Media Diet 1
Founded in 2018, Alec Doherty Jewellery grew from Alec’s work as an artist. Each hand-drawn design is crafted from precious metals and finished in Hatton Garden, combining character, humour, and personal charm in jewellery made to be worn, lived in, and loved.
Who made it - Alec Doherty
How did they make it - The "Ecstasy Ring" is a specific piece of sterling silver jewellery created for Paul Smith. It was made using the lost-wax casting process and hand-finished in Hatton Garden, London.
The process involved:
- Hand-carving a wax model: A master model of the ring, featuring the distinctive "hand-carved face that radiates joy," was first created in wax by the artist.
- Creating a mold: This wax model was then embedded in a heat-resistant investment material (like plaster) to create a mold.
- Wax removal: The mold was heated, allowing the wax to melt and drain out, leaving a negative impression in the shape of the ring.
- Casting the metal: Molten sterling silver was poured into the empty cavity.
- Finishing: Once the metal cooled and solidified, the mold was broken away to reveal the raw casting. The ring was then cleaned, the sprues (channels used for pouring) were removed, and it was polished/buffed by hand.
- Gemstone setting (for specific variations): Some versions of the ring also feature set green emerald and blue sapphire details, which would have been set by hand at this stage.
The ring is part of a collection inspired by personal stories of "challenging moments and turning points" in the lives of the artist's friends and family, with the design representing the wearer's inner spirit.
What are the entry points - I don't think I want to start making work like this however I would like to look at branding for things like it such as advertisements and posters. Looking at backstories behind the jewellery such as this ring and how it represents the challenges he went through so the representation of the changes he made to his life is inspiring and people should know bout it more. I would need to learn more about advertisements such as understand what advertising is, types of ads, and how it fits into marketing.Look at using tools like Canva or Photoshop. And think about audiences, I could also watch and analyse successful campaigns to see what makes them work, which will help me learn more about what works and what doesn't.
Chris Biron - http://biron.io
