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Design custom jewelry with a geometric twist

Geometry has long been used as a design resource. A bold and clean style is an all-time favorite to design custom jewelry.

Your jewelry designs will rock with the ideas found here.

Geometry as a conceptual idea is a useful tool when the principles of geometric composition are used wisely.

That’s exactly what you’ll find here, how to design geometric jewelry.

IMPORTANT FACTS

The basics of geometric design:

Proportioning systems,

Regulating lines, and

Ratios.

The purpose of this section is to show you how to reveal geometric visual relationships through the process of designing custom jewelry with a geometric visual structure.

All this has long been used in jewelry and we’ll see this geometric principles applied in real designer jewelry.

Let’s start with some basic concepts and then you can choose from many sub-topics and examples.

How does geometry relate to jewelry design?

I’m sure you acknowledge that there is a documented human cognitive preference for some systems of proportions throughout recorded history.

A favorite proportion is the golden section, for example.

custom jewelry golden ratio The intent of these systems of proportions is to create a sense of order between the elements of a visual structure.

The conch on the left has a proportional spiral growth pattern.

Its specific growth pattern follows a golden section proportion.

Fundamentally, any proportion system is based on harmonic ratios between different parts.

That’s why you may perceive something as being “proportional” when you see an aesthetic quality between the parts that make the whole and how the whole relates to each part.

Although this perception may not be observed immediately or even consciously, you may begin to recognize beautiful proportions after some time of active observation.

Proportion systems then serve you as a dimensional basis to rationally and aesthetically build proportion into your designs.

Design custom jewelry with these geometric concepts.

Geometric proportion

design custom jewelry The golden section is the geometric proportion most widely used in nature and in man-made objects.

Geometrically it can be understood as a rectilinear segment divided in such a way that the smallest part is proportional to the biggest part just like the biggest part is proportional to the whole.



In jewlery use proportionality not only on every individual jewelry piece but also for a whole set of jewelry (making for example a pair of earrings and a pendant proportionate).

Regulating lines

Regulating lines are used in graphic design and architecture to give the design visual coherence and aesthetic structure.

To understand what regulating lines are all about think of two rectangles of different sizes. These two rectangles will be proportional if their diagonals are parallel or perpendicular to each other.

For example, suppose you want to make a rectangular brooch with various other rectangles on it.

Your best bet is to draw your composition in such a way that the diagonals of your biggest rectangle coincide with the diagonals or edges of the other smaller rectangles in a parallel or perpendicular fashion.

When this “coincidence between lines” occurs, then you know you’re using regulating lines to design your jewelry.

As Elam (2001) says, your understanding of the underlying structure of geometric relationships brings to your jewelry design a sense of compositional cohesiveness, whereby each element of the design has a visual sense of belonging.

It also reveals the process of realization and a rational explanation for your design decisions, whether you use organizational geometry as intuitive or deliberate, rigidly applied or casually considered.

Design custom jewelry with a modern and polished look.

Jewelry with a geometric style is loved by all.

Geometric design is however, one of the most difficult design concepts to use. This is because our eyes easily distinguish “perfection” in geometry, so any discrepancy in the geometric form can be immediately noticed; while in organic design for instance, minor “errors” may be ignored.

Another jewelry idea that also has a geometric foundation is symbolic jewelry. Design custom jewelry using signs, symbols and icons as a great way to visually communicate your design intent.

Click here to go to the symbolic jewelry section.

Go from Design Custom Jewelry back to Design Ideas

References used in this section: Elam (2001); Doczi (1994).


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