Tactile Jewellery or Please Touch This

Twisted Ring collection by Michele Wyckoff Smith

In June, I participated in Hallmark Salon at Somerset House in London. This was the first time I exhibited in such a prestigious show, complete with glass cases and catalogue. I am more used to spreading my work out on a table top or shelf display. It made my jewellery a bit more "precious" than I am used to. I really enjoyed the event, but my work didn't get touched the way it usual does. You see, I always ask people to touch my work, because I think it adds another dimension to how people "see" it. 

Anticlastic cuff bracelet with texture

And then something amazing happened: after purchasing a group of my bangles, a new client asked if I would be willing to have her bring a friend back to feel my work. She explained that her friend had lost almost all of her sight and she brings her to the event to encounter the work through her finger tips. It was an extremely special experience for me. People have always said my work is very tactile, but now I was getting to show my work to someone who could only see it through their fingertips. She liked my work and has ordered one of my new twist rings, which thrills me to no end!

18 kt yellow gold pendants made from recycled rings

This chance meeting has really had me thinking about how my jewellery is much more than simple body ornamentation. Not only is it a ring, it is a touchstone; a pendant can be a talisman or a bangle can be a link to a long lost grandmother who left a bit of money to "buy yourself something special". Others might look at a piece and think it is special, but if you touch it and fiddle with it, it creates a whole different connection with the wearer.