Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist – September 2019

B

y the time Game of Thrones

wound to an end earlier

this year, it was attract-

ing more than 12 million

viewers worldwide. Medieval infl uence

had crept into popular jewelry in an

increasingly noticeable way. Both male

and female characters on the HBO se-

ries wore jewelry customized with their

kingdom’s insignia — dragon, wolf,

hawk, or rose — to empower them.

Men and women wore signet rings,

pendants, chains, and bracelets

throughout the run of that show,

and the jewelry got more ostenta-

tious with each season. The “hand”

(as in right-hand man) of the king

or queen was pinned with a brooch

carrying the kingdom’s insignia. At

every turn, jewelry marked pivotal

events and characters were defi ned

by their medieval-revival jewels.

Reflecting Forward

But contemporary jewelry design-

ers were making a splash with

Revival-style jewels long before GoT

debuted. Turkish designer Sevan Bi-

cakci made a name for himself with

Medieval-style jewelry inspired by

the Ottoman Empire: gem-studded

padlocks, dagger motifs, and bulky

intaglio rings carved with ancient

symbols.

Michael Jensen and Emanuela

Duca pair rough-textured oxidized

silver with polished gold and gem

accents to give it the feel of long-

buried treasure. Lilly Fitzgerald and

Revival

Where past meets present By Cathleen McCarthy

Lilly Fitzgerald

Necklace

Moonstone, 22K gold

PHOTO: COURTESY LILLY FITZGERALD

44 LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST