The dating of ancient jewellery is given by the archaeological context. Technology applied by the ancient goldsmith is traceable through archaeometallurgy. The aim of this research is to analyse historical jewellery and to construct copies based on the known technology of the era. Resultant laboratory constructions with their historical correctness and the new knowledge of jewellery structures will then be available for reworking to convey a contemporary visual relevance and a statement of history. The results of these analyses and reconstructions will form the basis of metalwork objects in which contemporary aesthetics are informed by historical practice. Jewellery offers a view into history, of cultural descriptions of stylistic, chemical and methodological correctness. For diagnostic purposes there is the expectation of an archaeological correctness within the fabric and manufacture of the jewellery object. From the vantage point of a contemporary goldsmith, t his has provided me with an arena for artistic interpretation-for 'play'. Historical jewellery becomes contemporary jewellery forms and the 'play' functions as a stumbling block and an upheaval within orthodox classification of authenticity. There is in this disturbance an intervention with coontemporary ephemeral materials into the jewellery artefact in which I manufacture a semblance of an identified 'correctness'. Jewellery remains in a better state of preservation when hidden or concealed-not exposed. The jewellery object once surfaced, discovered, excavated or plundered or even worn becomes part of our time for reworking. Knowledge and applications of technology become the vehicle for scrutinizing these objects. We live in an era where the ancient and the recent, the authentic and the bogus, have begun to mingle and interbreed in the corridors of hyperspace. Television stages Xena the Warrior Princess encountering the young Buddha in the entourage of King Arthur. Fakes with historical associations can s ometimes be considered authentic as a shroud of 'history' can encompass the object to the satisfaction of the naive connoisseur who wants to believe, wants to believe, wants to believe, wants to believe ... . Jewellery as document is available for interpretation-for'play'. There is potential to return to an imaginary history where ffictional detail has been confused with historic fact and this can be both intentional and unintentional. Jewellery of the past therefore exists in the present and the jewellery artefact becomes available for evaluation and for 'play'. In the analysing and categorizing of type, jewellery as vehicle conveying the past can become a mixture of one's own inventions and cultural inheritance. From the vantage point of a goldsmith, I am considering how formulated heritage is available for reference, questioning and modification. The option to copy, to replicate, or to modify the historic document jewellery is a possibility and new input can verify authenticity or engender falsehood throu gh the artistic reinterpretation.

The following dissertation is presented in two parts. The main part is focused on the collection of twelve jewellery pieces, which I designed and produced myself. In case of decorative objects I tried to find a balance of shapes, structures and materials. The jewellery is made from organic and natural resources which I often find charming and fascinating. The greatest inspiration for me had to be the world`s natural civilisations, which don{\crq}t regard the jewellery pieces just as decoration but for them represent also magical and spiritual meaning. In the theoretic part of my dissertation I focused on the comparison of jewellery in natural civilisations with the primate jewellery of mankind. In this part of my work I searched for the roots of magic and art in general and I discovered the connections with todays remaining natural civilisations {--} magical meaning of jewellery, use of material and meaningful ornaments. Here I also mentioned the use and representation of jewellery. Attempting to clarify the concept of amullet, talisman and fetish. All written text is supported by picture documentation. In the last chapter I summarised the main focus of my dissertation and reflected on the creative process of my work. The last part of my dissertation contains all photo documentation of the creative process.

