Success in the art world is paved by those who offer a guiding hand along the road.
The New York Jewelry Design Institute is proud to have Barbara Raleigh share her expertise of enameling techniques that have been used throughout history such as Plique-à-jour, Cloisonné, Champlevé and Griselle. In this 2-day workshop Introduction to Jewelry Enameling will be offered on November 20 & 21, 2021, Barbara will teach the students how to apply Limoges enamels on cooper metal to create their own unique jewelry. Every student learning under Barbara will take away a lifelong worth of knowledge and skills to apply to enameling.
As said by Barbara in a recent interview, she’s been in the business since they used the Xerox machine. From her first jewelry class, Barbara fell in love with jewelry design, especially costume jewelry.
“I loved it. I found that I could combine three-dimensionality like with sculptures, color like with painting, and you could wear it. So, it was very nice – I liked that.”
It was during this time that Barbara became more involved with enamels and selling her own pieces. It was when Barbara was introduced to costume jewelry that she really settled into the niche she enjoyed most.
“Someone came up to me and said, ‘you know what? You should do costume jewelry. It pays better and you’re not so constrained by price points. So, I started my career in costume jewelry.”
How Has the World of Jewelry Design Changed?
During our interview with Barbara, we asked about her experience and observations of the jewelry design world. In a previous post, we talked about the lost art of gouache and the importance of knowing how to design jewelry before creating it. Barbara echoes these sentiments, expressing the importance of knowing how to draw and how to design:
“You really have to know design. You have to know how to draw. And you have to know how something’s manufactured.”
Barbara had some fantastic insight on the jewelry design world, but it’s her rise throughout the industry that is the most fascinating. You can see everything Barbara had to say about her extensive career in the video below; her passion for this art is palpable.
Barbara is the president of the JDPN – the Jewelry Design Professionals Network. The JDPN looks to help connect jewelry designers in America through communication, education, and information-sharing.
You can have Barbara as your enamel instructor when you sign up for classes happening this Fall. For someone truly passionate and informative and experienced in the industry, this is a class that you do not want to miss out on!
Make sure you check out our class schedule – classes fill up quickly! They will start September 7th, 2021. Snag your spot today!
