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MEET EMEFA COLE

Yet more stuff to covet

08.09.2020

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Ghana-born and London-based, Emefa Cole makes magnificent pieces of jewellery using 100% recycled gold and silver. A graduate in Jewellery and Silversmithing from the London Metropolitan University, Emefa’s fascination with jewellery began during her childhood. Local folklore told tales of people finding gold nuggets washed up from the soil after heavy rains - an image that captivates her to this day.

Using traditional wax-casting techniques native to West Africa, Emefa layers various metals - including gold, silver, rhodium and oxidised bronze - with gold leaf to create pieces that convey the beauty of destruction through a natural peeling process that reveals each layer of metal over time. The natural world is an enduring source of inspiration for Emefa. Her ‘Vulcan’ collection, for example, celebrates the wonder of volcanoes, while ‘Erosion’ seeks to celebrate this continual natural process that sculpts our planet.

Most recently, Emefa has embarked on an apprenticeship with the personal goldsmiths of the Asantehene in Ghana’s Kumasi. This tutorage will allow her to explore the ancient craft of wax-cast jewellery more deeply. By the end of her apprenticeship, Emefa will be a guardian of these techniques, ready to pass them onto the next generation of jewellers.