I have to admit that not so long ago I had no idea of who McTeigue & McClelland are and what they actually do. By accident I stumbled upon some of their jewelry designs and I was left completely speechless.
In my opinion they have this remarkable signature on their jewelry, I guess I would in most of the cases recognize their creations. The fact that I truly love is the fact that they are a little out of the ordinary and the details are so well taken care of.
The pieces are so imaginative and colorful; I particularly love the way they use certain gemstones. The colors are so visceral, they attract immediately. The unique floral design, the small golden leaves are the hard work of true craftsmen. My instant reaction was imagining them on me… I’m telling you something, they would look stunning.
They jewelry has an antique patina and yellow gold never seemed so attractive to me. Sophistication describes their vintage style jewelry, both impressive in craftsmanship and antique-cut gemstones.
“Distinguished by a painstaking use of offbeat settings, rare, old-fashioned diamond cuts and super-saturated colored stones, the pair’s jewelry employs techniques that haven’t been seen since the early days of the last century, when teams of master craftsmen worked at Tiffany and Co. and other society jewelers. Most of McTeigue and McClelland’s gold is bloomed, an old chemical process whereby the alloy is stripped from the surface of the gold to create a rich patina that has the silky, burnished look of a Victorian bauble.” says Victoria Gomelsky in an interview with the two artists.
“We’re anti-commercial jewelry,” says McClelland during a break from his atelier in Great Barrington, Mass., an upscale rural community in the Berkshires. “If I was a rapper, I would dis Tiffany because there isn’t a creative element in the least. It’s just become more and more commercial.”
Their creative and original style is what impressed me about their designs. Now I can only dream of one day finding one by accident as I walk on the street.
Feel free to visit their site : www.mc2jewels.com
Tags: craftsman, Designer Jewelry, expensive, expensive gemstones, famous jewelry, fashion, fine jewelry, gemstones, gold, luxury, McClelland, McTeigue
June 24th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Love your post. I’m a friend and colleague of both Tim and Walter and not only are they incredible jewelers – they are two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. If you even happen to be in Great Barrington, Ma – visit their store. It’s completely adorable. I used to work for Walter’s brother, Michael, and have seen some of the most beautiful estate and new jewelry in the world – but McTeigue and McClelland are second to none. Close to Old school Cartier, VCA, and – yes – Faberge in my opinion. If you can afford it – buy it. It’s tomorrow’s heirloom!
Winona