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Lois Hill

 
Globally inspired designer Lois Hill has traveled the world, unearthing ancient techniques from across continents and cultures. Fusing and combining these incredible lost arts in very non-traditional ways, she creates classic, contemporary, sterling silver jewelry that is rooted in history yet entirely unique.

Hill's signature style combines 3 different, entirely unrelated techniques, beginning with hand carving using hammer and chisel, a most primitive technique dating back to the Stone Age. Hill then combines the Etruscan technique of granulation - meticulous detail with tiny spheres of sterling silver (dating back to 3000 B.C.)- with contemporary filigree. It is this incredible juxtaposition that yields such a wonderfully textural and unusual line of wearable art.

The designer also holds a strong passion for rare textiles from around the world and has incorporated a variety of textile-like weaves into her sterling jewelry line. Her signature weaving techniques vary in form, yielding amazingly flexible and tactile bracelets that have
bold, lateral flexibility as well as intricate weaving patterns. One such weave is an 18th century continuous wire weave, hand woven from a single wire. This unique art can yield anything from a tiny cufflink or ring, 1 cm in size, to a full-length belt that takes over one month to hand weave. The pattern is precise and the detail magnificent.

Another weaving technique with an altogether different flavor originates in India, also in the 18th century. It is bold and dynamic, consisting of meticulously aligned figure-eights of sterling silver. The weave is striking and unapologetic, providing a distinctive
movement and weight.One of Hill's most precious weaves is actually a textile weave in metal originating from hill tribes in Northern Thailand. It is comprised of tiny jump rings woven like a textile and is so intricate that only about one inch per day can be hand-woven. The craftsmanship, detail and beauty are unmistakable.

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