The first Scottish Jewellery Week has come to an end and I have to say it was great. I didn't manage to make it along to everything but I really enjoyed the events I attended. The first one I made it to was the Make Jewellery Work symposium, a whole day of talks and insights into the jewelry industry. Having only dipped my toes into the jewelry world I was unsure how much I'd get out of the day but it was incredibly interesting. Each speaker brought a different viewpoint and inspired in their own way. Plus the Meet & Make lunch introduced me to some awesome tech and tasty sandwiches.
The day started off with an introduction to Make Works by Joy BC. They have a great site which opens up Scottish industry to designers and makers. The site is slick, easy to navigate and includes some insightful videos from some of those listed in the directory. Joy also shared some of her own jewelry work which I absolutely loved, just look at it!
The second talk was by Scott Walter from the Edinburgh Assay Office. To begin with I wasn't sure how much I'd follow this one but he actually gave a great insight into how the jewelry industry has developed over the last 15 - 20 years. It was great to hear about the rise of independent designer makers and how much the internet has changed the industry.
Then it was time to break for lunch where I got to learn a bit more about 3D printing and scanning from MAKLab and tried my hand at some 3D modelling with Lizzie Armour using Cloud9. Both stands blew my tiny mind as I struggled to get to grips with the concepts. Having people on hand to explain it did provide some clarity and a whole lot of excitement at the possibilities technology can provide to the jewelry world.
After a good old chin wag and a look at some gems from Gemstones Brazil and tools from Bellore Rashbel it was time to get back to the symposium. The second half was kicked off by Sofus Graae of Smith/Grey. I love their designs so it was great to hear how the business has grown and get some tips on approaching buyers and stylists.
Then it was the turn of Scott McIntrye to tell us all about Glasgow jewelry store and workshop, Brazen. The place sounds amazing, with it's focus on creating personal pieces and stocking amazing designers. I can't wait to visit the next time I'm in town.
After Scott, Georgia Wiseman took to the mike to explain all about her jewelry journey. Her frank and honest talk explained how she changed her business from contemporary craft to an amazing fashion brand and how this new direction suits her lifestyle. It's great to hear from people who have made their career work for them rather than following the expected path. Extremely inspiring.
After a little break to enjoy our view over the Discovery, as well as some tea and shortbread, it was the turn of some of the Vanilla Inkers to share their experiences and lessons they've learned from the last year. The Petcha Kucha style talks showed this perfectly and it was great to see images of their work and processes.
The day ended with a lively panel discussion covering topics like education, technology and getting into magazines. It was great to get to chat to some lovely folk and to hear from so many industry experts. My response to the question 'what did you learn from the day?' question.......
Did you make it along to Scottish Jewellery week?
