Devon Stewart on Etsy Lush

Congratulations to Devon - one of his amazing new rings has been featured on the Etsy Lush site! This is it - and it fits me perfectly!!!!

Now available for $165 plus postage - see our Ndau Collection Etsy Shop for more info if you have to have it - before I do!

We've been discovered!

Exciting news - 20 best twenty have chosen us (Ndau) as one of their new discoveries and as a result we're featuring on their site, blog and Twitter posts. We'll keep them updated with lots of new images, so keep an eye on their site and posts. Thanks 20 best twenty for loving us - we love you!

Meet the Designers - Tato Louizidis of Ndau Jewellery and Leatherware

(Please note that Tato Louizidis is no longer a designer with Ndau, but has left to start her own business!)

As Gail has mentioned in a previous post, Ndau has added two new designers to their already talented line up - one of whom is Devon Stewart, who I've already blogged about. The other is Tato Louizidis and here's some information about her background and inspirations and of course, some pictures of her creations!

"Tato was born in Yerevan, Armenia but grew up in Harare, Zimbabwe. Having a father who is a jeweller, she was exposed to and inspired by jewellery and gemstones from a young age. Pursuing this dream, she then went to study jewellery design and manufacture in Cape Town, South Africa for 3 years and did a further course in diamond grading and evaluation. After studying and working in Cape Town, Tato has now moved to Victoria Falls to work as a jewellery designer at the Ndau studio.

As a child, her interests have always been fairytales and fantasy. Her world was one of fairies, mermaids, pixies, unicorns, princesses, dance, colour and love stories; and it is this same love of fantasy that inspires her today. At 24 years old, her tastes and interests are defined by her childhood world and she strives to find fantasy in her surroundings and world today.

Her designs are feminine, intricate, creative and romantic; with each piece translating a story to the wearer. Her design method is to pick a theme that inspires her and create a range to represent this.

Having a Greek father, Tato was surrounded by Greek myths and legends from an early age and soon fell in love with the magic of Greek mythology. This was her chosen theme for her final year body of work and dissertation to which she wrote a personalised story book of her favourite myths from her point of view and created jewellery to represent each story.

 Arachne's curse

Narcissus' vanity

Narcissus and Echo

Echo, water nymph

Daedalus and Icarus' flight

Pandora's box

Phaeton & Apollo

Eros' love games ring

Eros' love games necklace

Aphrodite's pearls necklace

 Aphrodite's pearls earrings

Everlasting love

Birth of the seasons

The ever changing seasons

Demeter, Goddess of agriculture

Argus' 100 eyes

She has also brought to life a timeless classic - A Treasures of the Ocean range. Since moving to Victoria Falls and being exposed to ethnic African art and wild surroundings, Tato has been inspired by the beauty of the mighty Zambezi and has chosen a feminine take on the mother of all waterfalls - a range of lilies indigenous to the Zambezi. (as seen on our Facebook site)

Currently, she is stirred by a world that glitters: the age of cabaret and burlesque, and is creating a range to suit this theme with a modern twist. Expect feathers, beads, ribbon, lace and gemstones."

Tato has brought a fresh delicacy to the Ndau range and having had a sneak peek of the new burlesque range, all I can say is watch this space...

Meet the Designers - Devon Stewart

(Please note that Devon is no longer a designer with The Ndau Collection but has left to start his own business!)

Recently, top young jewellery designer Devon Stewart has been up from South Africa checking out the Ndau factory and we're all hoping he'll be back to take up a designer post. There is already some of his amazing work instore, so without further words, here's some pictures of this very talented Zimbabwean designer's work...

 

 

  

Devon Stewart works with platinum, 22k, 18k, 14k, and 9k both yellow and white gold, silver and copper as well as contemporary materials such as resin, wood, horn and shell to put together these intricate pieces. Currently, he is completing a jewellery apprenticeship and exhibiting his jewellery at the 2010 Cape Town Fashion Week. He also recently exhibited at the 2010 Design Indaba, where his work was overwhelmingly well received and has shown at a number of South African art galleries. He describes himself as a perfectionist, a highly motivated and ambitious worker, with strong emphasis on technique and skill. What I can add is that I long to own these peacock feather earrings..

Adding this incredible talent into the already fantastic mix at Ndau can only lead to amazing things – here’s watching this space!

Meet the Designers - Kelly Landrey of Ndau Jewellery & Leatherware Part 3

(Please note that Kelly Landrey is no longer a designer for The Ndau Collection but has gone to travel Africa and the world!)

I've just come back from the factory and have some great sneak peeks of new product and Kelly at work. Hot off the polishing wheel is this incredible citrine and ndoro piece - covet, covet...

Kelly Landrey is the Ndau in house designer. Now based in Victoria Falls, she has lived and travelled all over Africa and the rest of the world. This cosmopolitan designer brings a dash of European style to all of her African pieces that makes them wearable even in New York and she is fast developing a cult following of clients who email from all corners of the world to see what she is up to next. Whilst never formally trained as a jeweller, Kelly is a natural. She finds inspiration in everything around her - be it a piece of driftwood or a crafter's work - and her fount of new ideas never seems to dry up. She constantly references antique African jewellery in her work, inspired by the traditional castings and fine beads used in old jewellery. Her passion for Trade Beads is shown clearly in the beautiful combinations she uses in conjunction with the sterling silver. One of my favourite things to do every day is go down to the studio to see what she's working on next, so here's some images of her workbench, design boards and work in progress by the other silversmiths.



Kelly hard at work



Kelly's design board

Ndau's treasure trove of antique trade beads, bone beads, stone beads, glass beads, wooden beads...

Gail recently saw this fantastical wire baobab by local crafter Taurai and was inspired to give him some sterling silver wire and agate and bone pieces to work with and here's the results as Kelly knots and finishes each.

The silversmiths were all really busy too, with Ngoni and Alex preparing for a new silver casting, Toby polishing up the last cast and Joe finishing several new pieces.

Wax models ready to join into trees for setting in investment

Ngoni working on wax models

Alex polishing new copper castings

New design organic shape copper pieces

Joe delicately filing a pendant

Joe's work bench

Newly made beads being polished and filed

Toby at his work station working on these beads

Here's a look at what's on the table ready to go out to the Ammonite shop today.

The leather factory was awash with colour today as new croc skin bags came into being.

I hope you found this virtual visit as inspirational as I did the real one today!