Sold

Jean Wilkinson plique a jour blue sapphire & 18ct yellow gold Dragonfly pendant & chain

This lovely pendant & chain has been designed and handmade by Jean Wilkinson. The 18ct yellow gold pendant is designed as a dragonfly with a round blue sapphire for a head and wings in pale blue & pale yellow plique a jour enamel. The slim curving body has been textured to represent a dragonfly's segmented body. The pendant hangs from a fine 18ct yellow gold chain.

Approximate weights:
The sapphire:
Estimated weight: 0.25ct

Weight: 0.1ozs - 2gms
Lengths:
Pendant: 1.22ins - 3.1cms
Chain: 16ins - 41cms

Jean Wilkinson
Silversmith, Jeweller, Enameller
Born in the Republic of Ireland, Jean knew from an early age that she wanted to be a silversmith but she was not able to begin to realise those dreams until her thirties after a successful career in I.T. designing and programming computer systems. Fittingly it was this career that enabled her to finance her silversmith training.
She trained under Brain Clarke, Michael Good, Lori Talcott, Eva Hofelmaier and Phil Barnes.
Jean is inspired by nature, its colours shapes textures & spaces, by the work of the Art Nouveau enameller Eugene Feuillatre and most lately by the mentoring and teaching of Master Enameller Phil Barnes who Jean credits with bringing her to where she is today: an award winning silversmith jeweller & enameller and the only person in this county working with plique a jour done in this method on large pieces.
Jean has won awards at the Goldsmiths Craft & Design Awards in the Enamellers Senior section in 2011, 2014 & 2016. She has participated in a number of exhibitions and in 2013 gave the Master Class on plique a jour enamelling at the Guild of Enamellers 2013 annual conference held at Queen Ethelburga’s College York.
Jean is a member of the British Society of Enamellers and the Guild of Enamellers.

Plique a jour,
Plique a jour ("glimpse of day",) is a type of enamel which creates the translucent effect of a stained glass window. There are two methods. The first is where the enamel is put into “cells” made of metal usually silver or gold that have no backing. These are then fired at very high temperatures. A number of firings can be done. This method was used by Lalique & Feuillatre and is used by Jean Wilkinson.
The second method is the etched method as used by Thesmar. A copper form has wires laid on it, much like cloisonné, the enamel is then applied to this backing and fired onto it. The copper is then etched off with acid. The appearance of this type of plique a jour is different.