More About Savané Silver
Statement from the Owner
I create my jewelry designs drawing inspiration from each carefully chosen fine gemstone. Combining curvilinear silver to create a distinct melodic energy in each piece while considering every element of the jewelry as worthy of design, I often manifest a new functionality.
The stones are chosen one-by-one at gem shows where I pour over piles of gems to find the individual pieces which spark a tingle of excitement in me. I recognize this tingle as a message which will eventually translate into a piece of jewelry with extraordinary dynamics. Other than this initial feeling for a stone, premeditated sketches of design elude me. I prepare "sticks" of silver in random lengths and thicknesses as well as solid balls of silver. With these on hand I contemplate a particular stick or two alongside the stone. Shorter sticks will have a swoosh effect. Longer sticks will loop and wind around and back. Balls have a staccato effect. Unlimited are the combinations I can make with these sticks and balls. The curves the sticks become produce character. The character of the curves evolves. The interplay between sticks and stones varies depending on the point at which they are joined and then again by a staccato ball placed sometimes a balancing point, sometimes as an accent.
Balance. Symmetry. Asymmetry. I think in terms of balance. Quite literally in regards to my pendants. The positions of the asymmetrical curving designs mean that the application of the bale (portion through which the necklace passes) determines the success of the piece. I must lift the newly soldered pendant off of the soldering pad and hold it up by the bale to see if it is in balance. Instinct is strong within me and I succeed more times than not in creating a complex and comfortable balance in the work.
Another wave of excitement comes after the extensive, labor-intensive polishing of the silver that has been altered by the high temperatures of the torch in the soldering stages. This is the moment of setting the stone, without use of adhesives, but through moving the silver metal over the stone to hold it securely in place. With stone set, piece complete, a broad consciousness arrives. The previous stages of the creative process occur in different levels of consciousness, connections to Spirit.
A piece complete. A character created. Time to relax and look forward to the final chapter for the piece . . . finding its person.
Biography
Savané Silver was founded in 1996, when Rachel Savané discovered the juried art fair scene. In January of 1997 Rachel participated in her first-ever craft fair, Kentucky Crafted: The Market, in Louisville, KY. This first experience of selling the pieces she made was encouragement enough to quit her job and jump in.
Rachel's degree from the University of Illinois, BFA in Crafts/Metals, 1988 served as an excellent foundation of skills and design necessary to begin the process of evolution in creativity. The time she has spent abroad offers her a global perspective on design: college year in Denmark(85-86) and Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa(90-93) where she met her husband.
Rachel participated in all of the juried art fairs in Kentucky, averaging twelve per year until in 2003 Savané Silver was incorporated and she decided to open a gallery/studio in downtown Lexington, KY where she lives. With the gallery location she has built up a following of visitors to the city as well as increased her visibility to many more locals who are becoming collectors of her work.
Community Involvement
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Guatemalan Educational Outreach (GEO)
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Lexington Fraternity Order of Firefighters
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East 7th St. Kid's Cafe
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Mack Foundation Elite Youth Basketball Team
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Lexington Rescue Mission
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DSACK
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American Red Cross
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Community Action Council
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God's Pantry
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YMCA on High St.
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The Rotary Club of Lexington
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Girls on the Run
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Lexington Philharmonic
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Association of Women Geologists
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Lexington Leadership Association
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First Choice Child Care & Learning Center
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Lexington Children's Theater
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Franklin County Humane Society
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University of Kentucky Alumni Association
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University of Kentucky College of Dentistry Alumni Association
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University of Kentucky College of Medicine
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Morehead University
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The Arc of Central Kentucky
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St. Leo Catholic School
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Woodford Humane Society
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American Association of Women Dentists
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Commonwealth Fund for KET
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Community Action Committee
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Bluegrass Energy
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Explorium of Lexington
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Sayre School
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American Heart Association