November 28, 2024 |
BLINGIN’ IT IS TEN’S ONLINE SERIES WHERE WE SPOTLIGHT THE INNOVATORS AND CHANGE-MAKERS OF THE JEWELLERY WORLD.
Shana Cave is all about imperfections. Rooting her eponymous jewellery brand in exploring both her experience with femininity and the beauty of nature, Cave creates simple yet effective pieces that have been lapped up by the likes of Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa. Inspired by early fantasies of childhood fantasies of how glamour manifests, Cave has spent the best part of a decade creating recognisable motifs to honour this. Uncomplicated yet immaculately crafted floral silhouettes and clusters of multicoloured gemstones pepper her work; Cave’s work is for the magpies who don’t take their gems too seriously.
This doesn’t mean Cave doesn’t take her craft seriously though – quite the opposite. A dedication to refined work is as much at the heart of her brand as childlike whimsy. Cave started designing and making jewellery in 2017 after studying at Virginia Commonwealth University as well as doing a semester at Central Saint Martins before moving to New York where she now runs her brand. Becoming adept at metalsmithing, she also learnt about its legacy and, in turn, honours this by opting for a slow, careful production process. The gemstones she uses are top quality, with Cave choosing vibrant stones like the yellowy-green peridot or the light and golden citrine. She also uses sterling silver, which means that the pieces have a good life on them – it’s not going to be a one-wear-and-tarnish situation with a Shana Cave piece.
Every corner of Cave’s business is coded by her experience. From her inspirations to how she develops a piece, Cave is writing a love letter to personal expression and posting it out to girls just like her – lovers of playful yet elevated jewels that are crafted with care. Here, we sat down with Cave to hear more about her brand, her favourite pieces and her creative process.
On the birth of Shana Cave
I’ve always loved making things and fashion, I went to an art school and learned the craft of metalsmithing. In 2020 I moved back home to Virginia during the pandemic, I was surrounded by the forest and watched it bloom with spring, something I hadn’t witnessed without distraction since I was a child. I was inspired by the beauty of the natural world, and created my first pieces to capture and recreate that awe I felt. I posted photos online of my process and jewellery, I feel very grateful for everyone that shared those photos and became interested in my work, I would not be here without them.
On metalsmithing
I learnt metalsmithing at the Craft and Materials department at Virginia Commonwealth University. I originally wanted to do textiles and had to take metalsmithing and glassblowing as a supplement. I fell in love with metalsmithing instantly, it was my first time working with hard materials and it made me feel powerful. Humans have made and worn jewellery for thousands of years, and metalsmithing has not changed much in that time. I felt connected to history and humanity.
On her floral designs
I admire flowers and have always been inspired by them, they are a gift to behold. I was drawn to the five point flower because of its ubiquity and symbolism. It represents girlishness, femininity, beauty, childhood, nature and looks anthropomorphic, like a person with their arms and legs stretched out. When I started designing I would “draw” with my gemstones, laying them out and combining them. I could not help but see the green gems as leaves and the round gems as centres of flowers. It was almost thoughtless. The flower is actually just the vehicle for the leaf, without it, the leaf would simply be an oval. I started building my collection wearing multiple flowers at once and became seduced by the image of a festering colony of metal flowers growing out of my body. The glamour and excess contrasted my mundane reality and wearing the flowers became a metaphor for having hope.
On the Shana Cave client
The Shana Cave client is someone who enjoys beauty. They admire the precious and see preciousness in many forms. They are likely to stop to watch a sunset, or pocket a rock they find on the street, they smile at babies and miss their Grandma. They appreciate cuteness, it comforts them. I have met many of my clients in person and they are of all ages and backgrounds. They are minimalist and maximalist. There’s something in this jewellery that taps into a universal experience. I heard someone say at one of my pop ups that looking through my jewellery was “like going through your Grandma’s jewels”. I like this connection to the feeling of being young and beholding something precious, sentimental and connected to someone you love. I love moments of marvel, awe and wonder, and I think that Shana Cave client does as well. I’m very grateful that so many people connect to this work.
On her favourite pieces
It’s hard because my favourite is always my next piece, so it’s always changing. I’m excited about experimenting with pierced cut outs and mixed metals. I think I’m becoming less sculptural and more interested in surface design. Of my previous work, I love the giant heart necklace I made called Lovebomb. It’s not very wearable because it’s so big and heavy, but it feels like an object from a Barbie Princess movie and I love its absurdity.
On femininity and her slogan, ‘delicately crude rudimentary femininity. This is my relic of being a girl’
Femininity is a huge part of my work and a lot of what I think about. My designs play off of very stereotypical feminine imagery, such as flowers and hearts and ribbons. I’ve always been attracted to the feminine and the realms relegated to women and girls. I remember feeling very lucky as a girl, having awareness that I was allowed to engage and indulge in things my brothers weren’t, such as art, fashion, beauty, and cuteness. As I matured into my womanhood, my perspectives changed, and I grieved my childish naïvety to femininity and its role in this world. I realised my body is not entirely in my control and the ways that I express myself are not simply for myself. When I started designing jewellery, I aimed to recreate that sense of play in dressing that was similar to what I felt when I was a girl. I use the words crude and rudimentary in my slogan, because my metalsmithing style is in some ways elementary. My style combines sheet and tube and features flat surfaces and right angles. To me, it is very simple and almost toy-like, like something that could have been made in the bronze age. This “primitive” style combined with the girly imagery and vibrant gemstones creates an interesting language of brute glamour.
On her creative process
I usually start with a desire to see something, a fantasy, like being blanketed by jewels or wearing a vine. I sketch but it’s not always necessary. I do a lot of designing during the process of making, holding things up to my body and making compositions in materials and taking a photo. I like immediacy and quickly actualising, so I usually work with what I have at the moment so I’m not waiting to finish. I’ve been challenging myself to design simpler things, conform to classic shapes like the signet. experiment with surface, instead of shape. The product is usually easy to “finish”, but the idea behind the product is always ongoing and evolving.
On the future of Shana Cave
I am going to continue selling what the people want, taking photos, posting online, everything I’m doing now. I love branding and want to create more elaborate displays for this world I’m building, hosting more retail events and connecting to my audience. I’m getting interested in bridal jewellery, so that’s on the way. I also love light and lamps and have some ideas for some lighting, I’m excited for that. I’m having a pop up Dec 6-8 in the East Village with my good friend Brenda who runs Siren Basics, a beautiful intimates brand. That’s going to be really fun and I’m making a lot of one-of-a-kind items for it. I will list everything online as well, but if you’re interested in this jewellery I highly recommend coming to an event in person if you can. I always say “anything good is better in person”.
Photography courtesy of Shana Cave
