What is jewellery illustration?

A few years ago I wanted to paint a dragon. Covered in beautiful jewels. There’s a big dragon story that I will tell another time! I did paint that dragon and I tried very hard with the jewels, but it was frustrating not to be able to get the transparency and the rich colours that I wanted. It led me on a journey which has ended up right here.

Necklace illustration from the exhibition at Le Petit Palais, Paris, 2025

I found jewellery illustration, a really old and gorgeous technique used for centuries. The technique I’ve learned since my dragon is one which would have been used in the fine jewellery industry by companies such as Dior, Chaumet or Lalique. Clients who were looking to commission pieces from the couture jewellery studios would have had their pieces painted by artists, so that they had a very clear idea of what their (necklace) would look like, before the jewellers even touched the expensive gems or metals. There is a tradition of these pieces being painted in gouache paint (an opaque watercolour) on coloured paper. Exactly the same as I use in my own work, now.

Jewellers could then work directly from the paintings and bring them to life. The client would then receive both the jewellery piece and the artwork. In the digital age this is less common, however, high end houses do still use this method, simply because it is so beautiful.

I don’t have any intention of making jewellery myself. Instead I use the same traditional technique and materials in illustrations, alphabets and portraiture. I am totally in love with the technique and I have so many ideas for how I want to use them. I’d love it if you kept in touch to see how these ideas develop.