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CONTEMPORARY NEW ZEALAND JEWELLERY

Pauline Bern

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Pauline Bern is a self taught jeweller who started making jewellery in the 1970's in the USA before returning to Auckland where she began exhibiting in Fingers Gallery in 1981. She was a lecturer at Unitec Institute of Technology for 24 years and was head of jewellery for 20 of those years, her work is held by Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Auckland Museum and The Dowse Art Museum

Pauline's early work often referred to domestic space - she won the inaugural Thomas Foundation gold award in 2000 making a necklace woven to resemble small steel wool pot scrubbers, made from 80 meters of 18ct gold wire. Her more recent work reflects the rhythms of every day life and the natural world - the weather, walking, shells on the beach.

"I want the works to elicit curiosity, intrigue, surprise, humour and perhaps nostalgia, I am not attempting to emulate botanical forms, rather to appropriate the extraordinary, unexpected, and often unnoticed details in nature, into a contemporary jewellery context." Pauline Bern

From 2023

Gleam, Glimmer, Glimpse

Pauline Bern

Ring - sterling silver, star ruby   $885
Ring - sterling silver, carnelian agate   $885
Ring - oxidised sterling silver, moonstone   $885
Ring - oxidised sterling silver, Mexican fire agate   $885

From 2022

Animal, vegetable, mineral..?

Pauline Bern

Brooch tuatua, freshwater pearl, brass pin   $250
Brooch pipi, Labradorite, brass pin   $250
Brooch pipi, freshwater pearl, brass pin   $250
Brooch pipi, amethyst, brass pin   $250
Brooch pipi, fresh water pearl, brass pin   $250
Brooch pipi, coral, brass pin   $250
Brooch pipi, rose seed, shellac ink, 18ct gold, steel pin   $320

Pauline Bern

Seed Earrings, 9ct gold, oxidised fine/stg silver, kowhai seed   $300
Seed Earrings, 9ct gold, oxidised fine silver, coral   $380
Seed Earrings, oxidised fine/stg silver, coral, 18ct gold   $300

Pauline Bern

Brooch, SHELL FLOWER   $1,000
Pipi and cockle shell, citrine, oxidised fine silver

Pauline Bern

Brooch, PEARL FLOWER   $1,500
Mother of pearl, pearls 9ct gold' silver

Pauline Bern

Brooch, MEND, Tuatua silk polyester brass pin   $140
Brooch, MEND, Tuatua silk polyester brass pin (reverse)   $140

From 2021

Pauline Bern

Necklace: Petal Fall   $1,500
Fine/sterling silver, glass beads, stainless steel cable, ribbon

Pauline Bern

Necklace: Petal Fall   $950
Oxidised fine/sterling silver, citrine, rose wood prunings, shellac ink, stainless steel cable

Pauline Bern

Brooch: Petal - Fine/sterling silver   $280
Brooch: Petal - Oxidised fine/sterling silver   $280
Brooch: Petal - Oxidised fine/sterling silver   $280

From 2020

Pauline Bern

‘Carapace’ - tuatua, kowhai seed, 18/9ct gold, gold plated cable, brass mesh $1,060
‘Carapace’ - tuatua, oxidised fine silver, gold plated cable, 9ct gold $885

Pauline Bern

‘Carapace’ pendants, reverse

From 2019

Pauline Bern

N/L Leaf   $1,500
23ct plated gold, 999 silver, amber beads, gold plated stalnless steel cable

Pauline Bern

N/L Petal   $850
999 silver, peridot beads, silver plated stainless steel cable

From 2018

Pauline Bern

‘Re-Structure’ Shell, ox fine silver, m.o.p, cable.   $1,000
‘Re-Structure’ Shell, 9ct gold, ox stg, cable.   $680
‘Re-Structure’ Shell, ox fine silver, amethyst, cable   $750

From 2017

Pauline Bern

3 Rings, stg and fine silver    $800 each
Ring, 22ct gold, stg silver   $800

From 2016

Pauline Bern

Seed Necklace - Fine silver, aquamarine, gold-plated cable   $850

Pauline Bern

Seed Necklace – Fine silver, peridot, gold-plated cable    $850

From 2015

Pauline Bern

Carapace Necklace   $1,150
Tuatua shell, fine silver oxidised, coral, polyester ribbon

Pauline Bern

Seed Necklace   $885
Oxidised fine silver, coral, gold plated cable

Pauline Bern

'Carapace' Fine silver, tuatua shell, polyester cord   $1,240
'Carapace' Fine silver, 9ct gold, pipi shell, gold plated cable   $970
'Carapace' Stg silver, oyster pearl shell, tuatua shell, polyester cord   $1,060

Pauline Bern

Reverse of above

From 2014

Pauline Bern

40!! Grams of Silver   $1,200
Fine silver, gold plated cable

Pauline Bern

40!! Carats of Shell   22ct gold, shell, gold plated cable   $700
40!! Centimetres of Gold   22ct gold, sterling silver, tuatua shell, polyester cord   $1,500
40!! Rubies   18ct and 9ct gold, ruby beads, gold plated cable   $1,400

