Join us in the stunning showroom of Lyon & Turnbull Auctioneers for an evening panel discussion with historian Dr Sarah Laurenson and Jewellers and Elements Exhibitors Stefanie Cheong and Sian Evans. With interest and skill in stone carving and lapidary, Stefanie and Sian have incorporated the rich history of Scottish stones into their jewellery design. Much of their work features Scottish Agates, fossils and stones found in locations like Dunure, St Cyrus and the River Tay, linking their work to the rich cultural history of Scotland's jewellery industry. Stefanie and Sian have interpreted these ancient materials in a modern context, creating contemporary work with a rich connection to the natural world.This connects to Dr Laurenson's extensive research on the historic use of materials found in Scotland's natural landscape, such as gold and silver, crystals, stones, freshwater pearls, and shells.
We invite you to arrive at Lyon & Turnbull from 5:30pm. Talks will begin promptly at 6pm.
Your ticket to the evening talks includes the price of admission to Elements during our opening hours:
Friday 27 October, 11am-5pm
Saturday 28 October, 11am-5pm
Sunday 29 October, 11am-4pm
Dr Sarah Laurenson is Principal Curator of Modern and Contemporary History and Head of the Modern and Contemporary History Section at the National Museum of Scotland. Sarah's broad research interests span the period of Scottish history from 1750 to the present day with an emphasis on Scottish cultures and identities, and on the ways in which shifting engagement with the physical landscape and natural environment has shaped – and continues to shape – the material world. Dr Laurenson is the author of the recently published The Material Landscapes of Scotland’s Jewellery Craft, 1780-1914, providing a rich and detail ed cultural history of jewellery production in Scotland.
Stefanie Ying Lin Cheong is a designer and maker who explores geology and rock formations to inform her work. She brings a contemporary aesthetic to traditional lapidary process by cutting found and discarded rock and creating jewellery and objects. Often these are paired with recycled and fair trade metals. She started using Scottish found rock but recently she has also introduced making her own rocks from waste streams such as e-waste, plastics, glass and ceramics.
Sian Evans is a British Jewellery designer, from Dorset, living and working in London. Sian’s work is inspired by interests in archaeology, fashion, geology nature and sustainable technologies; the history of tools, materials and making have informed her collections since she started her creative practice in 1986 . She has won many awards over the years and her work is in the V & A collection. She was awarded a Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust grand in 2022 to extend her study into stone carving and lapidary techniques pursuing learning into Intaglio and Cameo carving in hardstone.
The Main Level of Lyon & Turnbull is accessible via the temporary ramp at the front stairs. Lyon & Turnbull is a Grade-A listed building, and the building does not allow for elevators, so the upstairs is not wheelchair accessible. Lyon & Turnbull do not have disabled toilets.