Untitled Cuff - Changing Hues

Materials: anodized aluminum, sterling and fine silver
Dimensions: 2.75" x 2" x .5"

Aluminum anticolastic raised cuff, anodized and dyed with decorative rivets.

Photo credit: Daniel Van Rossen

Mandy Allen
Mandy Allen, Metal Arts
Portland, Oregon. USA

I have always loved working with metal, but as a young student I found my jewelry designs to be lacking something. Luckily, I was studying with David LaPlantz, who taught me how to anodizing aluminum and when I could play with color and metal at the same time, I was hooked for good.

Anodizing is a specialized, process that allows me to permanently dye the metal a wide range of luminous colors.


The exhibition explores metal works whose primary theme is color embraced as their primary visual focus, whether that be using colored materials, exploring creating colored surfaces, or encasing the object in color.

As the world's largest jewelry related internet site, Ganoksin strives to develop exhibitions showcasing work from around the world. This exhibition was open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner.

In total 303 artists contributed 814 show pieces for the permanent online exhibition.

The exhibition was curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths in the United States, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world's largest internet jewelry site.

Hue is one of the primary properties of color, it refers to the place the color occupies on the visual spectrum. Humans have used hues throughout time, to create cave paintings, to decorate themselves, their clothing and their housing.

Different hues have taken on different meanings throughout time. Gold traditionally has been a color of purity - the metal gold is relatively unchangeable, and the hue of gold has come to stand for gods and goddesses, for royalty, for durability and for purity. Red has often meant love, or passion. Hues often reflect the meaning of the seasons, with pastels referring to spring and the burst of new life after the pale hues of winter. Summer is reflected in vibrant, deep hues, followed by the browning of hues in the fall as plants go to seed and die, and the land turns fallow.

The worth of a hue has often been tied to what is necessary to make the pigment that creates the hue, and the expensive involved in the process. Often created from crushed stones that had to be mined and carried by caravan over thousands of miles, or from fermented roots of plants only grown in certain areas, or the carapaces of rare insects - the creation of hue in a way that could be used by man was an involved and generally expensive process.

In today's world metalsmiths have access to perhaps the widest range of materials and hues in the history of man - and in some of the most affordable ways ever.

This exhibition celebrates hue - color - as an integral, inherent element of the work. We talk of the "richness" of color, and examples of this abound here. One expects hues from the colors of gemstones used in metalsmithing, but we also have hues from some less expected places. Glass enamels are an ancient way of adding color, as are a variety of patinas. Today's artists also use synthetic man-made materials to add color in ways that didn't exist a century ago.

We invite you to enjoy this celebration of hue, and the ways hues and their use have changed over time.

Materials: 18k ping & yellow gold, sterling silver, phantom quartz, cognac diamonds
Dimensions: 3 x 3 x 2.5"

Photo credit: Liaung Chung Yen

Liaung Chung Yen
Liaung Chung Yen Designs
Henrietta, NY. USA

I am always interested in reading comic books and watching movies. The similarity of them is that they both consist of frames. Each frame can be seen as a fragment of the movie. By connecting all the fragments together, the story has unfolded. I always have a picture in my mind after seeing a movie. I remember the silhouettes of children riding bicycles across the sky with ET in the basket. I also remember "Don" Vito Corleone sitting in a chair with a cat in his hand and listening to people's requests in God Father. These pictures in my mind provide me memories of the stories and the movie going experiences.

I am also drawn to the daily objects that have been used by people. Usage presents the history of the object as well as the trademark of the people who used it. I have always liked a teapot that belongs to my father. It has a lotus root shape body with a vine like handle and pourer. There are a couple of lotus seeds on the lid that make jingling sounds while pouring the tea. Every time I see this teapot it reminds me of the life style and culture I am living in. With this teapot also come memories of teatime with my family. By connecting all the experiences, I have my own story with the teapot.

I think of my jewelry as fragments, carrying stories by using metaphor in my design, expressing the desire, wit or sensuality. I also see it as small sculptures, documenting the time and the emotion in which I live. It also presents the imagination of the mind as well as the story and history of the making process. The inspiration comes from the landscape, scenery and the life of the nature. Each piece, in a technical way, is an exploration of line and pattern; creating structure, form and motion. As the flourishing and Blossom series, which contain loosely attached elements such as pods and cone structures, creating sounds and movements when worn. The wire forms and structures require countless tiny solder points, creating strength and durability in what appears to be a fragile and delicate art jewelry piece. The work is not meant to isolate specific meanings, rather suggest a moment of thought where stillness, beauty and illumination can peacefully coexist. I believe that, while Art allows artists to understand themselves better, it also improves communication between human beings and can express a concern and love for society.


The exhibition explores metal works whose primary theme is color embraced as their primary visual focus, whether that be using colored materials, exploring creating colored surfaces, or encasing the object in color.

As the world's largest jewelry related internet site, Ganoksin strives to develop exhibitions showcasing work from around the world. This exhibition was open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner.

In total 303 artists contributed 814 show pieces for the permanent online exhibition.

The exhibition was curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths in the United States, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world's largest internet jewelry site.

Hue is one of the primary properties of color, it refers to the place the color occupies on the visual spectrum. Humans have used hues throughout time, to create cave paintings, to decorate themselves, their clothing and their housing.

Different hues have taken on different meanings throughout time. Gold traditionally has been a color of purity - the metal gold is relatively unchangeable, and the hue of gold has come to stand for gods and goddesses, for royalty, for durability and for purity. Red has often meant love, or passion. Hues often reflect the meaning of the seasons, with pastels referring to spring and the burst of new life after the pale hues of winter. Summer is reflected in vibrant, deep hues, followed by the browning of hues in the fall as plants go to seed and die, and the land turns fallow.

The worth of a hue has often been tied to what is necessary to make the pigment that creates the hue, and the expensive involved in the process. Often created from crushed stones that had to be mined and carried by caravan over thousands of miles, or from fermented roots of plants only grown in certain areas, or the carapaces of rare insects - the creation of hue in a way that could be used by man was an involved and generally expensive process.

In today's world metalsmiths have access to perhaps the widest range of materials and hues in the history of man - and in some of the most affordable ways ever.

This exhibition celebrates hue - color - as an integral, inherent element of the work. We talk of the "richness" of color, and examples of this abound here. One expects hues from the colors of gemstones used in metalsmithing, but we also have hues from some less expected places. Glass enamels are an ancient way of adding color, as are a variety of patinas. Today's artists also use synthetic man-made materials to add color in ways that didn't exist a century ago.

We invite you to enjoy this celebration of hue, and the ways hues and their use have changed over time.