Blooming.
'Blessings of Love' is the theme of the 2018 PlatAfrica competition and I chose the subordinate theme of 'Spirit of Nature' as the influence of my ring design. My design consists of a hammered texture, domed shank embellished with an arrangement of petals of different sizes to resemble a floral structure which makes up the eye-catching top of the ring. The shank and most of the petals are constructed out of platinum and three of the petals are made up of gold plated sterling silver. Each petal is connected to the shank with a hinge system (consisting of jump rings soldered to the shank) so they are able to gracefully move with the motion of the wearer. This allows my design to metaphorically represent the development of a baby girl into a woman through the growth of a flower from a bud into a blossom.
During the design and manufacture process, I learned a number of new things that I feel have changed the way that I design. For me, the most significant aspect of my ring was the way that the petals were connected to the shank with a hinge system which brought forth a new notions or titles that I can explore, movement, development, growth. In previous designs, I felt that a static piece would not fully capture the metaphor of development which is why I was led into the exploration of kinetic or movement jewellery. This new concept is essential to me as a designer as I feel that incorporating movement into future designs can lead to exciting new outcomes
