"There is so much to learn and so many ideas to share, it can be overwhelming. By focusing it into wearable objects I find these mind blowing concepts more manageable." Jade Mellor
From the buried treasures of Pompeii to jewels found in meteorites and asteroids falling to earth over millennia; Jade Mellor wants to evoke the feeling of uncovering gems that have practically become part of the landscape through the wearing of time, but originate from another world or civilisation.
Growing up in a Victorian Chapel her father converted into the family home, these ethereal surroundings gave Jade Mellor a love of the historic and encouraged a vivid and creative imagination.
Filled with a collection of strange objects, antiques and old tools from a long line of craftspeople on both sides of the family, they sat amongst the domestic objects of a building transformed into a new home in the mid 80s.
A degree in 3D Design at Manchester School of Art let Jade combine her background in art and fashion with new experiments in resin, guided by her sisters, Roz Mellor & Julie Mellor and their passion for making and learning.
The techniques she continues to develop push this medium and her further research into natural history, ancient civilisation and passion for nature's jewels result in exciting colours and textures in processes inspired by fossilisation and mineral structures.
Each piece is uniquely sculpted
Jade's work is all about creativity and curiosity, constantly researching ideas and techniques. These include site visits, working with museum curators and learning via specialised courses in natural science and ancient history and periods of study.
Her work is continually evolving, and as she learns about the make-up of the universe she puts these findings into her work. Inspiration can be ignited by a painting she has seen in a gallery trip, a meteorite slice magnified under a microscope or the discoveries of a 19th Century scientist. The time she spends on her work is constant, all of the things she does in her quest to understand and appreciate the world around her as well as the physical making of her work. Her own hand shapes all of her pieces, with labour intensive techniques and material experiments allowing control of the processes from start to finish, pushing the material further all the time.
"There is so much to learn and so many ideas to share, it can be overwhelming. By focusing it into wearable objects I find these mind blowing concepts more manageable." Jade
A sculptor, not a manufacturer these pieces take many hours over many days, weeks or even months and years to produce. The finished objects are milestones of what she has discovered along her path. By choosing jewellery as a medium these ideas invite you to engage with them by being worn. This allows them to continue to communicate and share their inspiration by the wearer. The word jewel originates from the Latin jocale, which refers to a plaything or object for entertainment. Enjoy.