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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN VORAKA
Article Published on 20 July 2024 by Gloria Poletti | www.vorakamag.com Anne Carly Abad founded ArtinJewels in 2017, the same year she received the accolade “Poet of the Year” at the 2017 Nick Joaquin Literary Awards. Before becoming a jeweler, Anne spent most of her earlier years as a painter specializing in watercolor, oil paint, and colored pencils. As a teen, her art often centered around the fanciful and the fantastic, frequently incorporating elements of bird or insect wings and transparent petals and textiles.
Her exploration of the fantastic eventually led her to pursue the written arts of science fiction and poetry while studying business management in college. Her literary work has been published worldwide, spanning poetry (haiku and senryu), free-form poetry, short stories, novellas, and a novel. In 2022, Anne debuted her first poetry collection, "We've Been Here Before," with Seattle-based Aqueduct Press. The poems are speculative in nature, with a science fiction bent. In 2023, her book was also nominated for the 2023 Elgin Awards.
Having been an artist and collector of gemstones over the years, jewelry design was a natural progression of Anne’s journey. Constantly exploring ways to distill memories, experiences, moments, and realizations, designing has served as both a way to express herself and to meditate. As Anne’s longtime clients might say, her jewelry has poetic restraint, where every stone and line serves to portray careful intent and meaning.
Moments of ineffable beauty strike in the unlikeliest times and places. Anne is enamored by these unexpected moments—the rare placement of a fallen flower, the distant chime of children's laughter, and even those seemingly mundane dapples of sunlight on a lazy afternoon. Instances like these come and go, ultimately irreplicable, yet they remain with us through memories and emotions of awe and delight. Anne selects the gems herself, from the main stones to the tiniest of diamonds, to craft the rare moment into the metals. Careful consideration imbues each of her pieces with poetry and depth of meaning. Beyond adornment, Anne intends for ArtinJewels to create masterpieces that stand for more.
Anne has released 14 jewelry collections in AIJ’s seven years of operations. Before the pandemic hit in 2019, she had the opportunity to exhibit her work with Metal & Smith in New York City. In 2024, her one-of-a-kind designs were displayed for a limited time in Flying Solo Paris, at 43 Rue Étienne Marcel. Anne produces two to four collections each year, with her most recent ones being “Virtues” and “Stills,” which feature rare gems like cornflower blue sapphire from Sri Lanka, tsavorite garnet from Africa, and glowing pinpricks of emerald, tanzanite, and blue zircon. Soon, she will be adding “Bubbles” to her colorful portfolio, an upcoming collection that will explore delicate movement. BUBBLES BY ART IN JEWELS: AN EXPLORATION OF EFFERVESCENT DELIGHT AND DREAM To rest in a safe space; in your own little bubble, where you can be happy, playful, and free. When one is amused or delighted, the bubbling of mirth becomes contagious. Soon, a smile tugs at the edges of one's lips. Before you know it, you are laughing. And in many ways, that's magic. The image of the bubble brings to mind both energy and optimism, and yet at the same time, it also calls upon the quiet moments when one dreams. On the delicate surface of soap bubbles, iridescent colors slip and slide like mischievous fae creatures. They glimmer in glorious beauty, and then they are gone as fast as they had come. As the moment passes, in the mind's eye remains an afterimage of what was. Cloud Formation Emerald & Tsavorite Garnet Earrings in 18K and 22K Gold
Over the grove the silver-lined wisps of rainclouds
Hummingbird Ruby & Diamond Earrings in 18K White and Rose Gold
Amid the spray of hibiscus a dance of wings.
Rustles Tanzanite & Sapphire Ring in 18K White and Rose Gold
In the silence the full moon flickers behind tree branches.
Mist over a Meadow Paraiba & Diamond Necklace in 18K and 22K Gold
In the heat of summer a gentle kiss of rain
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DESIGNER ANNE CARLY ABAD
What inspired you to transition from painting to jewelry design in 2017? I had extensively explored landscapes, human figures, and still life for years before designing jewelry. A serendipitous client who bought one of my bracelets expressed interest in having a pair of mother-daughter rings custom-designed by me. Back then, I’d already started applying the curves of the female figure in my initial designs. How do the fantastical elements in your early paintings influence your jewelry designs today? To continue reading the full interview, click here and download the July 2024 issue
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