SECRETS OF JEWELLERY by Benjamin Turgel & Ellis Thynne

•

SECRETS OF JEWELLERY
A collaboration by Benjamin Turgel & Ellis Thynne

An Aura describes an object, which in some sense has a life of its own. It signifies history and the history of the family, for example, a ring that has been passed down generations of a family, holds history. On the surface, the work looks like a commercial campaign that would be found in a ‘high-end’ fashion magazine, such as Vogue. Therefore, in relation to Aura, the point of using these items is in the context chosen and their precious value to people. Hiding poignant pieces, could be described as advertising. Therefore, the documentary photographer Martin Parr’s quote is extremely relevant to this project.

‘You have to disguise things as entertainment but still leave a message and some poignancy.’ Parr, M. 2011.

Designed by Benjamin Turgel and Ellis Thynne as an interdisciplinery collaboration showcasing a hybrid of photography and photoshop creating a high end, luxury jewellery lookbook.

“This watch belonged to my father. My mum bought it for him for his 50th birthday. He wore it a lot, however he passed away when he was 59, I was only 9 at the time. We have kept it ever since he died and my mum wants me to keep it to pass onto my son”.
Yafit, London

“I went to visit some friends in Kuwait in 2008, I had met them on a cruise in 2005, but I didn’t know how wealthy they were. They were so rich, they were millionaires, billionaires etc. I stayed there for a week, I had maids looking after me, they also hired out a theme park as a goodbye present for me. I went to see the radio station out there and they thought it was cool that I was British so I got put on the radio. They some how were also connected to the royal family. After living the highlife with luxury cars I was given this enormous suitcase of presents. I was told I couldn’t open it until I got home to London. Eager to open when I arrived home I straight away opened the case. Along with other amazing items inside was a gold pendent with a gold chain.
It’s an Arabic coffee pot which is a well-known symbol. It came along with a note “Hi Tash! This is a gift from me and my mum. I hope you enjoyed your stay in Kuwait. Manar.”
Natasha, Essex

“My grandpa made this ring for me for my batmitzvah, it was the first item of jewellery he had made me personally. He has been a jeweller for the past 40 or so years and he had a jeweller shop in Glasgow called Smullens for about 20ish years. My dad worked there when he was a teenager to help my grandpa and it inspired him to study jewellery. My Dad opened his own shop in Jerusalem in the 80's.

The ring is real gold, I think 9 carats but I can’t remember, it’s good quality though. It is encrusted with small rubies and diamonds in a minimalist art deco style.”
Orly, Manchester

This piece of jewellery is extremely special to Aimee. The charm bracelet had been given to her at her Bat-Mitzvah. Her Grandma collected a charm each birthday, before she gave it to Aimee at age 12. The front silver charm shows Moses holding the Ten Commandments, this comes from the Jewish story of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God at Mount Sinai. It was found on the floor in Germany, pre holocaust, by Aimee’s Grandpa. She managed to hide it through the whole war and keep it all this time.

The gold charm to the right of the Ten Commandments originally contained a mirror, but the glass sadly went missing. Aimees Grandma found the mirror in the Holocaust whilst she was imprisoned in Theresienstadt concentration camp (often referred to as Terezin). She found the charm and she managed to sneak it with her through her whole journey.
Aimee, London

“The following items were part of a brooch given to my great grandmother in 1920. It was a present from a man who had proposed to her. My family was very religious, we think this proposal had been planned after their third date as part of a Jewish arranged marriage. However, I know she didn't marry him, but he let her keep the present. He was extremely well off and the brooch has around 50 diamonds.

My great grandmothers daughter (my grandmother) broke it up into pendants, earrings, bracelets and rings in 1973. My great grandmother was 76 when she gave these items to her two grandchildren. I inherited these items in 1987 when my grandmother passed away. I also received loose stones and using these I made white gold earrings and a pendant.”
Jill, Surrey

“My nana gave me this ring before she died in 1999. I wear it everyday. It was passed down to me and she has asked me to continue to pass it down eventually to my children”. Janina, Leeds

The owner of this item has requested to remain anonymous. Her father made the item of jewellery for her mother in the 1940’s. He was a jeweller. Inside the locket he inserted a photograph of her parents at their wedding in 1911. Her mother had died at 37, however, from the day her mother was given the necklace she wore it the rest of her life. This was one of the things that her mother had left for her.
Anonymous

“This bracelet was from the 60’s and came from Italy, my parents bought one each for all the daughters and the daughter in laws of my family. We each have the exact same one and these are the only ones around. They have a slight snake imprint on them”.
Anonymous, London.

“My parents originally were from the Czech Republic and were shipped to England post holocaust. They were liberated from concentration camp Auschwitz. My grandparents were from a very wealthy family, they had hundreds of servants and lived a very comfortable life until the holocaust. They think that the ring survived by having it plaited in my grandmother’s hair throughout Auschwitz,

somehow the Nazi’s never noticed. The ring was originally my great grandmother’s and was passed down to my parents and then left for me”.
Anonymous, London

This owner of this item has requested to remain anonymous. This piece of jewellery was one of her grandma’s favourite items of jewellery. Many terrible things happened to the family that split them up and also caused them to run away from family traditions, such as their Judaism. I have been asked not to disclose the full story, it is very traumatic and difficult for the family.
“In the locket is a picture of the ‘happy family’ my grandpa, uncle and grandma. I’m still fond of my uncle and I loved my grandma, she would be proud now.”
Although this item and the photographs inside hold both good and bad memories, she chooses to wear it very often. Annonymous, Leeds.

“My grandmother was called Millie Jackson, she was one of five children and she was the only girl. They were a very intelligent bunch, she was a dentist and her other siblings became doctors and lawyers. Her older brother Jack Lawson would enjoy spoiling her with very expensive gifts and this brooch was one of those gifts. We are not sure if the stone in the middle is the original because it has a slight imperfection, which you wouldn't normally have in a piece of that quality. The person who valued it told me that the central stone looks like it might not be the original and might of been replaced with a lesser quality stone.

When my grandmother passed away, I asked if I could have something that belonged to her and that was very personal. I asked for a ring or something that was very precious to her or that she wore daily. My uncle gave me her brooch, this was her most personal brooch and item of jewellery. There were two earrings that matched the brooch and each one was converted into a pendant and given to my sister in laws.”
Aviva, London.

“This necklace was my sister’s who was very ill and sadly passed away 15 years ago, at the age of 9. It was a present from my nana, who gave it to her because it has the word ‘luck’ on it in Hebrew. My sister was very lucky as she lived much longer than expected and this necklace has since been a family air loom. As I am now the oldest child and my mum thought it would be nice to pass it down to me because it is very sentimental”.
Gemma, Leeds

“My Rotary watch belonged to my father, it was given to him by my mother on their silver wedding. It is something I treasure very much. I was given it after he died, he left it for me”.
Harris, London

“This necklace was given to me when I was born by my great grandma and is the only object I have that I was given directly by her. It symbolises the things I hold most important, my religion and my family. Since my batmitzvah I have worn it all the time and very rarely take it off”.
Alix, London.

“This watch was given to me when I got engaged to my wife, 33 years ago today. My wife’s father gave it to me. It represents his freedom from when he was liberated from the camp where he was during the Second World War. He was told he could take three watches from the jewellery the Nazis had stacked up. This was one of the watches. I choose to wear this watch on special occasions only, such as my sons weddings, bar mitzvahs and family celebrations”.
Harris, London