Featured designer: Estelle Vernon

Text: Estelle Vernon, Sandra Kemppainen

Photos: Victor Wolansky, Hap Sakwa

Estelle Vernon lives in Washington, DC metropolitan area and she is a resident artist at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia. 

The Torpedo Factory is a 40 year old art center on the waterfront in Old Town Alexandria. 

I am always drawn to interesting and modern looking jewelry designs, therefore I just had to contact Estelle and feature her work.

Her pieces are so eye catching and elegant, they would perfectly compliment an every-day outfit at work or a more fancy evening wear for a special occasion.

Being a photographer myself, I love the fact that she has managed to integrate the art of 35mm photography into her jewelry designs.

“I studied jewelry at Montgomery College, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Touchstone Center for Crafts along with many years of workshops  given by the Washington Guild of Goldsmiths. Every summer I study with John Cogswell, a noted silversmith and teacher.  His classes  have enabled me to improve my skills and  strive to make clean, well constructed jewelry.” - Estelle

“My story actually began in HIgh School in the late 1960’s. I took an art metals class as my final elective in high school. I made rings, chains and cut a few cabochon stones. 

I remember making a ring for my mother where I cut and polished the tigers eye cabochon and then set the stone in a silver ring. My mother, who is 95 years young, still has that ring in her jewelry box. I went to college to study liberal arts and then Audiology. 

I was unable to take jewelry classes at the school I attended because I wasn’t admitted to the art school. After working as a clinical Audiologist for the National Institutes of Health, I registered for a jewelry class at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. I have been making jewelry ever since. 

I love working with precious metals especially sterling silver and 24k gold in the keum boo technique. I love the feel of the metal.I love the contrast between oxidized silver and keum boo. The gold really “pops” when the silver is darkened.

I have been using the keum boo technique in my work since 1987 since I learned about it from Professor Komelia Okim. Professor Okim is largely responsible for introducing the technique to the USA from Korea.”

The Keum Boo Technique:

This Korean technique for applying 24k gold to silver is in fact widely used in various cultures; Japanese, Chinese and in the west historically primarily to adhere gold to iron, steel and copper.

Traditionally, this technique is accomplished by first depleting the surface of sterling silver to bring up a thin layer of fine silver. Then 24 carat gold foil is applied with heat and pressure - mechanical gilding - to produce a permanent diffusion bond.

Pure precious metals such as gold and silver have a very similar atomic structure and therefore have a good potential for bonding. 

Heating these metals to a temperature between 500-700°F increases the movement of the atoms. When pressure is added, this causes an electron exchange at the surface between the two metals, creating a permanent diffusion bond. 

This diffusion bond occurs far below the soldering temperature for either metal.

Pure precious metals such as gold and silver have a very similar atomic structure and therefore have a good potential for bonding. 

Heating these metals to a temperature between 500-700°F increases the movement of the atoms. When pressure is added, this causes an electron exchange at the surface between the two metals, creating a permanent diffusion bond. 

This diffusion bond occurs far below the soldering temperature for either metal.

For now, Estelle’s work is available only at the Torpedo Factory Studio which is open to the public and at a small number of craft shows in the Washington DC area. 

Her jewelry appeals to people who love wearable jewelry designed with an elegant simplicity. Estelle’s work is timeless and appeals to both men and women. Her brooches have been purchased by both men and women who appreciate art jewelry.

Estelle’s work can be seen on her website, but more up to date on her Facebook Page, with latest shows and images. She is exhibiting at the Academy Art Museum’s sixteenth annual craft show in Easton, Maryland October 17-19, 2014.  Her work will also be shown at the James Renwick Alliance’s JRA Day December 6, 2014.