Sylvia Nevistic: Contemporary Jeweller and Object Maker

ABOUT

Sylvia’s background in jewellery making and what inspires her

Details are what inspire new work for Sylvia, such as, a silvery trail made by a snail revealed in the sunlight or a visit to a museum to study a pair of Etruscan gold earrings made with the traditional technique of granulation.

About Sylvia

As a child Sylvia had a love of nature and chose to follow that path by studying an ecological degree after high school. Following her studies, she moved to Melbourne. On a whim she decided to do a short course as a way of meeting new people, the course was an introduction to jewellery and she enjoyed it so much that she changed tact and decided to enrol in full-time studies to immerse herself further in the craft.

Since then, Sylvia has built a career on making custom work for private clients, such as engagement and commitment rings, researching and creating work for exhibition and also teaching in a variety of settings including University and Adult Education. She is an alumni of the JamFactory Centre for Contemporary Craft in Adelaide and has attended various workshops to hone her skills including a masterclass in granulation in Italy with Goldsmith Giovanni Corvaja. While in Italy Sylvia also showed her work in Milan.

Sylvia lives and works on Wadawurrung country (Ballarat), Australia.

“The foundation of my practice is based on making sculptural and wearable works that attempt to capture the delicacy of life. Its beauty and fragility through imagined forms that convey the intricacies found in Nature. To create an experience for looking, for feeling, for paying attention; to hone one’s focus on the minutiae.”

- Sylvia Nevistic, Ballarat

The Studio

I am a team of one. I run every aspect of the business, including designing and creating all my original pieces from my private central Ballarat atelier. I employ traditional techniques and when necessary to outsource a process such as lost wax casting, I use small Australian businesses that value a similar ethos to mine.

MADE IN AUSTRALIA

Making solely in Australia, using quality materials is a choice to support local business while being able to identify supply chains and reduce as much waste as possible.

I also open my studio doors for one off classes such as private tuition or couples interested in making their own wedding or commitment rings.

  • I use recycled gold and silver sourced from an Australian based company. Where appropriate, I also recycle old yellow gold from heirloom pieces and silver in my workshop.

  • All diamonds are sourced from my local diamond merchant in Melbourne, Australia. I love to use Australian sapphires in my work and to support very small gem cutters and dealers, I purchase directly from them.

  • I use Australia made porcelain from Keanes for my object collections.