About
Forward thinking British, LA based jewelry designer and artist Rooney Hardwick’s work evokes the majesty of feminine beauty with stately yet simple hard edges, balance, beveled stone, crystal, and gemstones inset in 14k gold and silver. Magnificent gems, neo-cubist lines and sophistication characterize her bold collections, rings inlaid with deep red rubies and specimen gemstones in modular settings seem almost archaeological, belonging to ancient queens and courtiers, women of mythical power and allure, whether worn close to heart or hand. Whatever the shape or composition, a balance of refinement and love of raw materials evoke a powerful sense of historic symbolism and allure.
Today, Rooney’s work is distinguished by artistic vision, modernist sensibility, originality and absolute quality. Devoted to the highest level of workmanship, much of the fabrication is performed by hand, such as setting the stones, casting and polishing. Punctuated with fine stones, hallowed and negative space the work is edgy and timeless and draws from the rhythmic singularity of Egyptian regality. Rooney repeats certain patterns in this highly skilled production, particularly the triangle, whether in the shape of a bold ring, the negative space in earrings or the fall of a necklace. The inverted triangle has a layered history of meaning including, Shakti, a Tantric symbolism of the feminine principal, a site of life and strength. As well, the triangle as it appears in Hardwick’s designs echoes ancient Egyptian visual culture, including portraits of ancient royalty, the great pyramids of Giza and the triangle of the ancient Egyptian Rhind Mathematical Papyrus.
Rooney has served as an apprentice for Steven Hanna, studied at the Alan Revere Jewelry Academy, San Francisco, and now is a student at the Gemological Institute of America, Carlsbad. Rooney has travelled the world sourcing fine stones, and managed and partnered the premiere and reinvention of various top name jewelers and retailers.
Rooney’s business acumen and imaginative energy have meant that her work has earned quite a following and has been worn by celebrities and creatives. An artist at heart, Rooney’s venture expands the production of her designs. She brings to this endeavor the strength of an entrepreneur, an adventurer, a fearless survivor and a peerless focus. As part of this extraordinary vision, Rooney is deeply committed to outstanding natural resources, quality, originality and her patrons.