I feel something on the INSIDE of my body, a feeling of nagging worry. It is an emotion equally important as every other emotions we humans have. But the feeling of worry is very complex as it may come in different shapes and sizes, and how much it affects us differs from person to person. For some people thoughts of worry escalates and becomes overwhelming which causes an emotion of anxiety which in turn could lead to a panik attack. In my exam project and my artistic presentation I focus on that emotion of anxiety when you panic and you loose control. The reason for this emotion could be many but I am interested in how expectations and demands both from ourselves, others and society leads to us trying to keep it all together, stay in control and/or wanting to show an OUTSIDE that everything is fine.  Through social media, internet and commercials we are all exposed to information which tells us how to achieve ”the perfect life” and images of people having an eventful life. All of this creates expectations. In society today worry and anxiety are emotions that are connected to something negative and is often seen as a weakness. In our attempt to hide the emotion of worry and anxiety we communicate to the people on the outside that everything is fine, by for example using jewelry, make-up and clothes to show a beautiful facade almost like putting on a shield before we go outside to meet the world. Why do we do that? And for whom? I chose the necklace as the traditional piece of jewelry to symbolize beauty, stability and to communicate to people that you have everything under control and that everything is fine. The necklace  becomes part of the facade that will stand for beauty, tradition and a measure of prosperity. This is what you show on the outside of the body but on the inside that is where you hide away your worries and anxiety which is built up due to expectations. Expectations which in time will be too many and too much for you to handle, the same as with anxiety. One part of my artistic presentation is to try and visualise how these expectations are put upon you while you are trying to control them and at the same time show off a stable and beautiful outside. But no matter how hard you try to communicate that everything is fine and trying to keep everything together, in the end, what you feel on the inside of the body will seep out to the outside. I am making a attempt to show how this eventually makes you loose control. The beautiful necklace is impossible to sustain which also makes me question my own traditional view of what a necklace is. Another part of my artistic presentation is about value and to make objects that could be used as conversation pieces to start a dialog about worry and anxiety. The materials I am using symbolises the feeling when anxiety takes control of your body and staines the individual. The aim of this exam project is to raise thoughts about a complex emotion, norms in society, and to investigate what a necklace is or could be. Jewelry is a way of communicating with other people and one way to show who you are or whom you want to be. As a contemporary art jeweller I am exploring my topic in a conceptual way.

This practice-led research project explores English and French sentimental jewellery of the Victorian period. ‘Sentimental jewellery’ or ‘message jewellery’ denotes jewellery created to function as a tangible expression of feeling between donor and recipient, mediated through complex narratives relating to its exchange. These artefacts codify emotion through use of complex visual languages, employing the symbolic and coded use of gems, human hair, emblems, words and wordplay. The research has expanded to encompass memorial garments known as ‘widows weeds’. The aims of the research have been threefold: firstly, to add to understanding and interpretation of aspects of Victorian sentimental jewellery and associated craft practices; secondly, to explore the metaphors and narratives inherent within them; thirdly, to test the visual and technical possibilities of knowledge thus gained to address human feeling through art. Outcomes take the form of a body of new artwork and a written thesis, which are designed to be mutually informing. Together, they articulate my response to the project’s central question: can consideration of the ‘grammar of sentiment’ at work in Victorian sentimental jewellery yield new possibilities, through fine art practice, for communicating love and loss in the 21st century? The four artworks that are a main output of the research take the forms of: REGARD:LOVEME, an artist’s book exploring gem codes and wordplay; Plocacosmos, a set of hairworking trials; The Cyanotypes, which reflect upon the materiality and aesthetic of the amatory locket; and Widows Weeds, a large format photographic installation, which considers the materiality and lineage of mourning cloth. Collectively, they explore the typology of the sentimental artefact through development of text/image vocabularies that are conceived as providing a ‘grammar of sentiment’ through which to articulate aspects of human feeling. It is this exploration that constitutes my main contribution to knowledge.

Using dirt and cleaning as a point of departure, I have examined how categorization and intentionality affects our perception of value. The work is partly performative in its nature where this performativity sets the limelight on the transition between categories: From dirt to craft, from irrational behaviour to art. In the artistic process, I have used coffee rings on table cloths, shoeprints on wallpapers and  the act of mopping as a means of questioning. Through this, I also reveal and question hierarchies in society. The essay discusses and theoretically relates to the artistic work. / Med utgångspunkt i smuts har jag underökt hur kategorisering och intentionalitet påverkar vår uppfattning av värde. Arbetet är delvis performativt till sin natur, där denna performativitet sätter fokus på övergången från en kategori till en annan: Från smuts till konsthantverk, från irrationellt beteende till konst. I den konstnärliga processen har jag använt mig av kafferingar på dukar, skoavtryck på tapeter och moppande av golv som medel för ifrågasättande. PÅ detta vis blottlägger och ifrågasätter jag hierarkier i samhället. I uppsatsen diskuterar jag och relaterar teoretiskt till det konstnärliga arbetet.