JUNE 2024
Carving an Art Jewel with Charlotte de Syllas
Hosted by artist Charlotte de Syllas, Clare Phillips, V&A Curator of the Department of Decorative Art and Sculpture and Core Member Yeena Yoon
Who doesn’t love a behind-the-scenes-access of a world class art museum? Gem X certainly does and members in London were treated to just that this week. Hosted at the Victorian and Albert Museum @vamuseum, members met with master gem carver Charlotte de Syllas and Clare Phillips, V&A Curator of the Department of Decorative Art and Sculpture, to see Charlotte’s masterpiece, the Magpie Necklace – now installed in pride of place at the V&A’s Jewellery Gallery.
Gathered around her jewel, Charlotte explained her meticulous process, her decision making in pairing fine gem materials together and her long-standing collaborations with craftsmen all over the world. Members were then treated to an afternoon backstage, for a hands-on presentation of her working models and materials, helping us understand her pursuit of extremes in creating shape and subtle articulation, alongside the chance to handle her curated archive of jewels. A superb, insightful afternoon at one of London’s most beloved intuitions. A huge thank to Charlotte and Claire for their generous hospitality!