Creations Jewellers fires up a modern take on an ancient artform

Posted on 5 December, 2022

There’s always something beautiful upon which to feast your eyes when you enter Creations Jewellers. But this month sees the unveiling of a collection that’s sure to spark new levels of interest.

The Manuka institution, run by Michele Black and her two children Ben Preston-Black, Natalie Alegria, and Ben’s wife Kate, has released a bespoke line inspired by spring, flowers, and the ancient art of enamelling.

The Flora Collection uses jewellery techniques which date back to the 3rd Century BC.

Photo by Ben Calvert

According to award-winning designer Ben Preston-Black, “We wanted to create a collection that was a nod to the past, with a contemporary twist”.

The family is also delighted to introduce Canberra clients to the art form which they believe deserves recognition and preservation.

According to Natalie, who is a qualified gemologist and diamond grader, “there are very few jewellery houses which use enamel due to its complex nature”.

“We were inspired to incorporate a new element into this collection. Enamel has the qualities that suited Flora, rich in colour and texture. We have carefully selected the enamel colour palate and combined them with beautiful gemstones that we have sourced and collected from around the world. Malaya Garnets, Spinel and Sapphires….and of course, a sprinkle of our favourite—diamonds.”

Photo by Ben Calvert

The first step in creating Creations’ inaugural enamel line was to send a selection of the company’s jewellers to an enamelling course where they caught the bug for the art form. Then they established an enamelling station in the workshop and convinced internationally acclaimed jeweller and enamelist Debbie Sheezel to share her skills. Then it was a matter of harnessing those in-house creative powers to design something special—in this case, gem-encrusted flowers to adorn the neck and ears.

Photo by Ben Calvert

Enamel, also called vitreous enamel, is special powdered glass, fired at high temperatures to allow it to form a hard, shiny surface.

Ben and his team prepared the metal in intricate botanical designs, then applied a wet coating of the enamel powder to the surface. Once applied, they fired their kiln at temperatures between 700 and 900 degrees Celsius to infuse the hard and glossy enamel.

For the Flora collection, they used two ancient enamel techniques: Basse-taille and Plique A Jour. The first requires a design to be engraved on the enamel, then wet enamel is applied directly to the surface of the metal and fired, the result being the transparent enamel highlights design. The second technique requires the jewellers to build a lattice of metal, and then apply the enamel inside the frame. Once fired, this creates a transparent surface, like a stained-glass window.

Photo by Ben Calvert

Just like an artwork of paint on canvas, each design is hand-made, completely original and a one-off creation. No two pieces can ever be the same.

Having built a reputation for creating commissions and one-off designs for local, national and international clients, Ben said he and the team were passionate to explore further the ways in which enamelling could be incorporated into the company’s sparkling collections.

The Creations team, Natalie, Kate and Ben. Photo by Ben Calvert

“At Creations we are continually wanting to push our abilities as designers, jewellers, gem-setters and engravers. Enamelling seemed like the next traditional skill we wanted to tackle. Enamelling can allow us to add colour like no other medium and pushes our skill as artists in regards to colour selection and the specialised techniques in application. Our clientele love to see original designs and we are proud to bring enamel to them in the form of Flora—inspired by spring which is always an exciting time in Canberra when it warms up and the gardens come to life.”

Photo by Ben Calvert

Flora was launched at a VIP event last week and the collection is now available to admire, try on, and purchase in-store or online.