From 2013

Pauline Bern

Petal Fall Neckpiece   $500
Fine silver, cord

Pauline Bern

Petal Fall Brooch,   $530
Stg silver, shell, 18ct gold, citrine, kowhai seed, cable

From 2012

Corallium Argentum

Corallium Argentum    $1,400
Brooch: fine and stg silver, coral

Silver Swarm

Silver Swarm    $1,400
Brooch: fine and stg silver, brass mesh

Silver Swarm (detail)

Silver Swarm
(detail)

Physocarpa Corallium

Physocarpa Corallium    $700
Brooch: 9ct gold, coral, swan plant, nikau nut flowers

Physocarpa Argentum

Physocarpa Argentum    $900
Necklace: swanplant, nikau nut, rose thorn, silver

Aqua Rosa Argentum

Aqua Rosa Argentum    $1,750
Brooch: fine and stg silver, pearls, citrine beads

Rosa Argentum

Rosa Argentum    $1,250
Necklace: rose thorn and wood, fine silver

Nikau Shell Rose

Nikau Shell Rose    $1,400
Necklace: 18ct gold, silver, shell, ink, nikau nut, rose wood citrine beads

Fern Flower

Fern Flower    $700
Necklace: 18ct gold, glass and shell beads, fern stem

Dicksonia Podocarpus

Dicksonia Podocarpus    $900
Necklace: neritina shell, totara leaves, fern stem, glass beads

Pauline Bern

Spring Seed Shimmer Brooch   $1,770
9ct gold, sterling silver, pearl shell, ink, rose seed, cable

From 2011

'Gold Leaf Stirrer'    $1,780
9ct gold, wooden spoon, totara leaves, shellac, ink, cable

'Device to Deflate' (gold prices, egos, real estate…….)    $710
9ct gold, rose thorn, industrial plastic, cable

Pauline selected

From 2010

Pauline Bern

1  Snowhite   $875
9ct pin, fine silver, stg silver, postage stamp, industrial plastic, cable
2  Rose Red   $788
Rose wood, 18ct gold, industrial plastic, cable

From 2009

Pauline Bern

Rings from the 'Glean' Series,   2009
Silver, wood, glass, rock, nylon filament, industrail plastic
Each ring approx 40mm x 33mm x 30mm

Pauline Bern

1   Collect ½¢   $615
2   Collect 3¢   $615
3   Collect 4¢   $615
1970's used New Zealand stamps, 9ct gold, stg silver industrial plastic, wood, felt, stainless steel cable

Pauline Bern

4   3¢   $105
5   3¢   $105
6   4¢   $105
7   4¢   $105
1970's used New Zealand postage stamps, stg silver industrial plastic, wood, stainless steel wire

From 2009
"Glean"

"I collect fragments of materials to manipulate into rings and neckpieces;
we glean information from the jewellery a person chooses to wear."
Pauline Bern, 2009

 

All Rings  $265 each
Materials include: gold, silver, wood, ceramic, glass, rock, semi-precious stones, brick, polyester cord, nylon filament, industrail plastic, plastic coated steel cable

 
 
 

All Necklaces   $350 each
Materials include: gold, silver, wood, ceramic, glass, rock, semi-precious stones, brick, polyester cord, nylon filament, industrail plastic, plastic coated steel cable

	

From 2007

1   'Gather' brooch    9ct gold, sterling silver, feather, industrial plastic   $350
2   'Gather' brooch    9ct gold, sterling silver, feather, industrial plastic, steel cable   $350
3   'Sort' brooch         9ct gold, sterling silver, cable, feather, plastic   $440
4   'Sort' brooch         9ct gold, semi precious stones, charcoal, feather, plastic   $440
5   'Scatter' brooch   9ct gold, sterling silver, bark, industrial plastic, steel cable   $440

	

From  2005
The Ring Project

"I have re-viewed my local environment as a resource, selecting from the beach worn fragments of Waitemata papa, weathered pohutukawa and man-made remnants for intervention and transformation, reassessing the banal.
Made from structures and materials susceptible to wear and tear the rings are as vulnerable as the relationships they so often represent. Care must be taken: unlike the timeless durability of the convention of gold and diamonds, these rings may act as a reminder of the fragility of our emotions and interactions."
Pauline Bern, 2005








72 Rings assembled from:
Materials off the beach: Waitemata Papa (layered sandstone, mudstone), scoria, pohutukawa wood, glass & ceramic shards.
Combined with: gold (22ct, 18ct, 9ct), fine & sterling silver, mokume gane, diamond, mudstone, sapphire, heat shrink plastic,
nylon filament, steel cable, paint, epoxy.
Rings with Precious metals or stones $300
Rings without $200

From 2003

Pauline Bern # 115, necklace

Pauline Bern #115, necklace

Pauline Bern

Pauline Bern, Mend Shells, brooch

Pauline Bern

Pauline Bern, Mend Shells, brooch

 
Pauline Bern # 95

Pauline Bern #95, earing, mother of pearl

Pauline Bern # 88

Pauline Bern #88, brooch

Pauline Bern

Pauline Bern, Waitemata brooch

 
Pauline Bern # 93

Pauline Bern #93, earing, mother of pearl

Pauline Bern # 96

Pauline Bern # 96, $390

Pauline Bern # 100

Pauline Bern #100

 

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