only looking at these two artists 

  Nails artist -Park Eun-Kyung

                     -

  Ceramic artist - Daniel Ramos

Explorations.

- Acrylic gel

- Enameling

- Nails 

- Platinum final piece

Park Eun-Kyung

Park Eun-Kyung.
http://www.unistella.com/ 

Park Eun-Kyung is a South Korean nail artist. She is most known for starting the trends of shattered glass manicure, wire manicure and negative space manicure. Park is so much more than a manicurist, she was inspired by beauty as her idea of beauty involves taking the time to care for nails.

When Park started making fingernails rings she used silver wire and change to experiment with gold, stainless steel and other materials.

Nail heel ring by Park.

Finger nails rings by Lihle

Fingernail rings. 

Wire rings and coffin fingernail ring.

In my jewellery, I was inspired by Park Eun-Kyung who is a South Korean nail artist. She is most known for starting the trends of shattered glass manicure. My aim is to make fingernails wrings attach with nail shape whereas Park uses silver wire, gold wire and steel wire to make manicure rings. In my work what I will do it differently is that I will be adding colour, nail art and texture. Whereas Park uses plain wire and crystals. Fingernail rings are more suitable for women who don't like artificial nails and for the woman who likes jewellery.

Target plan

The beauty of nail art.

Ubuhle bezinzipho.

My target plain is to make contemporary jewellery inspired by the beauty of nail art. My aim is to make jewellery for women, but my big target is to design for women who don't like artificial nails. As was going through research I noticed that Muslim women are not allowed to have nail polish or artificial nails because when they have to pray they have to put their make first which is god. Some jobs position does not allow workers to have nails; Chefs, Nurse, Boilermaker and Doctors are not allowed to have extension nails.

My plan is to use all different nail shapes and used them to create jewellery form; rings, bangles, necklace, earrings and pendant. At the beginning of the year, my plan was to make fingernail rings but I noticed that  I'm limiting my self. I decided to use nails petal to create jewellery my form. If you look at (fig1) below it a par of earrings where I used a stiletto nail shapes as the main shape. I used a round punch to create texture on the copper plate then I twisted the plate so that I achieve a 3D shape. My aim is to use the actual nail shape and change it to jewellery.

Fig1-Copper earrings.

   

Fig2- Ring with nail petal.

Using punches to create textures on the metal.

Fig1- Stiletto earring.

Fig2- Coffin nail earrings

Fig3- Twist coffin earrings

using stiletto and coffin nails shape to create jewellery.

Fig1- Earring.

Fig2- Drop earring

Fig3- Necklace.

Fig4- Ring.

Casting wax

Plastic nails and casting wax

Coffin nails shapes

In (fig1), I have these beautiful coffin nails shape with different sizes. I'm thinking of trying differences types of jewellery form.

Functions of jewellery.

The essay by Bruce Metcalf (On The Nature of Jewellery) talks about three functions of jewellery, Indicate of status, redeemable wealth and spiritual mediation. Looking at the jewellery that I'm busy making and exploring, they all fall in these categories.

I'm exploring the beauty of nail art by changing plastic rings into fingernail rings. I'm trying to accommodate all females status by making temporary nails for them. Not everyone is allowed to apply nail polish, especially nurse, doctors and chef their position of status at work doesn't allow them, but for me making these temporary nail fingers will accommodate them.

As it says on Bruce Metcalf essay;(“To the contemporary practitioner, the past can be a rich and valuable resource, as well as an inspiration”). Looking at the jewellery that was made in the old century only rich people who can afford to buy them because they used precious material and they value the jewellery piece. Every jewellery piece has a story. For me, if I design I look at the things that inspire my client before I make the jewellery. The contemporary jewellery that I made for my Platinum piece in (Fig1) it is more redeemable wealth because I used a lot of platinum with rare stone which is a Tanzanite.

Figure1-Sish, T(2020). Divo tie pin.

The jewellery im busy making it's not more focused on spiritual mediation, but as was busy going through research about nails I noticed that Muslim women are not allowed to have nails on, because when they pray they have to put they maker first(God).They only allowed having a mehndi design on their hands. Traditionally there are girls who can't live without artificial nails and they go crazy if their nails are not done. For me making these fingernails can accommodate every woman because the rings that I'm busy making in metal it's easy to take them off whereas the permanent nails you have to wait for days before you take them off. 

Divo tie pin

Figure 1

The client that I’m designing for its Somizi Mhlongo who is most known as South African television personality, radio personality, choreographer, actor, singer and celebrity chef. Mr Mhlongo also has Somahali foundation that helps some community during the lockdown.  As am exploring the beauty of nail art, my theme is suitable for women’s. As we required to make jewellery for men’s the biggest challenge for me was to choose someone that is suitable for my theme and I’m not used to make man jewellery.  

