Description

Linda McFarlane’s Pyrite and shell necklace has a distinctive design with its angle-cut shells alternating with the round discs of pyrite **. The shell has a lovely iridescence which means it picks up many colours. It is therefore a versatile accessory for many outfits.

Linda McFarlane has been working as a jeweller for some 15 years. She began as a logical extension of her original training and lifelong interest in fashion-design and textile arts. She takes a restrained approach and likes to explore the possibilities presented by the use of simple materials and forms. Nevertheless, she enjoys making the most of varied textures, colours, and reflective qualities.

‘I like my work to be individual and affordable and distinct from that found on the high street. I enjoy experimenting with such materials as stainless steel, rubber, Perspex, glass, with bold forms to create surprising yet harmonious wearable sculpture.’

Linda places particular emphasis on combinations of opposites in her work. She likes to play with generic contrasts such as light and dark, rough and smooth, shiny and dull. She has made a special range of environmental jewellery for GroundWork gallery using natural materials such as stone, shell, lava and leather. Linda often experiments with new combinations of materials and designs. As well as in textiles, Linda’s background is in teaching and she lives and works in Norwich.

About the materials

**Pyrite, or Fool’s Gold is a mineral with a bright metallic lustre. It has a chemical composition of iron sulfide (FeS₂). Despite occurring  usually in small quantities, it is a very common mineral worldwide. It forms at high and low temperatures and is found with igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.