ABOUT THE ARTIST

Colorado artist, Todd Reed, has been called “the godfather” of raw diamond jewelry. He first began working with raw diamonds in 1992 and each year his work becomes more beautiful. Describing himself as a ‘diamond in the rough’, Reed has a powerful relationship with these geometric crystals. 

Reed was ten when he watched as a metalsmith “turned sheet metal into body adornment…” and has been fascinated by making things ever since. And this is not limited to jewelry, it includes furniture, sculpture, clothing and even meals…he graduated with honors from culinary school.

The niche of art jewelry is small but liberating for him.  He finds himself free to create whatever inspires him. Since there are no preconceived notions of what a piece ‘should’ look like; the boundaries exist only in the mind.

ABOUT THE WORK

When working with industrial diamonds, Reed is inspired mostly by those that have a natural cube shape. (Not all raw diamonds have a cube shape!)  In a most basic sense – the diamond cubes grew perfectly square in a round world.    Reed was reminded of Italian mosaic tile work when looking at the diamond cubes lying shoulder to shoulder.  Connecting the geometric cubes to the circular base metal creates the relationship of stone to round earth.

Since industrial diamonds are often quite dark, Reed sets them on a dark metal base.  Using a blue-gray patina on sterling silver, Todd achieves a look reminiscent of forged iron.  Contrast comes from the rich colors of 18K and 22K gold, with which Reed sets the stones.  A deliberately rough jagged edge on the top of the bezels plays off the natural diamonds surface texture.  For Reed, “the materials share an incredibly diverse beauty; the natural textures and colors speak to me about the ‘true nature’ of the materials”.

EXHIBITS

2005
“Metalisms: Signature Works in Jewelry & Metalsmithing, Metropolitan State College of Denver,
Denver, CO

2003 
“Unearthing the Allure of Gems,” Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT
“Fine Lines, Rough Cuts,” Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

INCLUSIONS AND AWARDS

2006
Smithsonian Craft Show, Silver Award               

2005
500 Bracelets: An Inspiring Collection of Extraordinary Designs, Lark Books

2005
Ornament Magazine, Autumn 2005
Niche Award, gold jewelry with stones, Niche magazine
MJSA American Vision Award, First Prize, Professional

2002 
Designer Jewelry Arts Competition, Best of Show