Press Release
Where elegance and weight meet fashion: A whole new spin on stainless steel
"One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art."
- Oscar Wilde
Stainless steel's density and weight become surprisingly buoyant when lathe-turned to a satin finish following the specifications of metalsmith Gillion Carrara. Her newest collection of steel rings with serious heft is high-tech yet low-key. Four shapes - round, half-round, triangle and square - are designed to be stacked in sets or with other rings. Each elegant ring is coupled with its own dense black rubber spacer. The brushed surface reflects glints of light at varying angles, making each stacked configuration a unique design statement.
In addition to her sleek stainless steel ring collection, Gillion continues to work in natural materials. This year she is sculpting gold and silver along the edge of undulant African antelope horn, producing one-of-a-kind cuffs. Exotic wood rings in ebon, briar root, bone and horn feature surprise inlaid design, and are often lined in precious metal. "But I'm also reversing the game by lining a big silver ring in briar root, with an inset of bone or horn," says Carrara.
Her sleek signature tension-buckle stainless cuffs feature silver-lined birch-bark, highly polished wood or horn buckles. "The crusty but durable bark buckle is destined to evolve and age to a rich, distressed patina, carrying with it the experience of traveling on a wrist," says Carrara, who works as an adjunct professor in both the Department of Fashion Design and the Department of Art History at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.
Gillion puts a great deal of effort into finishing the sensual and remarkably luminous wood, bark and horn surfaces of her rings and bracelets. After hand-carving them, she hand-works them on the lathe and finishes each one with six grades of sandpaper before the final wax, which results in a sensual, satiny luster.
In addition to the jewelry and accessories, this year's collection also includes inlaid letter openers, drawer pulls, vases and other accessories for the home. Order directly by emailing contact@gillioncarrara.com.