Jewelry has become one of the hottest collectibles on the gallery scene. Pieces such as Flora Book's constructions of multiple layers of looped silver wire that come alive with the movement of the wearer's body are nothing short of wearable sculpture. That's just one of the ways in which new works stretch the traditional understanding of jewelry. Artists' jewelry is as varied and unique as paintings. It can be outrageous, funky, funny, or sublime, depending on its creator's frame of mind.
Precious gems are the exception.
You're at least as likely to discover jewelry made of paper, bright colored Fimo clay, neoprene rubber, fragments of antique ethnic jewelry, and found objects as of gold or silver. The surface qualities, the workability, and the durability of new materials has expanded design possibilities, and the range of expressive shapes. Zack Peabody's stainless steel and niobium brooches and bracelets look like engineering constructions, secured by rivets. Wearing a Peabody brooch is a statement of finding beauty in industrial materials and methods. That's no small thing.