These beautiful, metal hearts are elegantly contrasted by glittering gem hoops dangling off each pendant. The creative talent behind this line of jewelry is Karyn Chopik, a Vancouver artist who truly understands how to ignite the visual senses.
The entire line is stunning, but it was the organic-meets-luxury heart pendants that truly held me captive.
Her work combines hand-forged metals with bronze and sterling silver castings, many of which are balanced with the surprising contrast of organic, semi-precious stones and sparkling jewels.
Chopik’s designs look beautiful worn with simple tank tops, they add elegance to turtle necks and add an unforgettably unique quality to dresses. Regardless of how they are worn, they are guaranteed to act as compliment-attracting statement pieces.
A great gallery of her work can be seen at Dragonfly and Amber as well as on Chopik’s official site.
"My work is inspired by nature and by the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi - the art of imperfection," Chopik says.
"My jewelry is irregular and unconventional, yet within that irregularity there is an intrinsic balance created by the relationship between the elements. I love to play with this inner dynamic as it is alive with movement."
Her latest collection, Spring 8 Infinity, is symbolized by the number 8 and has personal meaning to Chopik. It was created after being inspired by the love and support given to her after losing a family member to cancer.
"I wanted to celebrate this goodness in humanity by creating a special series of pieces that people can wear to remember loved ones both past and present," she explains.
"Brushed sterling silver charms marked with an X come with a keepsake card that read, ‘The closest distance between two people is the heart. X marks the spot.’"
Chopik is a very talented artist and I have a feeling it won’t be much longer before she’s discovered.
"My goal is to end up on the Antique Road Show someday not a landfill," Chopik said.
If she doesn’t manage to fulfill her dream, arm me with bags and point me toward the landfill!
Imperfect Luxury Pendants
Karyn Chopik Designs
Trend Themes
1. Imperfect Luxury Jewelry - Creating high-end pieces with an unconventional aesthetic that subverts traditional notions of luxury.
2. Nature-inspired Jewelry - Taking cues from the natural world to create unique and organic jewelry pieces.
3. Memorial Jewelry - Designing pieces with personal meaning that can serve as keepsakes and mementos of lost loved ones.
Industry Implications
1. Jewelry Design - The jewelry industry can incorporate these trends to offer customers unique and meaningful pieces with an unconventional aesthetic.
2. Fashion Retail - Retailers can stock and promote this type of jewelry to appeal to customers looking for statement pieces that also have personal significance.
3. Luxury Goods - Luxury brands can explore incorporating unconventional design and meaning into their high-end offerings to create a unique selling proposition.