Jewellery designer and researcher Ray Zheng is pushing the boundaries of traditional jewellery design, turning her focus to the profound relationship between individuals and their personal adornments. Born in Urumqi, China, Zheng received her BA in Jewellery Design from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and her MFA in Fashions & Embodiment at Goldsmiths, University of London in 2021. She sees jewellery as a means to explore the complex interplay between value, needs, obsessions, and survival, using methods such as documenting and performance to spark conversations about social-politics and traditions.

Zheng's design philosophy revolves around the exploration of contemporary objects and their function in various social contexts. She views jewellery as a powerful medium to express the dynamic interaction between the maker and the wearer. By collecting, owning, and documenting objects, Zheng creates an intricate system of material behaviours and narratives intertwined with social and cultural contexts, which serve as the foundation for her thought-provoking jewellery designs.

When someone wears Zheng's jewellery, she wants them to experience a sense of ease and energy, and to be reminded of personal memories and connections. Her pieces are designed to be versatile, intimate, and to foster a relationship between the wearer and the work itself. Through her innovative approach to jewellery design, Zheng is forging new paths in the industry, creating jewellery that transcends traditional expectations and resonates on a deeply personal level.

Contemporary jewellery designer and artist Sophie van Dooren is also making her mark on the industry with her unique approach to capturing the fragile relationship between humanity and nature. Drawing inspiration from her fascination with natural structures, colours, and shapes, van Dooren's work is both an exploration of the world's vulnerability and a celebration of its beauty.

Her latest collection, aptly named Fragility, is a testament to her keen eye for detail and her ability to translate complex themes into wearable art. The collection was born out of a desire to explore the world's growing vulnerability, as evidenced by floods, severe storms, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Through her jewellery, van Dooren sought to create a visual representation of this fragility and its impact on the wearer and their environment.

Featured in the Cluster exhibition and online store, Zheng's A Bore of Ring series exemplifies her innovative approach to jewellery design. This project involves creating rings every half hour without considering the duration, focusing solely on her immediate surroundings and materials. She then transforms these creations into metal, comparing the results to traditional notions of jewellery, such as price, quality, and perfection. By returning to a primitive understanding of "making and wearing," Zheng challenges conventional jewellery design and seeks to find a balance between necessity and obsession in her work.

In her designs, Zheng often uses materials such as silver and pearl, which complement her unique artistic vision. She draws inspiration from the experiences and emotions that arise when wearing her jewellery, focusing on the connections that form between the wearer and the piece.

The Fragility Ring, one of the standout pieces from the collection, demonstrates van Dooren's penchant for innovative design and her commitment to using natural materials. Shaped around a large stone for an open appearance, the ring is crafted from silver with a layer of 18K galvanized gold and a cactus skeleton, a unique wood fibre. The intricate design was inspired by the cactus skeleton's delicate structure, which van Dooren sought to emulate using thin threads of silver. The result is a captivating piece that embodies her artistic vision and attention to detail. This ring, along with van Dooren’s other work, is available for purchase through the Cluster online store. 

In her work, van Dooren primarily utilises silver and gold, as well as materials sourced from nature, such as plants, wood, and mushrooms. These materials not only inspire the form of her jewellery but also help convey the message she aims to share. Drawing on her childhood memories and experiences, van Dooren experiments with materials and imagery to find the perfect medium for capturing her stories.

When wearing van Dooren's jewellery, individuals are not only adorned with beautiful and unique pieces, but they also become part of the story the jewellery tells. The designer aims to evoke feelings of fragility and vulnerability in her wearers, encouraging them to move slower and become more aware of their surroundings and the people around them. Through her captivating designs and thought-provoking themes, Sophie van Dooren is revolutionising the world of contemporary jewellery design by creating wearable art that resonates with the wearer and connects them to the world's fragile beauty.