Xuan Ring II

KEVIN THORNE

Inspired and crafted by memories of Kevin's childhood Chinese calligraphy art form.

Linear and strong. Panels are joined together to make shapes, and shapes create volume. Kevin took inspiration from that and simplified it to a pure binary relationship between two planes. Overlapping two planes and peal open one corner, the front of the ring is pure, elegant, and sophisticated with a hint of mystery. It has a strong oriental aesthetic.

Kevin wanted a matte finish to the silver, so the planes complement the light and shadow, emphasising the geometry's purity. He wrapped the silver sheets in paper and transferred the paper texture to the silver.

The texture reminded Kevin of the feeling of running his fingers through a stack of Xuan paper (宣纸) - one of his favourite things to do as a child.

One of this ring's main features is the hand making process's expression. Because the paper texture is in-printed to the silver first, it doesn't allow any polishing or sanding afterwards. Therefore all the marks from the making process are carried to the final product with pride. This ring also has an 18k gold soldering where the ring band meets the planes, highlighting the trace of making. 

The silver material is supplied locally in Aotearoa, New Zealand. It is produced by recycled waste from the Jewellery Industry within Australasia. All silver elements in this collection are made with Nickel free sterling silver (925 silver).

Size: M

Made in New Zealand / Aotearoa