Figure 2

I was inspired by a flying beetle bug. As was busy going through Instagram I came across Somizi Mhlongo profile and he is one of the most knowledgeable and dramatic men. He is like a flying bug judging by his character and he grabs any business opportunity that comes to his way.

My client is more fashionable and he is also gay. I decided to make a tie pin with the creativity of different shapes, colour and texture. I decided to name the tie pin as Divo which is Somizi nickname. In this tie pin, I created a beetle skeleton by using the marquis as big main shape which looks like a Zulu shield. I used coffin nail shape to create inner wings and outer wings, I rivet the wings so that they can easily move. As I was going through my research I noticed that Somizi like Tanzanite stone then I decided to full fill my client dream by adding his favourite stone.

The more special thing about my jewellery piece it that you can change colours on the marquis shape. I used acrylic gel because Somizi likes to put gel polish on his nails, so I made it easy for him to add whatever colour he likes in that time so that he can match with his nails. I used holographic nail pigment to cool the colour of the tie pin my aim was no to show the brightness of the colour.

What I like about my jewellery piece it refers to an LGBT flag colour. The rainbow flag symbols lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. Red symbolizes life, Orange symbolises healing, Yellow symbolises the sun and Green symbolises nature. Any men can wear this tie pin that why I added a holographic pigment to cool down the colour. The beauty about my tie pin, you can change colour by socking off the acrylic gel in acetone, then add another colour any time you like.

Figure 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final piece

What I like about this picture below it is the colour of holographic pigment it shows the LGBT flag colour. The rainbow flag symbols lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.  Red symbolizes life, Orange symbolises healing, Yellow symbolises the sun and Green symbolises nature. The person that I'm designing for he is gay and he is most know. I used his favourite stone, which is a tanzanite stone.  

Figure1-T, Sishi(2020).

Figure1-T, Sishi(2020). 

Design development.

I slightly change a few things in my final design. Looking at (fig1)  bellow the piece look incomplete, especially when you look in the red circle. That space was bothering me because it looks like there is something that needs to be there. If you look carefully in (fig2) I just added a Tanzanite stone, which is  Somizi Mhlongo favorite stone. What looks different about my silver prototype then my platinum final piece, I slightly changed the out wings with texture by folding them in a different way. The colour of the stone I used, it's the tanzanite and it violetish blue which is the most valuable stone colour. On the marquis shape, I used lilac and holographic pigment.

In the URL it's Somizi and Mohale visits the Nungu diamonds to choose the diamonds they want for their custom-design rings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6r_HIKrkPU

Figure 1-Sishi, T(2020). Silver prototype for men's jewellery.

Figure 2-Sishi, T(2020). The platinum final piece for men's jewellery.

Trying different types of Rhinestone.

I was playing with a variation of nail art rhinestone, to see which stone shape will look much better in my final jewellery piece.

Figure 1-Sishi, T(2020). Teardrop shape

Figure 1-Sishi, T(2020). Marquis shape

Figure 1-Sishi, T(2020). Round shape

Figure 1-Sishi, T(2020). Oval shape

Figure 1-Sishi, T(2020). Antique cushion shape

Trying different shades of colours

As was busy trying different colours, I noticed that (fig2)blue and (fig3)green they both look dark in platinum. If you look carefully in all colours, I used holographic pigment to balance metal and colour because I don't want to show exactly the colour that is underneath. In (fig1), below the purple one is my favorite. On the final, piece I will try various shades of purple.

Figure1: Purple colour

Figure2: Blue colour

Figure3: Oliver green colour

second prototype

I used aluminum to make my prototype. I was trying different types of materials because I'll be making my final piece in platinum. I was playing with colour. I was thinking of adding colour all over the metal. I realize as ill be making this brooch in platinum. The final piece that I made in platinum, I will add colour on marquis shape only so that the platinum can sand out as a focal point.

 

Jewellery inspiration

In the pictures below, it's a jewellery brooch pins that looks similar to the one that I'm busy making. What I like about these brooch pins is that they all look big and they draw more attention to the wearer. Looking at fig2, I like how the lady is facing the other side and she is not paying any attention to the bug on her shoulder. According to my visual looking, It looks like the lady is more focused and she is paying more attention to the person she busy talking too.

Fig1
https://za.pinterest.com/pin/343681015301030922/

Fig2
https://za.pinterest.com/pin/450571137713915624/

Texture

Test piece of texture in copper and silver plate. I'll use this texture on my platinum jewellery piece.

Design process

I decided to make another prototype, my aim was to change wings.

Fig1. This is a top view of the brooch pin that am busy making. I used copper to fly press a marquis shape, I used plastic nails on the underwing and Silver for the hard outer wing.

Fig2. This picture shows how I twisted hard outer wings. My aim was to change them so that they look different from the piece in fig3. 

Fig3. Top view of my original piece. I made this brooch pin in silver. The hard outer wings are twisted outside.

Fig4. This is a front view and you can see how wings looks like.