Rangelands Revealed — Seams Like Gold Earrings

Sterling silver earrings, oxidised, with an organically shaped section removed from each edge. On the opposite side of each oval the edge is stitched in an irregular border of pale, slightly shimmering, gold coloured silk thread. The gently convex design includes a sparse, asymmetrical pattern of raised dots. The earrings hang from handmade sterling silver hooks. These earrings are for those who like a little glamour! Gold coloured silk thread is a logical choice because as well as being rich in natural diversity, the rangelands around Cobar in western New South Wales are known for mineral riches including gold, copper, lead, and zinc. Quartz crystals are an indication of the potential for gold to be found underground, and Kate spent many hours looking for crystals as the afternoon sunlight glinted off their shiny surfaces. Just the presence of those tiny, sparkly stones was enough to confirm the presence of gold beneath her feet - they really did seem like gold to her!

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Kate Gardiner handcrafts jewellery in tribute to the rangelands of Western NSW, and she is based on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country/Canberra. Though her practice, Kate creates pieces that are a distillation of the colours and the small and large features of the rangelands. Her focus includes the curving ridgelines of sandstone that extent for kilometres through the landscape, the red sandy-loam soil, as well as tiny fragments of tree bark and the brilliant stars that blanket the night sky. Kate was a successful entrant in the Emerging Artist Category of 'The Earring Show' 2023, Craft Council of British Columbia, Canada, and she is a successful entrant to the upcoming exhibition 'Pin 9', being held in August 2023 at the Australian National Capital Artists Gallery, Canberra.

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Material:  sterling silver, gold coloured silk, liver-of-sulphur, wax.

Dimensions:  4 x 2.5 x 0.5cm