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Judith Altruda
November 8, 2008
More About the Artist:
Judith Altruda
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For Immediate Release:
Historic Technique Meets Rustic Elegance in Artistic Commitment Rings
Judith Altruda, a jewelry artist from Tokeland, Washington, will present a collection of her new jewelry designs in a trunk show
reception at RiverSea Gallery in Astoria on Saturday, November 8, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. The focus of this collection is on commitment
bands, gemstone rings and bracelets. Each piece of jewelry is a one-of-a-kind work of art fabricated from textured silver and accented
with 18 karat gold. The complete collection will be on view through November 14.
The designer is especially excited about her selection of commitment rings for both men and women. All are bands of reticulated
silver with a rich patina to accent the ridged texture, creating a look of rustic elegance. Most are accented with bits of gold,
and some are set with gems. Each design is unique, yet they all go together, so they become the perfect partner’s bands for couples
who want rings that express their individuality.
“They’re real ‘simpatico’,” says Judith Altruda. “You can look at any two and it’s like the yin and yang. They’re counterparts of
each other.”
Many times a couple will be inspired by an existing design yet want something even more individual. For those who find they need a
custom band, the artist will set up consultation appointments for later dates at the gallery.
In addition to the commitment rings, a variety of bracelets will be on display. One special piece is a large sized mens' cuff
bracelet in reticulated silver set with meteorites and boulder opal, accented with gold.
Reticulated Silver: A Historic Technique
Throughout all of Judith Altruda’s designs runs the allure of reticulated silver. This is a technique for texturing silver in a
random, ridged pattern, which requires lots of time and a deft hand with a torch. For that reason it is seldom found in mass
production jewelry. Altruda prefers a special alloy of 80% silver and 20% copper for her designs, and she uses a multi-step process
which involves heating and quenching the metal from nine to twelve times before she ripples the surface with a hot flame. The copper
and silver each react to the heat differently, thus buckling the surface.
Reticulation first appeared as a jewelry technique in nineteenth century Czarist Russia where it was often used by court jewelers,
such as Faberge, to create precious objects for royalty. Metalsmiths escaping the Bolshevik revolution brought the technique to
Finland. From there it spread through Scandinavia and then to the United States, where it first became popular among studio jewelers
in the late sixties.
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