The Bruce Museum presents the new exhibition “Bijoux: The Origins and Impact of Jewelry” from July 16 through February 26, featuring a magnificent array of different types of jewelry, as well as samplings of minerals, precious stones and other materials from which artists have created an infinite variety of human adornment.
Jewelry is the universal means to transmit personal information †marital status, wealth, heritage and aesthetics. An artifact of world history, jewelry is evidence that the Earth, human culture and technology have evolved.
The known history of personal adornment extends thousands of years. Humans have adorned themselves with everything from shark’s teeth to diamonds to tattoos. Exotically rare or hard-to-get items are the most coveted.
In this “Age of Sustainability,” jewelry artists are experimenting with both new and long-forgotten materials and techniques. This trend is pushing the envelope in jewelry design and has set the stage for a renewed appreciation for the intimacy between art and science.
The exhibition investigates the wide range of materials used to make jewelry, from bones and fossils to diamonds and CZs. It explores the ingenuity of artists to create adornment from a host of materials, from the common to the sublime, and it delves into the genesis of these natural materials and explores the economic and environmental impact of our universal attraction to sparkle.
The Bruce Museum is at 1 Museum Drive. For information, www.brucemuseum.org or 203-869-0376.
