GOLDSMITHING...

Phill's use of gold increased over the years, both with his ability to afford working it, and with his increasing skill in mastering gold soldering. The combining of silver and gold continued in parallel with this development in gold; each being used as the vehicle for differing statements, according to their differing properties and connotations.

                             

Sheer economy dictated that early exclusive use of gold was of minimal nature, so Phill extrapolated a modern application of 'cannetille' with wire and shot. Phill called this style his 'Tendril' ware. The very earliest of his development of this form was truly sparing (see text box right), but in time it flowered into the complexity of organic forms like the ring above, typical of the late 'eighties.

                          

Later the tendrils took on zoomorphic forms, as in the ring above set with the two tourmaline cabs...

                   

And Phill's love of the Gothic sometimes morphed tendrils into architectural tracery, as in 'Finger Tiara', from the early 'nineties, above...

                      

Nevertheless, Phill still produces pieces of restraint in this style, such as this penannular pendant and brooch from 2005, set with indicoloites...

                              

Although, these pendants, also from 2005, show the most recent development in the twenty year exploration of this form of fabrication: set with yellow diamonds.

                                                       

Tyrus is also taking this development in his own direction, such as this 'Lunar Lantern' pendant with two cabochon moonstones. 

[The last few images are photographed by Phill using very diffused light, which 'dampens' the high polish, but better illustrates the form.]

THE GUILD OF GOLDSMITHS...

In 1989 Phill was accepted as an inaugural Fellow of the Gold and Silversmiths Guild of Australia, at the initial induction of the first twelve members, held at Makers Mark Gallery, in Melbourne. Phill was Tasmania's founding member.

            

                  

                  

The Guild was established to assure the public of the skill and competence of its members in handling precious metals, and of their commitment to the survival and development of hand skills. Membership entitled the use of the Guild Mark; the kangaroo head stamped into pieces. Masons has been using the mark ever since.

Acceptance into the Guild was by peer assessment of a Guild Entry Piece. Phill's piece, pictured above, was a ring set with pearls and rivetted boulder opal beads.

...

CANNETILLE.

Harold Newman, in his 'Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry', defines Cannetille as 'A type of metal decoration on jewelry in the form of thin wires making a coarse filigree pattern...often in the form of scrolls or rosettes made of tightly coiled wire... popular in the Nineteenth Century'

          

Phill started using wire, shot and bosses in a contemporary development of cannetille in rings such as that above. Note at this stage the use of 'upset' stones.

         

         

Although Phill went on to develop greater complexity in this style, he still maintained a parallel stream of it in restrained simplicity, such as these bar brooches from 2005.