New collections Brodgar Eye and Lunar are online!

Brodgar Eye Pendant Lunar Pendant

Created in sterling silver and enamel, Brodgar Eye and Lunar are Sheila’s latest collections.

Sheila began developing these collections at the beginning of this year but the idea is much older.  The story began in the summer of 2012 when Sheila and her late husband, Rick, visited an exhibition in the Orkney Museum.  Many beautifully carved stones from the Ness of Brodgar excavations were on display. Sheila was fascinated and took out her sketch pad…

At any given time Sheila has around six designs ready for potential development.  This January she chose the sketches from the Ness exhibition.  So began months of work on design drawings and new master pieces…

Lunar pendant in production

Both collections feature a technique known as reticulation.  Look closely and you’ll see the silver in these pieces is textured, not smooth.

“I wanted to capture the feeling and look of something ancient, something which had been around for thousands of years”, Sheila explains, “so we melted the surface of the metal. It was amazing to watch how the metal behaved, the larger pieces did some exciting things!  The smaller the piece, the more difficult it became.”

Sheila selected blue enamels to represent rainwater gathering in the stone carvings…

Enamelling the lunar and brodgar eye collection

Archaeologists uncovered a cup-and-ring stone at the Ness of Brodgar in 2009. Nicknamed “Brodgar Eye” they found the stone in the last building our ancestors built and used, near a large “dresser”. Perhaps it once gazed across the interior, a precious treasure of great meaning, or maybe it was placed inside when the building was sealed 5000 years ago.  This is the stone that inspired Sheila…

Brodgar eye

We thank Nick Card of UHI Archaeology Institute for the photo.  Nick is in charge of the spectacular excavations at the Ness of Brodgar, a site which has uncovered more decorated stones than any other.  Sheila is donating special first pieces from Brodgar Eye and Lunar to Nick to raise funds for the Ness dig and research. If you’d also like to help, visit www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk

Some of the finished Brodgar Eye and Lunar pieces…

Brodgar eye pendant Brodgar Eye Earrings

Lunar Ring Lunar Earrings Lunar Pendant

You can see these pieces on our Latest Collections webpage.  Keep looking… Sheila will be adding more brand new pieces over the coming weeks!

We photographed Brodgar Eye and Lunar at the end of April  – in one very busy weekend – with Jodie Mann from Edinburgh.

Thanks to Louise Barrington for modelling Lunar for us.  Sheila met Louise while admiring her work at an exhibition Sheila Fleet Jewellery sponsored for Orkney Art graduates last year.

 Triple Lunar Pendant Louise Barrington modelling the Lunar collection

Also thanks to Gina Ramsay, our own graphic artist, for modelling Brodgar Eye in the teeth of a gale and on the edge of a cliff at Yesnaby.  It was worth it!

Gina Ramsay modelling the Brodgar Eye collection Brodgar Eye Pendant

From ancient art to contemporary jewellery… enjoy Brodgar Eye and Lunar!