Case Study 20th June 2011

Firepetals was created by two jewellers named Adeline Joubert and Adi Cloete. (firepetals 2011)

Adeline studied Fine Art and finished her BA degree in History of Art and Archaeology at the University of Pretoria in 1994. She first gained some work experience overseas and then she completed her National Diploma in Jewellery Design and Manufacture at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 1999. (firepetals 2011)

After Adi had studied Jewellery for 2 years, at the University of Stellenbosh, she went on to do an apprenticeship as a model maker. In 1997 she became her own boss. 3 years later she met Adeline and they started working together. Firepetals was then created in 2005. Adi received a Commonwealth Arts & Crafts Award in 2003/04. She was then given the chance to work for 6 months in India at the Jewellery Design & Technology Institute. (firepetals 2011)

Firepetals pieces reflect a variation of things and they use a number of different materials. They like to create an original piece by giving conventional things, such as a wedding band, a personal twist. This makes people see the beauty behind hand made jewellery. They have a shop on 59 Roodebloem Road , Woodstock , Cape Town 7925. (firepetals 2011)

Adi says : "Jewellery making combines creative expression, technical skill, three dimensional insights & knowledge of the materials you work with. I enjoy spending time behind my bench creating pieces that evoke a sense of beauty and celebration to the wearer. Jewellery lends itself to detail, which I love! Detail creates layers of mystery and surprise. I am inspired by patterns, but draw inspiration from many levels. Jewellery is not just about adornment, but also about creating personal objects used to adorn. My journey with jewellery making has taught me patience & perseverance! " (firepetals 2011)

Adeline says : " I love creating jewellery pieces with a humorous twist or a visual pun in metal. Jewellery should be wearable works of art with a special significance to the wearer. I love mixing contemporary with historical styles and always add a dash of Africa. " (firepetals 2011)

Adi and Adeline have also been a part of a variety of local and international exhibitions. Some recent ones include the Design Indaba 2010 and exhibitions in various cities such as Munich, Berlin and Turnov in the Czech Republic. They also give jewellery classes for those individuals who would like to awaken their inner child. (firepetals 2011)

They use a variety of materials such as bronze, silver, glass beads, garnets, ebony, iolites, resin, perspex, pearls, coral, gold ( 18ct yellow,red and 9ct white), moonstones, tanzanite, diamonds( black and white), platinum, rose quartz, tourmaline, aquamarine, agate, smokey quartz, amazonite, sapphire, rutilated quartz, prasiolite and citrine. (firepetals 2011)

Their techniques include engraving, blackening, mokume, various settings, swivel rings, inlaying of ebony and perspex, beading and enameling.



Green peas neckpiece (firepetals 2011)

This is quite a funny piece. It is a silver frame with a wooden background and a dinosaur walking towards a sign saying : "Hamburg and Vienna". Which has a hidden pun. The dinosaur is saying that he is a vegetarian so he does not eat hamburgers or viennas. He even has a little speech bubble. The green pearls represent green peas, which is what he would rather be eating. So the dinosaur looks lost. It is very cute and shows a part of daily life.


Silver birds and coral earrings (firepetals 2011)

If you look closely you will notice that these earrings are not identical. Each bird has slightly different details that you hardly notice at first. The only common thing they have is the coral flower hanging at the bottom and the little star above their heads. The one has its beak open and the other has its closed. This creates the illusion that they are talking to each other. The detail is engraved and then blackened.


Sunflower cufflinks with silver and perspex (firepetals 2011)

These cufflinks have a very strong box like shape and yet the sunflowers are very organic and flowing. They look like they are moving in the wind. This gives them a more realistic feel. The same technique has been applied here with the engraving and then blackening. There is olive green perspex set in behind the sunflowers, giving them a of backdrop.


Garnet friendship necklace (firepetals 2011)

This necklace is made up of engraved and blackened silver plate which then has multiple strings of red beads hanging from it. You can see the engraved images of girls and boys holding hands which signifies friendship. At the bottom of the strings are little hearts that could represent the love that one has for a friend. This piece has a very ancient African feel.


Swivel silver ring with garnet heart and star view (firepetals 2011)

I have made one of these rings. Someone once told me that they were invented by the Ancient Egyptians. My ring is a two sided ring. So you have two in one. I am sure this one swivels around to reveal a different ring. Once again they have engraved and blackened. The lines radiate out from the heart, spreading the love. The stone in the center is a heart shaped faceted garnet, which has a warm red heart-like colour. The lines are not evenly spaced, but it gives it a more unique loving feeling.


TV brooch (firepetals 2011)

This brooch is really cute. It is a miniature version of a TV. I love how the lines are not quite straight and the buttons look worn. It's an old style TV with the antenner on top. They have created that worn look by blackening the piece and rubbing parts of it off. This makes the buttons and the line around the screen stand out. They have even added the detail of the screen when it would go all those vibrant colours when the screen would freeze or you wait for the tape to start showing.


Selection of gold wedding bands (firepetals 2011)

These are what Adi and Adeline were talking about. They like to take conventional things and give them a unique twist. Take these wedding bands for example. Normally you would have some shiny band with several diamonds set into it. They have left the metal in a matt finish, just sanded or sand blasted, and put a set of them together. So you could wear all of them or just 3 of them. That leaves you, the wearer, with the freedom of choice.

I first saw the Firepetals stand at the Design Indaba this year. Here they had a number of their pieces on display. As soon as I saw their jewellery I fell in love with it. I would like to buy one of their pieces. I like the way they have made the jewellery look kind of antique like and not have it in that familiar flashy and shiny way that you find in the shops in the Waterfront. I love jewellery that is a miniature representation of real-life objects. The piece that shows exactly this are these earrings :



These are a miniature version of all star sneakers. They do not look perfect which is what I love about them. They look like someone's favourite well worn pair of sneakers. They have threaded red string through the holes to make them look like real laces. This is a unique detail that makes the piece stand out. I would love to wear these, they suit my style perfectly. I have also made small guitars and little trees. Making jewellery like this gives it a whole personal meaning. You can wear something that represents something that you are interested in or that you love.

Like Adi said that jewellery has taught her patience and perseverance, I have finally found something I am really passionate about and I am a perfectionist. If it is not exactly the way that I want it to be then I will do it over and over again until I get it right. I love jewellery. I could not imagine myself doing anything else.

I would also like to have meaning behind the jewellery I make and sell one day. Firepetals has inspired me to make jewellery that shows people how creative and unique I am. I want to be different from the rest of those fancy jewellers at the waterfront. They are successful, but are they really happy? I would say that they make jewellery mainly for the money and not for the true feeling and meaning. The jewellery of today is taking a different turn. People are looking for more unique designs and new ideas. There is a market for this kind of jewellery and it is growing slowly but surely. I can't wait to be a part of this incredible journey.

Bibliography

Firepetals Creative Jewellery. http://www.firepetals.com/