Designer makes light work of heavy metal

Josh King started making jewellery in 1993 because he couldn't find anything that he liked to wear. Pictures / Glenn Jeffrey

Finding a knuckleduster in your grandfather's drawer has such wicked appeal for a young boy, particularly if it has a history that includes the 1950s wharf riots.

But for all its intrinsic threat, that gleaming metal piece is much admired by designer Josh King for being so beautifully crafted and designed.

"I was just fascinated by it as a boy - although I'm not sure if he ever used it on anyone during the riots," says King, who has just launched his own jewellery collection.

King has sculpted a tamer version of a knuckleduster for the collection. The two-fingered ring is one of many heavyweights in the collection. One large band encases the finger with 50g of silver.

"Most jewellers are intimidated by heavy rings because of the casting problems, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and create shapes I wanted to make." King says he's pushed the boundaries to see how thick he could make a ring and still keep it manageable.

The 32-year-old took a year to design the collection of 45 rings and 25 earrings and eight months to create and hand-finish them.

"I think most people think that when something is cast it comes out perfectly from the mould. But I have to sand, file and polish for a considerably long time to make sure they are perfect."

King has three distinct looks in his collection. The rock'n'roll range incorporates traditional tattoo designs such as the diving swallow earrings which plummet from the lobes with extraordinary grace.

There is also the Pacific-theme earring range and the Organic range of silver rings - a particular favourite is the square-shaped ring with the four seasons engraved in Maori on each side.

Zambesi took the rock'n'roll range to Australian Fashion Week and King received a lot of positive feedback.

King started making jewellery in 1993 because he couldn't find anything that he liked to wear - "nothing distinctly masculine".

He spent time with jeweller Roy Mason learning traditional casting methods before launching his own range, which was snapped up by exclusive designer stores. King even crafted a set of exquisite rings for the dwarfs in Lord of the Rings.

Three years ago he set aside his jewellery tools to explore other design projects, frequently collaborating with his mother, artist Virginia King, on large-scale works. It was during work on his Kiwiana range that King became keen on incorporating those images in his jewellery.

Although King's inspiration comes mainly from nature, he's also influenced by music and street culture. And he has a fascination with military paraphernalia. "There is a contradiction of a piece that is made for a military institution but at same time is incredibly beautiful."

Objects of war are built to last, much like a Josh King design.

"There's a lot of imported trashy jewellery but there will always be a place for beautifully made New Zealand jewellery created with integrity and perfectionism," King says. "I love the idea that people will have something of mine for years and pass it on for somebody else to enjoy."

King's jewellery is available at Zambesi, Workshop and the Eon Design Centre.