Jewelry Inspirations

resources for sparking
your design creativity

© by Shelly Richardson; all rights reserved

I have always been a creative person, but even the most creative people can sometimes find themselves running out of ideas. Where can you get ideas these days? The answer is that inspiration is all around us. Sometimes you just have to try to think outside of the box and you will find inspiration in places that you never imagined.

Where do I find inspiration? Many places.

One of the best places to find inspiration is to through cultural influences. Every culture has their own aesthetic of beauty, many of which are vastly different from what you may just assume to be the norm of beauty. A trip to your local library, or even doing research on the internet, will unearth a multitude of ideas.

For example, I have always been inspired by the cultural aesthetic of East Indian clothing and accessories. I love the dominance of gold and silver tones and how they bring out any color that they are juxtaposed with. I sometimes use this idea to create pieces heavy in gold accents juxtaposed with stones of a strong color. The result is an eye-catching work of art. I also love their emphasis on detail and decadence and sometimes apply this principle to my work as well.

I have also been inspired by the geometric simplicity of Asian clothing as well as architecture. I once created a piece based on a grid design, which is a pattern used in many Zen style windows (you may notice this pattern in many Asian cuisine restaurants).

Believe it or not, another place I find inspiration for my designs are travel magazines. Many jewelry designers have been inspired by their travels to exotic locales. However, in a magazine you can find the same inspiration at a fraction of the cost.

I have created designs inspired by the island of Santorini, Greece, with its blue chalcedony waters contrasted against sparkling white architecture steeped on high cliffs.

The candy-colored palaces of St. Petersburg, Russia, can provide you with the most interesting color combinations.

The long, linear skyscrapers of New York City can inspire many linear designs, using grey labradorite stones to represent the concrete structures.

The exotic, organic leaf forms found in the Costa Rican rainforest can inspire many leaf-shaped wirework designs.

Another inspiration for designs is Nature. I love seashells, and many of my jewelry designs have been directly or indirectly inspired by these gorgeous creatures of nature. I also love butterflies and have incorporated them into my work.

Lastly, we can find inspiration from our fellow designers. I don't believe in plagiarizing someone else's work, especially for commercial gain. However, many artists - whether they realize it or not - have been directly and indirectly inspired by other artists. This is one of the key things that drives the creative process and inspires new trends and ways of putting things together. Sometimes looking at someone else's work can shed light on new ways of putting things together or using materials.

The most important thing is to stay true to your own unique artistic vision. After all, that's why your customers keep coming back for your designs.

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