In addition to colour, there are a few things to keep in mind when planning the layout of a piece of jewellery. It may seem backwards to plan colour before a design, but it’s often what drives your inspiration. Consult with your designer on matching gemstone colours and the sizes that will fit the piece you have in mind. Now, let’s look at the rules that can help you create a balanced, intriguing design.
GESTALT
This refers to the piece as “the whole,” and it refers to how the flow of the piece takes form as a unit. The idea behind gestalt is to make sure that you have just the right amount of unity and variety. If your design is too unified, it can be boring; too varied, and it can be chaotic. There are several parts to this concept; let’s review them quickly:
Closure
Your brain is an amazing tool. If something is missing visually, your brain fills in what’s missing, allowing you to see the whole picture. This is called closure. Applied to jewellery design, a partial curve in a design can be construed as a full circle by the viewer. Leaving a gap in a piece will add interest without interrupting the design.
Continuance
The eye can be drawn along the length of a design, compelled to look in the direction you choose based on the lines and groupings you build. Your designer can use this to point the eye towards your focal point(s).
Similarity
When objects look similar, they are grouped visually even if they’re not necessarily close together. By repeating elements throughout your design, you create cohesion. This can mean using the same stones, beads, same colours, same metal colour or same textures across the design. In addition, if you have many similar elements, the designer will use them to place focus on another, dissimilar element.
Proximity
When things are close together, they seem to belong together. If you scatter gemstones or beads evenly throughout a design, for instance, they can seem disconnected; groupings are much more effective.
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CONTRAST
To achieve gestalt, there are many concepts and principles you can apply, but most of them can be talked about in terms of contrast. We’ve already talked about colour contrast, but you’ll want to keep an eye on contrast of size (balance), materials, texture and weight. Use differences in these qualities to deliberately move the eye and draw focus where you want it.
Proportion
Proportion is the visual division of elements; how much of one versus how much of another. A simpler term for proportion is balance. Balance is both visual and physical. Dangly earrings, for instance, need to physically balance when they hang. A neckpiece needs to balance on the neck and not fall off or overweight in one direction. But the way a piece looks should also be balanced. There are a few things to keep in mind when looking for balance:
Symmetrical vs. Asymmetrical: Unless a jeweller is working on a formal piece, they rarely make symmetrical designs. Though symmetry is soothing and solid, it’s also staid. Visually, it can be boring. To balance a piece, the designer will make sure they’re asymmetrically balanced, which means that the visual weight on both sides of the center line is equal, although not identical. For instance, a neckpiece should be symmetrical in structure, but its decoration can be asymmetrical.
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Weight
If you’re using a really large center stone, you will probably need heavy metal to support it both physically and visually. However, if you also add a fine detail or small stones, you’ll add energy to the piece. If you have a piece that feels bland, try adding something with different weight. Contrast a grouping of tiny clusters against a single, chunky element.
Shape
Contrast round with sharp, square with curved, flat with volume. Balance the proportion of the shapes with one another.
Texture
Use different materials to create interest in your piece; contrast smooth with rough, ragged with curved.
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