The Sixth: A Jeweller’s Exploration of Extinction and Biodiversity Loss in New Zealand

Abstract

Contemporary jewellery can encourage people to learn more about our environment through the body, the jewellery object itself and the conscious act of wearing and interacting with it. This calls for a move towards an approach based on social interaction. My research examines how jewellery can act as a form of communication and an agent for change. It argues that the framework of contemporary jewellery has great potential to speak to issues relevent to society and the environment. In exploring these ideas, I consider how jewellery can assist in communicating the latest scientific knowledge on the state of the environment in New Zealand. I place jewellery within the context of the history of art and science, working together in order to reveal the ability of contemporary jewellery to function as a teller of these stories.