A week with a good ring

Labelled the jewel in Aotearoa’s contemporary jewellery celebration crown, the biennial Nelson Jewellery Week is back to shine bright like a diamond.

With a chain of exhibitions, workshops, public talks, and networking opportunities, the “super fun” event has been treasured by those who fancy a bit of bling since 2021.

Nelson Jewellery Week’s creative director Kay van Dyk, who has her own jewellery school, The Bench, on Collingwood St, says Nelson Tasman, national and international works will dazzle, from high-end jewellery to pieces made from recyclable materials.

“We’re definitely getting this large profile that’s growing so it’s for local people, it’s for makers, it’s for jewellery lovers and definitely for national and international audiences now as well, which is fantastic,” she says.

“We’re different from a lot of other jewellery weeks in that we focus on workshops, and they’re really popular.

“People have this desire to make and learn, whether it’s the first thing they’ve ever done, or jewellers coming who are learning new skills,” she adds.

“It’s that celebration of contemporary jewellery as a distinctive art form, and the way it can communicate ideas and adorn the body as a way of people presenting themselves as well as what they wear.”

Kay says collaborations with the likes of the World Crafts Council, and the Aotearoa Jewellery Triennial and aspects of the recent Melbourne and Munich jewellery weeks will also sparkle throughout the week from 10 to 16 April.

Head to www.nelsonjewelleryweek.nz for more information and the full programme.