Tom Waits Song – Beautiful – what is love

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the first thing that came to mind was a song that tugs a my heart strings – in a good way.
it was an in love song….

matt loves Tom Waits & I had never listened to him much before we met.
wierd clip – i think it should be a fawn in a forest or something looking all innocent & beautiful & canoodling with another of its kind….
but this piece of music – to me – tugs at my heart strings & makes me think about the way I love matt…
you know, the good way that your heart aches when you love someone…. if that makes sense…

 

 

What is love ? add your idea

Swedish Poem for The Palace – what love really means

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I have a Swedish poem that I would like to add to your collection.
It was written by my very first love and I memorised it word by word, still remembering every one of them.
Av lyckans tårar
jag binder dig en krans
En efter en
de glänser kring din hals

 

what love really means, add your contribution, what does love mean to you ?

 

Life Secrets at the Laundromat

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Evolve Love Rings are all about your story.

Everything that Robert creates has a story behind it, a deeper meaning. Sometimes his jewellery tells the story of the Australian seasons and other times it expresses the dynamic story of a relationship, poem or song. While I am not a jewellery desginer I am on the lookout for stories wherever I go, its in my nature and it’s what Robert and I have in common. I make it a personal policy to talk to strangers in buses, parks, restaurants, and grocery stores. Not in that freaky way, but everyone has a story, and usually its more interesting ones than found in glossy magazines. Over the years I’ve discovered that the stories people tell can almost always be tied back to evolutions: endings, beginnings, shifts, and changes.

Take Steve the security guard for example. I met him at the local laundromat last week. He’s a giant man with an unexpectedly gentle spirit and a slight stutter. For the last nine years he’s worked the night shift in some of the roughest suburbs in this city. He tells me this after offering to help me fold my sheets.

“I bet you’ve seen a lot,” I say.

“I have,” he replies, “but I’ve learned to walk into every situation with friendliness and people can pick up on that, which saves me a lot of trouble. I never thought I’d be a security guard, though.”

“What did you think you were going to be when you were younger?” I ask. He pauses and gets a shy grin on his face,“I thought I was going to be a producer.”

“You want to make music, right?”

“Yeah. And maybe I still will. You never know.”

“I think a lot of people end up in places they never would have guessed,” I say.

He looks up at the ceiling thoughtfully, “Yes, that’s true. And it depends on what the man up there has in mind for you. You never know what’s going to happen.”

Steve is right: you never know what turns your life is going to take next. The idea of personal evolution is the central idea behind the new “Evolve Love Ring” collection. The Love rings are designed to evolve as changes occur in your life. Whether it’s something as simple as a shift in mood or something more significant like a move to a new city or the start of a new relationship–you can mix, match, and stack the rings to express your experience. Take a look at the 56420 ways you can show your evolution.

 

About the Author

Clara is the resident wordsmith for Robert Young Sculpture and when she isn’t folding laundry she can often be found waxing philosophical on the artistic processes of jewellery making.

An Unexpected Journey from Photography to Love Rings

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With the release of the new Evolve Love Ring collection we find ourselves contemplating the idea of personal evolution. What does it look like? Can we trace the moments and events that lead to change in our daily lives? We thought it would be interesting to take a tour through the evolutions that led to the existence of Robert Young Sculpture as you know it today. Life is constantly evolving, growing and changing, sometimes it comes in gradual waves and sometimes it happens all at once in sudden bursts. How many people end up exactly where they predicted they would?

It’s safe to say that Robert Young never envisioned himself as a Sydney jewellery designer or even making a collection so customiasble as the “Evolve Love Rings“. He found himself in a jewellery studio after decades of work in the worlds of photography and sculpture. Still, Robert has always found himself shifting physical matter into new arrangements. He started sculpting birds when he was seven and later, as a teenager, he carved faces in wood. At that point he didn’t even realize he was sculpting, it was just what he did. Robert eventually gravitated towards photography, but even there he often found himself more intrigued by the objects he was photographing rather than the photograph itself. An object asks the viewer to fill in all the blanks, to create a story about who, what, when, where, why, and how. Curiosity about these questions led Robert to a long career in sculpture.

For Robert, the next stage of evolution, from sculpture to jewellery, was a natural one. The transition signified an important move from dark to light in his life. Although he was a foreigner to expensive jewellery and diamond rings, he knew how to translate a story, his stories or a customers story into art. The medium changed, but his philosophy remained focused on meaning and expression. Robert has never been a pure craftsman intent on creating a “beautiful” piece. Beauty is present in all of his work, but it’s always an extension of a greater story or idea. This is especially true of the pieces in the new Evolve collection which are intended to transform and shift along with the wearer.

Sydney Jewellery Designer - Robert Young

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s Robert in his Sydney, Australia studio. Happy, content at his bench…. and whats his next expression piece ? unknown !

