To start our celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Metal Arts Guild, we want to highlight the background of a few of its founding members, Merry Renk, Tex Geiling, Florence Resnikoff.

Photo: merry renk, Tex Geiling, Florence Resnikoff (2011, MAG 60th anniversary symposium).

Florence Resnikoff  (1920-2013)

Founder, President Jeweler, sculptor, and teacher. Florence Resnikoff combined complex electrical-based processes with ancient techniques to create vibrantly colored jewelry and metalwork. Resnikoff began exploring jewelry and enameling through adult education courses while working as a registered medical technician in Chicago. In the early 1950s, she relocated to Palo Alto, and had her first one person show at the Art Gallery at Stanford University in 1956. Her interactions with the Metal Arts Guild helped her build her repertoire of techniques and materials in which she accented her gold and silver jewelry with colorful jewels and enamels. She served as Head of the Metal Arts Program at the California College of Arts and Crafts until her retirement as Professor Emerita in 1989. Named a California Living Treasure in 1985, collections include: The Oakland Art Museum, the San Francisco Art Commission, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Smithsonian Museum of American Arts and the Museum of Arts and Design (under consideration). 

Read about Awarded Article from Florence Resnikoff:

This article was awarded a prize and a lifetime honorary membership in The Society Of Jewelry Historians, USA. Fall, 1993.

• Palladium, a Platinum-Group Metal for Jewelry http://www.florenceresnikoffdesigns.com/pall.html
• http://www.florenceresnikoffdesigns.com/precious.html

The first 3 photos of her work are the following:

Ripple Pendant

Florence Resnikoff, Ripple Pendant, 1984, 14k gold, titanium, niobium, and moonstone, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Carl Resnikoff, 2009.18.3A-B, © 1984, Florence Resnikoff

Credit Line : Smithsonian American Art Museum

https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/ripple-pendant-77542

California Home Pendant

Double examples of colloidal diffusion, 24kt gold, to pure palladium and pure palladium foil bonded to pure silver, oxidized. boulder opal, leather cord. 11″ x 6″ , Florence Resnikoff  , http://www.florenceresnikoffdesigns.com/pall.html 

Geometric Pin

Florence Resnikoff, Geometric Pin, 1989, 24k and 14k gold, pure silver, sterling silver, citrine quartz, and Siberian jade, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Carl Resnikoff, 2009.18.2, © 1989, Florence Resnikoff https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/geometric-pin-77541

More of Florence’s work at: 

https://americanart.si.edu/artist/florence-resnikoff-7251

http://www.florenceresnikoffdesigns.com

Published Work

1959 (5th Ed) JEWELRY MAKING, Murray Bovin. Self published. New York.

1961 THE DESIGN & CREATION OF JEWELRY, Robert von Neumann. The Chilton Bood Co, Pennsylvania

1962 HAND WROUGHT JEWELRY, Lois E. Franke. Mc Knight & McKnight, Illinois

1970 CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY, Philip Morton. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York

1976 METAL JEWELRY TECHNIQUES, Marcia Chamberlain. Watson Guptil, New York

1979 ELECTROPLATING & ELECTROFORMING for ARTISTS, Lee & Jay Newman. Crown Pubs

1983 JEWELRY.CONTEMPORARY DESIGN & TECHNIQUE, Chuck Evans. Davis Pubs, Massachusetts

1994 ONE OF A KIND, AMERICAN ART JEWELRY TODAY, Susan Lewin. H. Abrams. New York

2004 MODERNIST JEWELRY, Marbeth Schon. Schiffer Pub. PA

2005 CALIFORNIA DESIGNS, Jo Lauria & Suzanne Baizerman. Chronicle Books, San Francisco