This first comprehensive history of contemporary jewellery in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand tells the remarkable story of how two countries, far from the jewellery centres of Europe and North America, have managed to contribute to an international art form, transforming jewellery from an imitation of European taste into an original expression of place. In this richly illustrated book, the authors bring together detailed analysis of objects and historical sources to show how contemporary jewellery offered a way to negotiate relationships between settler and indigenous cultures, to find beauty in humble materials, to appreciate the natural environment, and to test conventions of art, gender and identity.

Author Biography

Damian Skinner is an art historian and curator of Applied Art and Design at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira. He was editor of Art Jewelry Forum (2010-2012), and has published a number of books and articles on New Zealand and international contemporary jewellery. He recently edited Contemporary Jewelry in Perspective (Lark Books, 2013). Other recent publications include Cone Ten Down: Studio Pottery in New Zealand, 1945-1980 (Bateman, 2009), which was a finalist in the New Zealand Post Book Awards in 2010; Lalique Vases: The New Zealand Collection of Dr Jack C Richards (Bateman, 2011), The Passing World, The Passage of Life: John Hovell and the Art of Kowhaiwhai (Rim Books, 2010) and Kobi Bosshard: Goldsmith (Bateman 2012). Kevin Murray is Adjunct Professor, RMIT University School of Art. He was Director of Craft Victoria (2001-2007). The exhibitions of contemporary jewellery he curated include Signs of Change: Jewellery Designed for a Better World (Perth, 2010), Welcome Signs: Contemporary Interpretations of the Garland (Delhi, 2011), and Joyaviva: Live Jewellery across the Pacific (Australasia and Latin America, 2012-14).