Express Your Life, New Evolve Love Rings Collection

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love ring by sydney jewellery designerRobert Young Sculpture is always in the process of evolving–new designs, new stories, and new ideas. In keeping with this theme we’re very excited to announce a new collection of rings called “Evolve Love Rings.” This is a special collection with a lot of depth and significance to it. When was the last time you came across a ring that can tell a story 56,420 different ways?

The 56,420 custom ring choices, including wedding rings and engagement rings, give you the freedom to design jewellery that truly reflects your individual experience, taste, and mood. The Evolve Collection can be rearranged, added to and changed as your life experience shifts and transforms. While each ring is different, a laser-cut “love” inscription is engraved in exactly the same position on every piece. You can see “love” all the way through a stack of Evolve rings.

The poet Carl Sandburg once said, “Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me.” His words perfectly describe the way the Evolve Collection came into being. Robert originally named the collection “Lust for Life.” The unexpected came into play when he first previewed the collection to a woman who immediately proceeded to grab a stack of rings and order them in a way that was meaningful to her: round with flat, thick with thin, stones and no stones, copper alongside gold. The way she arranged the rings said something unique about her own personal life and evolution. After Robert expressed some hesitancy about the original name of the collection, she suggested that he change the name to “Evolving with a Lust for Life.” From there the name transformed to the simple but powerful, “Evolve.”

Evolve has more to it than a collection of customizable rings — that would be too easy, and it’s already been done. Everyone has seen the charm bracelets where you buy a chain and add charms from different shops. Although they claim to tell a love story, the story is really just, “I bought this charm at the mall.” It’s all marketing dross and no depth. With Evolve, your story is an integral part of the creation of each ring. That’s just how it works at Robert Young Sculpture.

Robert Young believes that everyone should be able to wear jewellery that is meaningful and reflects the uniqueness of the wearer. The Evolve Collection is intended to be accessible to everyone. You can mix and match copper, silver, yellow gold, and white gold; choose between 1.2 and 2.4mm band thickness; combine round shapes with square; and play with both different types of stones and their placement on the rings. Create a set of rings that really tells your story, or start with just one and add others to it as you evolve over time. It’s up to you.

Victor Carranza Dies at 77

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Victor Carranza, the figure central to the Colombian emerald trade for the last 50 years died of lung cancer on April 4th, aged 77. In an era that saw the drugs wars and massive political corruption, Carranza rose to become one of the most powerful figures in Colombia. He was known for his skill and uncanny instinct in mining operations in his early years at Chivor and later at Muzo. A hero to some and feared by many, he also became one of Colombia’s biggest land owners.
During what has become known as Colombia’s ‘dirty war’ he was accused of financing right-wing paramilitary militias responsible for countless kidnappings and tens of thousands of deaths of over three decades. In 1998 he was arrested, charged and jailed but released after three years and all charges were dropped. He was seen as a key figure in the fight that saw off violent and bloody attempts by the drug cartels to take control of the emerald trade during the 80’s and 90’s. Carranza himself was the target of a number of assassination attempts. He is survived by his wife and five children.

New wedding rings engagement rings Collection by Robert Young Sculpture

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Wedding rings Engagement rings

We’re excited, we’ve a big message to share. Over the next few weeks and months we’re going to be unveiling a brand new series and collection of gold engagement rings! The new ring designs are completely original and innovative and, in one way or another, each of them shows off the signature Robert Young twist. According to Robert’s design philosophy, it’s essential that his pieces go beyond the standard approach to fine jewellery, which is often focused on seeing how many rocks can fit on a band. For Robert Young, it’s always a story or an emotion that takes center stage. Every piece has a unique message and these new rings are no exception, each one has its own inspiration. All of these handcrafted creations are waiting to take a special place in your personal life story. See below for a preview of some of these beautiful new pieces.

The dramatic range of settings is one of the first things you’ll notice about the new collection. Take the “Say A Little Prayer” ring, which features two gold arcs ever-so-gently enclosing a stone. The delicate arcs portray two hands coming together in prayer. Robert Young named the ring after the moving Aretha Franklin song “I Say a Little Prayer” where she sings, “Forever, and ever, you’ll stay in my heart and I will love you. Forever, and ever we never will part.”

Say a Little Prayer
solitaire diamond curved engagement ring

Then there’s the new ring, “The Question,” which has so many striking dimensions you won’t even know where to begin. This is definitely a contemporary statement piece that leaves a lasting impression. Sleek and curved, the sculpted design holds a literal question mark in its frame. The question could be: “Will you spend the rest of your life with me?” or “Do you know how much I love you?” or “Do you remember the day we met?” The trademark Robert Young Sculpture “love” signature is hand engraved into the inner surface of the band for an added element of emotion and meaning.

