THE intricate beauty of WA’s coastline has been cast into gold and silver as part of a local Fremantle jeweller’s collection using ancient methods of jewellery casting.
Koro Brown, founder of Koro Island jewellery, uses the ancient Mesopotamian method of lost wax casting to imprint natural materials into metal form to create her designs.
Using the lost wax method, Ms Brown melds the wax into its desired form and casts it into a cylinder full of plaster, which is then placed into a kiln for eight hours.
• Jeweller Koro Brown finds inspiration on the little things that wash up on our beaches.
The wax is melted away in the kiln, and in its place, Ms Brown pours molten metal into the space which forms the jewellery.
The same can be done with natural materials, which can be placed into the plaster instead of wax and is burned away in the kiln, leaving an exact print of the object in the plaster to be filled by metal.
“Exactly what was made in the wax is made in the metal, and because of this, you can create some really organic shapes,” Ms Brown said.
“The lost wax casting method creates so much freedom, because you can cast organic materials, and also sculpt pieces with your hands, which I love.”
The latest Koro Island collection, which is currently on display at ARGH House at 35 High Street, was creatively inspired by tiny elements of the WA coast such as shells, crab claws, bark, and seaweed gathered by Ms Brown from beaches around Perth.
“I moved to Melbourne for a jewellery job, and so many people told me that I’d find so much inspiration over there,” Ms Brown said, “but I actually found so much inspiration from being nostalgic for home.
“When I came back, I wanted to celebrate these ephemeral things that you’d find on the beach in my jewellery.
“For example, you might not necessarily see seaweed and think that it’s beautiful, but when it’s cast in gold and silver you can really see it come to life.”
The Koro Island collection also features jewellery set with pearls, Australian opals, and gems hand-sourced from Thailand as well as the natural materials she’s gathered from the beach.
Beach
Ms Brown says it has been “challenging but rewarding” as so many potential customers struggle with increasingly unaffordable living, but social media platforms have allowed young female artists especially to showcase and market their work.
“Because cost-of-living in Australia is so high, so many younger people don’t have the money to buy from a local artist who has to pay for their own materials,” she said.
“But I also think that social media has created these platforms which show artists’ work, and I’ve seen a lot of young female jewellers do really well.
“That being said, [the pop-up] has been so nice, because I think a lot of people in Fremantle love to support local artisans, so it’s been such a nice welcome,” Ms Brown told the Herald.
The Koro Island jewellery pop-up will be in residence upstairs at 35 High Street until December 22.
by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER