Contemporary Jewellery

There is a lot of discussion around the definition of contemporary jewellery. To help understand this concept, I will be looking at the definition of jewellery and contemporary jewellery as defined in papers written by Bruce Metcalf, Kenneth Quickenden and Roberta Bernabei, who talk about the functions of jewellery.

Bruce Metcalf wrote an essay titled "On the Nature of Jewellery" which defines the three major functions of jewellery: 

1. Indication of social status.

2. Redeemable/portable wealth.

3. Spiritual mediation. 

I consider these three functions discussed by Metcalf to relate to traditional jewellery, although not exclusively. Contemporary jewellery goes beyond just these three functions mentioned by Metcalf (1989), and now involves itself in current societal and artistic trends, extending the creation of jewellery to be more of a statement of artistic expression, and less of a practical piece of art, as explained by Anne Douglas (Quickenden 2000).
 
Roberta Bernabei looks at jewellery for the purpose of social commentary, where the jewellery becomes a vehicle for the delivery of prevalent social conditions. Sensitized jewellery, is the other topic that Bernabei touched on, where she explains that this kind of jewellery primarily deals with the sensitizing of materials into poetic artefacts (Bernabei 2011:33,37).

Looking at the functions mentioned above, I feel like my jewellery falls under the category of spiritual mediation but from a religious perspective. I am using my jewellery as a means of connection with Allah (God) which I consider to be worship in the form of creating. I also relate to Bernabei's concept of sensitized jewellery, because I have been very conscious about the kind of materials and techniques that I use in my jewellery as I intend for them to contribute to specific aesthetic I am trying to achieve.