Silver Lining Shackles

INSTITUTION: University of New South Wales
YEAR: 2022
DISCIPLINE: Jewellery Design

A set of talismans, where through perseverance and wear and tear, a sterling silver lining appears.

To me, luck does not come from a higher being. It is forged by us through hard work, being open to opportunities and persistence.

I see myself as someone who has been dealt with a crappy set of cards. I come from a working-class background raised by single parents, with bouts of child abuse and mental illness. Yet, I have made the best of my crappy cards throughout my career, academics and relationships with friends and family.

The inspiration for my designs comes from a combination of medieval shackles, industrial jewellery by the brand Parts of Four, wear and tear, and the technical lessons learnt in class. 

Examples of different types of shackles (3D old shackles - TurboSquid 1165681, no date)

Restraint bracelet by Parts of Four (Parts of Four, no date)

Like shackles, a jade bracelet is an example of a piece of jewellery that can’t be easily removed. You wear them till they eventually break. (ode to my jade bangle | A Story of Us, no date)

Learnings in class. 

The making process

Embossed is a series of clouds representing a silver lining in two ways: the metaphor of something good that can be found in a bad situation and the literal sense of a silver line shining through once the black liver of sulphur wears off. 

The choker and ankle cuffs are what the shackles look like new before they are worn

The wrist cuff shows the desired result of the silver line that can only be achieved with wear and tear.