The Question
Bezel set diamond engagement ring

“Heroes” is another distinctive piece in the new collection. It almost feels royal. When you look at it you get the sensation of strength and vibrancy. The ring is defined by a pair of strong, elegant arms that hold the diamond in place. The arms have an eccentric twist where one is slightly longer than the other. Robert describes them as if they were “shouting to the stars.” The story behind this ring comes from the David Bowie song “Heroes.” The lyrics sing, “I will be king and you, you will be queen…we can be heroes, just for one day.”

Heros

The “New Rose” ring is like a gorgeous, sculpted flower that practically leaps out at you to admire it. You have no choice but to stop and take in the beauty of the stone emerging from its circular gold setting. It’s hard to say where things end and begin with this piece. The different elements of the band loop and wrap like a blossom. Robert drew inspiration for this ring from the song “New Rose” by The Damned. The song goes, “I gotta new rose, I got her good, guess I knew I always would. I can’t stop to mess around. I got a brand new rose in town.”

New Rose

Thank you for sharing in our excitement about these new additions! These rings are only a preview of the full collection. Stay tuned as we reveal more of the new designs in the coming weeks. We encourage you to contact us if you would like additional information on any of these pieces or if you would like to schedule a consultation for a custom piece of your own.

My Family. My Inspiration, and the Princess cut diamond rings

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Yesterday was my mother’s birthday and I want to celebrate her life with this blog post. They told me not to send this, and I know it’s not traditional to share something so personal, but I’m going to anyway. There’s almost nothing conventional about my approach to my jewellery so I might as well be consistent! I can’t think of a better way to honour her birthday than by sharing my love for her with the many who enjoy my work. These princess cut diamond rings are dedicated to her.

February 24 marked my mother’s 79th year on earth. She’s lives a world away from me in a small care facility in England. My mother has been diagnosed with dementia, which makes communication difficult. Some days it’s hard to have a simple conversation without confusion. She can’t really cope with a phone and her vision is increasingly limited as well. Even though I can’t be with her in person, I am surrounded by reminders of her.

Years ago my mother inspired me to design one of my favourite pieces called the Hold Hands Ring. It came about after a walk in the park together. Worn from the walk, she sat down on a bench to rest for a while. There was something so elegant and beautiful about the way she rested her head in her hands—I had to capture it. I asked her to look at me and then I took the picture. You can clearly see her form in the shape of the ring.

Hold Hands Ring inspired by my Mum.

This ring could never have come into existence without my mother’s story. She is as much a part of it as the diamond and gold. Emotion and meaning are fundamental components of every single piece I create. It’s what’s most important to me in the design process. A truly meaningful piece of jewellery is not about where you bought it, or who made it or even how valuable it is. It’s about the heart and soul.

Please join me in wishing the best mum in the world a Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday Mum!

From your loving son,

Robert

Reflection, Looking forward, and Custom Made Jewellery

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On reflection of this past last year, and looking to the new, I feel very lucky to be doing the job I’m doing and working with a great and diverse team.

I’m on this path, not for money, but to leave this world in a better place than I stared. This is what I do, and who I am.

Over the last 7 years I’ve become a love preacher, or as one customer likes to call me, The Love God! Whilst this is in jest. I am serious. What we create is not just sticking a rock on a band or selling the next product, it’s about working in the area of peoples private lives, their strongest emotions.

In this last year we have made people cry, with our custom made jewellery, including one lady who was jumping with joy, and didn’t stop. There is nothing like having a customer cry with joy over what you have made them.

This past year we made engagement rings for Lovers around Australia from Tasmania to Perth, we made jewellery for a guy serving in Afghanistan, and in the thick of the trouble.

This last year I have had some of the hardest interviews, uncovering peoples dark, tragic, happy, and exciting past to be able to create new custom jewellery that has meaning that has lasting value. One very notable sophisticated lady who was married 3 times, and sadly never for love! ( she will now). A very strong effervescent woman, who was sexually abused from the age of 6 to 11 by her step father. ( she danced on his grave) a prostitute taking the first steps to recover from her addiction and get on a new path ( good on you). A couple who lost their child as a 2 month old, ( what will fill that void ?).

The common thread is love.

I got involved in helping with some ideas on how to propose, I felt the nerves, the excitement and the call afterwards to say she said YES.

We made jewellery for people who were incarcerated. We made jewellery for people who have been married for 30 years. We made jewellery for teenagers wanting to express themselves, and we made commitment rings for 2 Lesbians recognising their relationship. As a custom jewellery designer in Sydney, I hope to continue making jewellery with meaning.

All of these objects, these custom made jewellery artworks we made, are stories of LOVE,

Custom hand made jewellery

Custom made jewellery Handmade Engagement ring

and I’m honored to be doing this job, Its a great and unique position to be in.

…..I also had some funny moments, I was on a roll with this woman and said, ‘we don’t just make jewellery we make love’ fortunately she was very gracious. i tried to back pedal but theirs no taking that back is their !

Robert