Most authors would be honored if a publisher wanted to give the pages of their book a luxe gold edge—but most authors aren’t jewelers, and they certainly aren’t Ray Griffiths.
The Australia-born Griffiths (pictured) is known for two things in particular: His hallmark Crownwork technique and his company’s use of pink in its branding and packaging. So forget the gold—bring on the pink. That color around the pages makes the new book Ray Griffiths: The Works an eye-catching delight on any coffee table or bookcase.
“If you could see the house I grew up in, we had a pink-and-black bathroom. It was pink tiles with black trim,” Griffiths says. “My fascination with the color pink goes back to that house and my childhood. It had to be the color.”
Griffiths celebrated his book’s release this week in New York City, where he has worked for the past 27 years and has a small atelier. He got the idea to do a book from conversations with colleagues, who suggested developing a comprehensive catalog that would showcase his designs. The book ($60) is available on the Ray Griffiths Fine Jewelry website and in select boutiques.
Griffiths says he sees Crownwork and his overall approach to creating jewelry as having an enduring impact, so he sought to document it—and, of course, show off a bit—in a book.
“Technique matters to me, and how things are made matters to me. And I was well trained,” says Griffths. “It’s imprinted on my brain how things should be manufactured. And it should be quality. Jewelry lasts a lifetime, so you shouldn’t buy junk.”
He first learned crownwork—a historical jewelry-making method that produces pieces with a distinctive grid-like pattern—as a teen employee of a jewelry store in his hometown of Melbourne. Ultimately he trademarked the term, and it became his signature, which isn’t always easy to attain in a crowded industry, he notes.
Griffiths says his original plan in life was to make beautiful things. At different times, that might have been fashion or accessories. But jewelry is like a siren, calling out to its fans, he says.
Along with Crownwork, Griffths’ favorite thing to do in jewelry is add color. He says the book shows this, as colored gemstones take center stage, outshining even diamonds. The book also highlights his custom creations, which he compares to an intimate interview between two friends.
“It’s been a fantastic, pleasurable career,” Griffiths says. “It struck me as we were working on this project that we make special things. When you buy something for an important person in your life, you bring joy and happiness to them. With jewelry, you’re the person delivering that distilled joy and happiness. What a gift.”
(Photos courtesy of Ray Griffiths Fine Jewelry)
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