Crystals, klunker, dimestore diamonds

Artist list

Gabriele Hinze, Polly Wales, Stephanie Hensle

For a long time jewellery provided precise information about the position of the wearer in society. The game with inclusion and exclusion lead to a specific language and form, wherein jewels took a central role.

The number of those who wanted access to this form of language grew and surmounted the production of jewels - for some as well the budget they could spent on jewellery. In the 18th century rhinestones became celebrated stars. In the 20s of the last century the youth feasted in rings with oversized artificial stones, which matched their clothes and danced the charleston. The early royally acceptance of jewels' copies was insinuating for the lasting power with whom the pure form of a facetted stone is showing off wealth and splendour until today.

The work of the three artists reflects in different ways on the use of stones in contemporary jewellery.