Amanda J. Buss Jewellery – Having an eye for design is one thing, being able to put your idea into reality is another.
Women Talking reaches out to jewellery designer Amanda J. Buss who admits “Jewellery is my life, my love, and my passion. There is nothing more pleasing than sitting down at a bench every day creating precious objects for people to admire and enjoy”
“Believe it or not, I got into this field by accident. As a child, I bought a beading kit on a whim in 7th grade in the United States where I was born and raised. I had always enjoyed making, and I thought this would just be something else fun to fill an afternoon. Turns out, it took up just a bit more of an afternoon, as I quickly fell in love with beads and making beaded jewellery. This love only grew when I went to high school and had the chance to start taking metals courses. Ever since then I have been honing my skills to become the best jeweller I can be.”
“I continued my studies by getting my degree at Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I majored in Metals/Jewellery/CAD-CAM. Not only did I improve my bench skills there, but I learned the mechanics of CAD (computer-aided design), so I am able to model and print fine jewellery. During school, and after, I worked for several jewellers in the Philadelphia area, both in sales and in benchwork, only further growing my skills.”
For over a decade Amanda J has been making jewellery, now based near London she focuses on producing unique handmade pieces and bespoke wedding and engagement rings.
Where does your inspiration come from for your designs?
“I would say that I have two main ways in which I find inspiration for my pieces.”
“The first would be a shape or layout that catches my eye as I go about my day. An excellent example of this is my vertebrae earrings. I was visiting a nature centre in Philadelphia, PA that had various skeletons on display, and I found myself completely fascinated by the varying shapes not only amongst different animals but even as you move down the spinal column of the same animal. I found the shapes truly beautiful, and that lead to the vertebrae earrings I make today, which are based on human cervical (in your neck) vertebrae. “
“The second way I gain inspiration is from a certain mechanism or way of movement. When I find one, I want to use, I start playing with how I can elegantly display that feature. My Double Drop earrings are very centred around using tension from the stainless-steel wire that goes in your ear holding the sterling silver tube in place. This came from my attempts to use both sides of the ear, like an ear jacket, and wanting a more elegant way to put it all together.”
“The inspiration for my Onyx Pivot Earrings came from falling in love with the movement I saw another jeweller, Rebecca Burt uses in some of her earrings. She also used the multiple pieces of tubing to get a lovely swing every time the head moves, and I just couldn’t get enough of it!”
I notice you have recycled silver products, what does that mean? Where is the silver from?
“All of the recycled silver actually comes from my own studio. You always end up with countless pieces of spare metal when you’re done a project, be it, the sliver of a tube that is too short for anything else, or a bit of sheet metal after you’ve cut the shape you need. After a while, mine was really piling up, and I couldn’t let it go to waste. I usually make these earrings by melting down some scrap into pebbles which I then form into a functional piece of jewellery.”
How has technology changed your trade?
“Probably one of the biggest changes that have come to the jewellery industry is the introduction of 3D printing. I personally use it a lot for sharing designs with clients, printing prototypes, laying out designs to cut out of sheet metal. It allows jewellers to get extremely precise measurements to get exactly what they want to make. It is because of this that so many pieces coming from major jewellers start out in CAD and are 3D printed to then be cast. It’s a tool I love and certainly will keep using!”
Is there any particular metal you prefer to work with and why?
“Hands down platinum has to be my favourite to work with. Firstly, I love to colour, it’s got such a bright silvery shine to it. It’s then super durable, and it doesn’t tarnish the way silver does. It’s also a dream for jewellers to work with because of its durability, but it’s not nearly as difficult to manipulate as metals such as steel or titanium! Also, because of its price, it’s mostly used for wedding and engagement rings, or other precious pieces, and I truly enjoy getting to make something so special for someone.”
What items do people request for bespoke jewellery?
“Most of my bespoke work is wedding and engagement rings. Which is my favourite thing to get to do so I’m really happy whenever I get bespoke requests! I really love to get to hear why people want specific details in their designs and see that excitement as the piece starts to take form!”
For more information regarding this talented young jeweller visit Amanda J. Buss jewellery here
Poppy Watt