The phrase architectonic, in addition to referring to architecture, means the creation of a work of art based on structure and composition. From this perspective, the purpose of architectonic design is not just to resize architectural buildings to smaller dimensions than the actual size. One of the common approaches in jewelry design is to draw a building or architectural form smaller than the actual dimensions. In this approach, we usually face the same architectural artworks and the interference is minimal.
It is like turning the Eiffel Tower into a jewel with its own special form. But in architectural terms, the goal is not imitation and adaptation, but we are dealing with an author designer who borrows structure and composition from architecture and makes it his own. But in architectonic terms, the goal is not imitation and adaptation, but we are dealing with an author designer who borrows structure and composition from the architect and makes it his own. For example, the use of depth to convey a sense of design in three dimensions and not just in two dimensions or jewelry that has moving parts that the user can reconfigure, and also in this approach often uses materials that are related to architecture and enhance the sense of architecture like stainless steel architectonic jewelry is subset of modern jewelry that began in the 1930s.
Jewelry has always been considered as a form of art throughout the art history. Today, jewelry is seen in major museums along with other works of art. For instance, in the History of Art Museum of Vienna , jewels are displayed beside paintings and sculptures. However, the names of major jewelers have not been as indelible as those of painters and sculptors. This issue has been the result of not only several cultural, social, and even political reasons but also the special situation of jewelry. On the other hand, certain jewels were created since the outset of the 20th Century by people who were not professional jewelers, but major painters and sculptors.
Men of art such as Picasso, Dali, Manrique, and others viewed jewelry as a wearable work of art and, like painting and sculpture, considered it as a certain form of artistic presentation. Such works of art are referred to as artistic jewelry, created by an artist. Such type of artists were professional jewelers and did not create many works in the field of jewelry and were not even quite familiar with jewelry making techniques. Instead, they saw jewelry as an art presentation medium.
Their works were made in limited edition or as a single piece. Furthermore, these works of art followed different production process and purposes, and were targeted to give a message, challenge the one who wears the jewelry, and were in a way, the statement of the artist. Such works were the opposite of mass jewelry production and were more focused on their uniqueness. This way, they confront commercial design through creating conceptual works and the message of such works. They considered jewelry as a piece of art.
