Chisels and punches

The type of decorative carving and inlay I would like to do requires different tools to normal goldsmithing. The most comprehensive information I have found about these is on the forum called following the iron brush, a forum mostly on Japanese style carving, inlay and metalwork.

It stands to reason that these chisels and punches can be used to make not just Japanese style work but can be used to make western styled ornamentation as well.

This picture is a 'starter pack' of chisel and punch profiles. I will be making some or all of these from a truck suspension leaf spring.

Decorative Arts

Jewellery falls into the category of Applied Arts, under a broad definition such as this:

The term "applied art" refers to the application (and resulting product) of artistic design to utilitarian objects in everyday use. Whereas works of fine art have no function other than providing aesthetic or intellectual stimulation to the viewer, works of applied art are usually functional objects which have been "prettified" or creatively designed with both aesthetics and function in mind. Applied art embraces a huge range of products and items, from a teapot or chair, to the walls and roof of a railway station or concert hall, a fountain pen or computer mouse.

Found here

Except that jewellery does not perform a function per se. Unless it is designed to do something other than adorn the body, it is not strictly speaking functional. An example of functional jewellery would be this bubble blower by Clare English.


So we sit somewhere between fine art and applied art in various forms. Commerce complicates issues as well, where the commercialising of jewellery means a vast number of pieces are not considered any form of art.

Feeling a little depressed at being a 'decorator of something functional' I gave that definition some thought and reached a bit of a revelation. Some of the oldest known artifacts bear signs of decoration. Even Neanderthal man decorated objects, wore shells and painted objects and themselves with red ochre. Somehow creating a functional object is not enough, something within us craves visual pleasure. Once a spear thrower, clay pot, club, blanket, belt or any such object is made, people have spent even longer making that object beautiful than it took to make it functional.

This thought process has given me new vigour to pursue my course of action. Decoration sounds trivial and yet it speaks to something in our very make up. The satisfaction of creating something more beautiful than it needs to be is a worthwhile pursuit.

Applied art, contemporary jewellery, fine art???

I am looking into where my jewellery falls in terms of being defined within specific feilds or genre's within the art sphere.

The definitions of each outlook have to be examined in order for me to choose how to channel my thoughts and energies. This is something I haven't consciously raised with myself before which is remiss of me.

Mostly I like to make things and let others see it as they will. However, since I'm writing about my own work, it makes sense to give myself as well as my audience a theoretical framework.

I have much more reading to do before I can make a useful contribution to this internal debate but this is where my thoughts are headed.

I have forged a mild steel bangle which I plan to carve and inlay. I will use fine silver for the inlay and then use gun blueing techniques on the steel.

The blue is produced using a special liquid and heat to produce an oxide layer which looks great and stops rust from forming. I will look into older blueing techniques in the future. I have read an article that described how the same blue was achieved in medieval times through the use of oil and carbon dust and careful temperature control. I haven't been able to find the specifics though.

Both at work and in my btech I seem to be steered towards stylised floral motifs which I will use on this piece. I am investigating the cherry blossom as a motif, it has great symbolic references in the Japanese martial culture which is something I am interested in.