Body Jewelry and Hyper-individualization
Jewelry has historically been impersonal. I do not mean that jewelry cannot be deeply personal and sentimental, because it can, but rather that at its core, it is abstract and can arbitrarily be passed from person to person. This idea is increasingly being flipped on its head, with unique and surreal jewelry that is more frequently tailored to individuals taking the stage.
Courtesy of Schiaparelli
Gerd Rothmann, an artist who has been creating pieces that work in conversation with the human body for decades, is an excellent example of why this kind of jewelry is so interesting and playful. For decades, he has been making jewelry that is so immensely personal, individualizing pieces by molding them from the person they are for. His pieces are conceptual and paradoxical, making you think about utility and bringing attention to space that is otherwise ignored. Take, for example, his necklace that is a mold of the inside of a nose, done in gold, from 1987, or his ring that separated the index and pinkie fingers, titled “Sixth Finger,” from 1979. These bring attention to empty spaces that are intrinsically part of our bodies, making this space beautiful and making the human body an essential part of the design.
A direct correlation can be drawn between the work of Gerd Rothmann and contemporary body jewelry; his work draws remarkable similarity to Schiaparelli’s ready to wear spring-summer 2023 jewelry collection, inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali’s collaboration. Shiaparelli’s pieces also play with body parts, both literally as a subject and with how we wear the pieces. Of course, Elsa Schiaparelli and the Schiaparelli brand have long been interested in themes of anatomy, though I would argue that these newest gold pieces take this theme to another level.
Courtesy of the Jewellery Cut
Take, for example, Rothmann’s Achilles Heel when placed in comparison to Schiaparelli’s Anatomy Toes Bijoux; the parallel here is clear. Rothmann’s piece is simplistic. Schiaparelli’s, while also relatively simple, focuses more on bedazzlement and jewels, marking it more as an item meant to be worn and noticed.
Some of the most interesting jewelry works in dialogue with the human body. Unexpected jewelry seems to be cropping up more and more, from haute couture runways, like Viktor and Rolf’s face jewelry to small creators, such as a chainmail bralette created by artist Meredith Miller.
We are seeing body and face jewelry with twists and unique placements, chains and gold. This new trend is exciting because it teases the boundary between body and art, and it makes us question the limits of self decoration. In a world where style is increasingly personal and the trend cycle multifaceted and rapidly evolving, it makes complete sense that jewelry too is becoming tailored to, and made for, individuals.