The Laings Journal

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Andrew Geoghegan: The Inspiration behind the Jewellery

Andrew Geoghegan jewellery can be instantly recognised, with striking designs and statement pieces making up the collections. Each piece also tells a story, it talks about where it was dreamt up and what defined Andrew at that time.

Laings had the opportunity to find out more about the unique inspirations behind an Andrew Geoghegan design…

 

1 – Sum up your design style – is there any common features or themes?

“There has been themes running through many of the designs such as fluidity. Going back to my point of some designers, it’s not necessarily the Andrew Geoghegan sattellite-bridal-45wrong way to do it, but they might have the setting and shank as separate things, but for me there’s a fluidity within the two of them. If you look at the Satellite bridal ring where you’ve got this incredible fluidity of the main stone, where it flows beautifully to the satellite stone. Definitely within that there’s a theme of fluidity, but there’s also a theme of unity. I have a fascination with unity. Unity of a few things, of people, of gem and metal and probably more importantly the unity of the wearer and their piece of jewellery, what that jewellery means to them, what it allows them to express, what does it represent and symbolise. That I think is incredibly important and perhaps not as focused on as it should be.”

2 – Where do you take your inspiration from?

“There’s so many places. Originally, when I look at a ring that I designed when I was 22-23, it’s very angular, very strong, very dynamic and at that time I was very obsessed with being strong and going to the gym all the time, being a very strong character and I was perhaps a little limited in my outlook, but that’s the way I was. The design called ‘the box’ which has been an incredible seller for us is very angular, very linear, very Germanic and architectural. That expressed who I was at that point. Now, as I’ve got a little older, a little softer, finer perhaps, you can see that it’s changed the designs. The Cannele, is all about fineness and attention to detail. There’s no real angles or hard lines to it, it’s a softer approach.”

3 – How does the collection come about, from the original idea, right through to the final product?

Andrew Geoghegan cube-ring“The original idea happens however it happens, be it a flash of inspiration or a theme that I’m working on. Then that is worked on sketches, depending on the complexity of it between one, two, three, four months until I’m happy with this two dimensional form. Then I take it into CAD (Computer Aided Design) and a programme called Matrix, where I can manipulate virtual metal and stone until I’m happy with the aesthetic of it and the balance and practicality of the design. Once I have refined the design on screen I then create waxes. I’ll create a life-size wax of the ring, sometimes when I’m on screen the piece could be massive and the ring could be ten inches high, which looks great in that form, but when you see it in the actual size there’s different aesthetics to it and balances. I get the wax, review it and tweak it, then get another wax, review it and tweak it, until I’m happy with that. Then that goes through to a silver sample and there’s a similar process of refining and tweaking, testing the setting out and making sure that the ring is comfortable and looks beautiful, making sure I can set the stones properly. When I’m happy with that, finally it goes through to a precious piece, so platinum and diamond or 18ct white gold and diamond.”

4 – How would you like people to see your designs and describe them?

“So twenty minutes ago when I was discussing some designs there was a noise from one of the ladies who looked at the designs, something like ‘oooh’. It’s not a word, but something like that expresses this beauty within the piece and I think this is what I’m aiming for. I want to drop jaws, I love what I do and there’s an element of that in each and every design. If I’m getting dropped-jaws and even tears I know that I’m doing my job. People are understanding and appreciating what I’m doing, what I’m putting into my designs and how much of myself I’m putting into this work of art.”

5 – Do you design with a particular person in mind?

“Well we have a client, there is an Andrew Geoghegan client, which can vary. The person who wears and loves Andrew Geoghegan is a person who really appreciates detail and design and is fascinated by beauty.”

6 – Ultimately what is it that makes your designs stand out?

“We touched on earlier about my origins as a sculptor, I’m sure that’s got a big hand in it. I don’t have a typical jewellery background or training. I would also say this fascination and obsession with unity, unity of people, of jewellery and wearer, when that’s at the forefront my mind when I’m designing and coming up with concepts that has to have an effect.”

 

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Thank you for taking the time to check out our interview with Andrew Geoghegan! Follow our latest news on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, or if you have any questions please pop us an email at [email protected].

Til next time, Laings xXx