The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2021 - Issue 30

Inspired By The Natural World Cristina Lloyd looks at Netherlands-native Clio Saskia’s ethically sourced jewellery inspired by interesting and intriguing creatures of the natural world. bitejewellery A s the daughter of a scientist who grew up in a Netherlands household where curios- ity and exploration were encouraged, Clio Saskia developed a keen investigative mind and spent entire summers immersed in forests and rock pools. This has had a long-lasting influence on the jewellery designer’s creative process which helped her to develop an acute sense of observa- tion. Through her expanding practical skills and techniques, Clio creates intricately detailed min- iature sculptures. At the age of 19, she left the Netherlands to study Contemporary Sculpture and Fine Art at Cam- berwell College, University of the Arts in south London. Critical reading on the concepts of beauty, status symbols and identity has helped her to form clear opinions on the subject of jewellery and adornment. Clio learned the processes of tradi- tional carving, lost-wax casting and mould-making to create artistic works that centre on the tradi- tional and contemporary concepts of beauty. After graduating in 2013, Clio’s practice developed and took part in exhibitions, international residen- cies, technical courses and workshops. She also taught and worked as a technical support assistant at the University of the Arts. In the final year of her degree, the subject of adornment and its relation- ship with our identity was a major factor and an influence on her transformation from fine art to fine jewellery. The vibrant and contrasting cultures in London has also had a strong impact on her work. Clio believes that the things we choose to wear become a part of our identities and reveal our per- sonalities. For some people, jewellery made from precious materials often marks important life expe- riences that carry great emotional value for them. Therefore, Clio Saskia jewellery is crafted to be treasured and loved and designed to have a rich character to reflect our personalities, using materi- als with careful consideration for our environment. The brand supports ethical approaches and elim- inating human rights violations and environmental damage caused by industry practices. They use recycled, ethically sourced and Fairtrade metals and gemstones to make a positive contribution to the jewellery industry and carefully select suppli- ers and partners per these values. Spending six months in Australia helped Clio to gain valuable first-hand experience in the benefits that ethical mining practices can have for surrounding towns and wildlife. Clio Saskia’s jewellery making processes include the ancient techniques of metalwork and wax carving that have been used to create handmade jewellery for thousands of years. Lost-wax casting, also known by its French name, cire perdue, is a versatile technique that remains one of the most popular methods for creating and reproducing designs in precious metal and enables her designs carved in wax to be cast and reproduced in metal. At an interview with Goldsmiths’ Centre, Clio dis- cussed the history of wax carving and how she