Jewellery

Jewellery is a significant part of the War, with loved ones finding comfort and creativity through personal objects. The soldiers and prisoners made jewellery from the materials they had available to them to cope with the realities of war.

For my project, I got some jewellery from a shop that was closing down and began ageing it in water in an attempt to create a sense of history, emotional and environmental wear. By artificially ageing these objects, I wanted them to appear as if they had been preserved through time. The process reflects how personal belongings hold significance after the original moment has passed. I wanted to alter the jewellery to remove the newness to create a more authentic feel and connect to the theme of loss and memory. I had also purposefully chosen gold jewellery opposed to silver as it represents ageing and is often seen worn by older people.

To have made this more successful, I could further the amount of decay and tarnish on the jewellery. After doing research, I would need to find a way to use controlled oxidation or chemical treatment that simulate the natural ageing process of metals.