Conclusion

Having researched various types of Islamic art, looked at artists whose work shares similarities with my mine and creating a range of jewellery and supporting art pieces that refer to the above, I have come to a few major realisations:
1. The term "Islamic art" vaguely describes the true nature of the subject. Islamic art is considered as arts that were made in the lands where Islam was the dominant religion or the religion of the rulers. In my future studies, I would like to narrow down my subject to one type of Islamic art, which will probably be ceramics or Islamic tiles.
2. The aspects that I found common among the different types of Islamic art, namely arabesque, Arabic calligraphy and geometry, are more than just decorative elements. They are in fact abstract forms of art that serve as spiritual mediation for the artist/ craftsman as well as the viewer. 

3. I encountered a bit of difficulty when searching for artists and jewellers who were using the same references and techniques as I planned to use for this research. It seems like the combination of Islamic art and contemporary jewellery is not a very common field of research, at least in English. Also, most of the literature I came across on Islamic art is not written by Muslims authors. This is encouragement to contribute to this field of Islamic art and contemporary jewellery.
 
Creating jewellery and art as a means of spiritual mediation and as a form of worship is a fulfilling process. As I progressed in my research, I found myself becoming more and more conscious of the spiritual aspects of the subjects. Going forward, I would like to explore this notion further.

Conclusion to chapter three

The pieces produces through out this research have lead me to a few realizations:

1. Creating jewellery and art as a means of spiritual mediation is a fulfilling process.
2. Learning new techniques while trying to apply my own designs can be challenging but also rewarding. I struggle to step out of my comfort zone. 
3. I have focused on jewellery and supporting art pieces equally.
4. While focusing on conveying the concept and meaning of the piece to the viewer, I also like to have my pieces look beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. It is easy to get lost in the beautifying of a piece and forgetting about the concept.  

Introduction to chapter one

Adams, Z., (2019). Image showing the location of Islamic arts on the world map.

Chapter one deals with defining the terminology used in this research report. This includes:

• Contemporary jewellery - as explained by Bruce Metcalf and Roberta Bernabei. 
• The world of Islam - a brief insight into beliefs, history and location on the world map.
• Types of Islamic art include - Arabic calligraphy, architecture, Bedouin jewellery, embroidery, henna in Islam and "Zillij" (Moroccan tiles).