Ann Shearer Jewellery
About
Ann Shearer
My work expresses my interest in materials and how they behave. I have had an interest in materials science for many years. My PhD was in ceramics but my current work focuses on metals. I strongly believe that knowledge of the structures and properties of materials allows me to understand their behaviours and therefore how they can be manipulated to create wearable objects.
I live in Edinburgh and I really appreciate being able to walk to work in Beaverhall Art Studios.
My work
My inspiration for my current work comes from my longstanding interest in dentistry, in particular the hard tissues of teeth, enamel and dentine. Enamel is well known as the hardest tissue in the body: it is formed of crystals of hydroxyapatite which are arranged in rods and in cross section has a keyhole pattern. The structure of dentine is very different, being a softer collagen-based material with microscopic channels, called dentinal tubules.
Etching with acid is a technique used in art, electronics, industry, jewellery and dentistry. The acid differentially removes material and in enamel and dentine this creates pores which in turn allows the micromechanical retention of filling materials. In jewellery, acid etching is used to create patterns in metals, such as silver and copper.
Tubules
is a series of hand made tubes, some etched with patterns of tubular dentine and the keyhole pattern of enamel, made into brooches, pendants, necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
Clouds over Leith
comprises pieces etched with a photograph of clouds over Leith and with added gold foil or beads. The pieces range in size from large pendants to small stud earrings.
