The Story of Crush Jewel

Could you tell me a little about yourself?

My name is Pei.  I was born in Taiwan in 1992. I moved to the UK for my master degree, and then moved to Spain to study a professional jewelry course. In 2022, after I graduated from the jewelry school, I began to work on my own brand , Crush Jewel. 

How would you describe your artistic style, and what themes or concepts do you explore in your work?

Most of the time my work starts with an idea, a shape, or a shadow in my mind and it is not very clear what it would become. And then, I would start carving without a specific sketch. I like to discover the piece in the process, sometimes turns out completely different from what I had in mind. I like the feeling that I could surprise myself. 

My inspiration mostly comes from the little details around me. If something caught my attention I would start to observe it, most of the time it is not necessarily for making a piece of jewelry, it is a habit of mine and it just store in my mind as an archive. These memories are the most important part of the source of my creativity, and sometimes it is even just an subconscious influence that I see after the piece is made. 

What materials do you most enjoy working with, and why?

I enjoy carving wax the most. For one, it is a very forgiving material, because, if I made a mistake I can easily fix it. And, it allows me to explore the possibilities of shapes and volume very easily.  

Can you walk us through the creation of one of your recent pieces, from inspiration to finished product?

One most recent creations is some single earrings that were made with wires.

By folding the wire and melting the tip of it, I was able to achieve some earrings that capture the essence of seaweed and coral. 

What role do you believe jewelry plays in our culture, and why is it important?

To me jewelry is something out of necessity. The majority of people take jewelry as a symbol for status in life or in society. I don’t disagree with this, but I would also like to show people that besides this, there is a lot of knowledge, culture value. Even more, there are also a variety of techniques that different jewelers need to known or even invent in order to create the finihed product, and many people might no be aware of this.  

By showing the public there is a lot more than just gold and diamond, gradually the people would be more interested in independent artisans and appreciate the work. Because the audience slowly gets educated and learns more inside information, the value and concept of what jewelry is might change with time

This is not only helping us as artisans, but I think it is also a positive change for the wearers, as the public starts to consciously make the choice of what they like, what they purchase, and what they would like to put on themselves, without following any influencers or trends. 

How do you see your work evolving in the future, and what new techniques or materials are you interested in exploring?

This year I took a silversmithing course. It was a very different experience than being a bench jeweler. Also, I have made few of my own new tools and hammers in the course which was an interesting experience.

So far, I have tried to make some mini vases and an incense holder, I’m not sure how this would have an effect on my craft in the future, but judging by the technique I would say probably it would influence how I chose the size and the volume. 

Can you describe a typical day in your studio?

I would say I probably don’t have a typical day. It is the thing I wanted to avoid. 

I would start the day by deciding if I feel like leaving my house or not, and decide the work I would be doing accordingly. I mostly do wax carving and filling out the pieces at home, while soldering and polishing the jewelry are done in the workshop that I rent.

Also, I always have more than 5 different task in front of me at all times, so I could switch up when I feel bored or irritated. 

How do you incorporate sustainability and ethical considerations into your work as a jewelry artist?

Because of the nature of working constantly with metal, I find it very hard to be fully sustainable or eco friendly. I do consciously look for more eco friendly wrapping paper for shipping, and have non-plastic packaging. Biodegradable tape is the next thing i’ll be purchasing. 

And to be ethical, I think it is a more subjective or even personal topic. First thing I did was having my local tailor handmade all the pouch for the packaging. That, as a small slow fashion bossiness, I figure it was the least I should do.

I also have a rule that could be controversial nowadays that we will never work with any influencer. I don’t believe in the value they are bring us, and their business model is to influence everyone buying the same product or trend they have been paid to promote, which is the complete different value with what I have and Crush Jewel stands for.   

What are your favorite things to do outside of making jewelry?

Recently, I am hooked in bouldering. Other than this is movies, exhibitions, going to the beach, traveling, and siting on my sofa.