Kinetic Jewellery - The New Trend for 2015

Kinetic jewellery is something of a recent phenomenon. “Essentially it’s a word used to describe something that involves movement,” says jeweller Victoria Walker, a designer who is a rising talent in this field. Walking into her studio located in Princess House - a beautiful Georgian mansion in the heart of the small Cornish City of Truro - the walls are adorned with intricate drawings of flowers, and the work bench is decorated with glinting diamonds and precious metals. Her collections comprise delicate pieces inspired by natural forms whose beauty is further unveiled with the touch of a subtle mechanism.   

Victoria began studying Illustration at Falmouth College of Art before taking a leap of faith and switching to Silversmithing at Truro College in her final year. Her foundation in illustration facilitated her unique jewellery style. “In art I'm always fascinated by 'negative space' and 'unfinished' lines. I think it’s intriguing to not know everything about an image. For me, this translated into a desire to create jewellery where the most interesting element is the part that, initially, you can't even see. A traditional locket is made precious to the wearer by what hides inside it,” she explains.

The mechanisms in Victoria’s kinetic designs serve to bring natural forms to life, adding a fantastical dimension to her precious pieces. “To us, a plant or flower may look beautiful, but every element of it is 'designed' in a way that helps it 'function',” says Victoria in regard to her inspiration. “When I am designing a new kinetic piece my first concern is that it moves nicely, and then I focus on the aesthetic details”.

Victoria’s work is something that needs to be seen: “There’s no better way to explain the moving elements of my designs than to demonstrate them to the public and allow them to touch and experience them first hand.” Customers can either book an appointment to visit Victoria at her studios or attend one of the numerous design fairs she exhibits at throughout the year. MADE London (24th – 26th October) will be her last show in the run-up to Christmas. Mirroring the cycles of nature, Victoria releases new kinetic designs in spring, but as a pre-collection she has recently developed a selection of engagement rings in 18ct gold and diamonds, also inspired by flowers and seed pods.

Visit www.vwjewellery.co.uk to see Victoria's full collection.

Read more articles by Georgina Yates here