Monday 04th December 2023
Location: Butler Gallery, Evans Home, John’s Quay, Kilkenny, R95 YX3F
Created by Rudolf Heltzel for Butler Gallery
This Christmas, once again Christopher Heltzel, of Rudolf Heltzel, is supporting Butler Gallery and helping us to raise vital funds for our 2024 programme of activity with this stunning bespoke pendant for our Christmas Prize Draw. This incredible once-off piece of fine jewellery made from blue pietersite stone, a stone of transformation and spiritual growth, is set in hand crafted sterling silver. This could be yours this Christmas AND you will be supporting Butler Gallery, one of Ireland’s leading contemporary art gallery’s and cultural heritage attractions.
All funds raised will support Butler Gallery’s 2024 Exhibition & Learning and Public Engagement Programme. Butler Gallery is a charity providing Free access to art for all.
The making process
In the dimly lit workshop of 10 Patrick Street, nostalgia fills the air. A gentle hum of creativity intertwines with the scent of precious metals. Lining the walls and shelves of the workshop are hand-forged hammers of all shapes and sizes, tools worn from decades of use by generations of skilled bench workers, pliers that have shaped countless masterpieces, saw frames holding blades so thin they disappear in the shadows of the light. A draw bench stands to the side, patiently awaiting its next piece of gold to draw down, an ancient bench torch flickers gently, ready for the next solder. They all hold stories of the countless artisans that have worked with them, whispering secrets of beauty created in times gone by.
As the ancient bench torch is held up, its warm, amber glow casts a mesmerising dance of shadows onto the workshop wall. With the sonorous tap of the hammer, and the rhythmic sound of sawing, the transient shadows transport us to a world where master jewellers meticulously crafted dreams into reality; history mingles with creation in a captivating soundscape.
Surrounded by all these history-rich tools, our artisans wield their weapons of creation, ready to transform the pendant design commissioned for the Butler Gallery into reality. With meticulous precision, they cut and shape the flat sheet of urban mined silver, transforming the raw material into a wearable work of art. Hammering, rolling, bending, soldering, filing, polishing; in a rich soundscape of workshop sounds, the pendant is infused with their passion and commitment to tradition, and slowly the Pietersite pendant is brought to life.
The carefully chosen stone, with its captivating hues and shimmering, ever-changing patterns, becomes the centrepiece of the pendant. Every time you look into its depths a new story is revealed, each time capturing new feelings and scenes of timeless elegance.
Through the craftsmanship and dedication of our artisans, this pendant is a tangible expression of artistry and a bridge between centuries-old traditions and sustainable materials. It is this level of craftsmanship and specialised skill that sets our jewellery makers apart, bringing forth a distinc
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