July 31, 2025 |
Glass-blown objects are one thing – delicate, ornamental and striking – but glass-blown jewellery? That’s an entirely different beast. Part sculpture and part sorcery, when given wearability, glass transforms into something akin to armour made out of pure light. This is the kind of stuff Keane makes. The genre-defying jewellery brand, based out of Brooklyn New York has been hand-making mind-bending glass-blown adornments since 2017.
To introduce us to the brand, founder Colin Keane Lynch notes that the Gilson Opal Rock Ring stands as a brilliant way into Keane. “It takes something familiar – an opal – and suspends it in a dome of glass, highlighting both the qualities of the stone and the glass itself,” he says. “I’d hope it evokes surprise and wonder.” Surprise and wonder are things that all of Keane’s pieces evoke. We’re talking space-age signet rings, gooey little orbs of iridescence (cuffs and bracelets) and pendants and earrings that look like solidified bubbles. Punchy colours and intriguing shapes make up the Keane opus, with every piece seeming to hum with its own quiet magic.
Each made-to-order piece, crafted in Keane’s Brooklyn studio, is made from borosilicate glass on a bench torch using a technique called lamp working. What this entails is solid rods or tubes of material that are then manipulated into spherical or twisted forms, resulting in the illusion of liquid frozen in time. Adding colour with what Keane Lynch calls a “flame-activated brush” – a method of fusing pigments directly into the molten glass – brings dimension and depth to every curve and contour. From idea to completed piece, the jeweller guides every step with near-meditative precision.
Boasting a rather extensive educational background, Keane Lynch first cut his teeth in Venice – the spiritual home of blown glass – where he honed his skills as a glass sculptor before continuing his studies at the Corning Museum of Glass, and finally at the Rhode Island School of Design. Building on this foundation, he describes his work as a “wearable art form” denoting its intention and its intimacy. “Art is meant to evoke feeling,” he says, “and jewellery, in how we wear and interact with it, plays that same role. It’s an intimate form of self-expression and emotion.”
As such, Keane is a brand that’s about more than pretty things; instead it builds emotional architecture out of heat and light. It gives glass a soul. And that, that’s wearable alchemy.
ON THE BIRTH OF KEANE
Keane is a jewellery and objects brand based in Brooklyn, NY. We work primarily in glass and precious metals. I started Keane while working in fashion, driven by a desire to reconnect with glass and bring together nearly a decade of industry experience. Around 2012, I began experimenting with glasswork inside the retail spaces of the company I worked for. By 2017, I left my job to fully commit to developing collections – and eight years later, here we are.
I’ve always loved jewellery, though I didn’t always see it as a career path. My mom and grandmothers were probably my earliest influences. My grandmother would take my brother and me to bead stores when we were young – I loved combining colour and form, and making gifts brought me so much joy. Now I’m wondering if anyone still has those early pieces!
Studying in Venice when I was 15 was my entry point into working with glass and gave me a classical foundation that still anchors me today. RISD helped me develop a deeper sensitivity to material and instilled in me a sculptural sensibility that’s not always present in contemporary design or products.
ON THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Lampworking is the process of shaping glass rods or tubes over a large torch, or bench burner. It allows for an incredible level of detail and nuance that’s hard to achieve with other glass-forming techniques.
The process varies, but it typically begins with a concept, interest or material curiosity. After a period of research, I start exploring the material – playing with form, texture and colour to see where it leads. I rarely end up where I expected, and letting go of the original idea is often key. This openness allows us to discover ideas we couldn’t have planned – and that’s part of the fun.
ON WHAT INSPIRES KEANE
Nature and personal experience are constant sources of inspiration. Lately, I’ve been interested in using glass to emulate other materials – like gold – and exploring what that contrast can communicate.
Colour has always been a part of my life. My mom, until earlier this year, manufactured lacquers and industrial coatings – so I grew up wandering around a paint factory. With artistic grandparents and parents, that early exposure shaped my sensitivity to both color and pigment. When working with colored glass, form has the power to shift how an object is perceived – whether it lives in the world of craft or something more sculptural. When developing a new collection, I always try to balance those elements and stay aware of the visual language people bring when looking at glass.
ON THE KEANE WORK ENVIRONMENT
We’re a very small team – just myself and my partner Aeree Jung. Our studio is typically tidy, with small glass surprises tucked away. Over time, our process has become deeply collaborative, spanning everything from design development to quality control. These days we often work with headphones, unless we’re in development mode – then anything goes, musically.
ON THE FUTURE OF KEANE
We’ll continue exploring new ways to push the medium and discover what’s possible with glass. Personally, I just want to stay curious and keep creating. That’s the goal – to maintain a sense of exploration, always.
Photography courtesy of Keane.
