When the jeweller Jack du Rose received a real human skull by special delivery with a request to find out how to recreate it in platinum and diamonds, he had no idea that the artist he was working for was Damien Hirst and the skull was to become the controversial artwork ‘For the Love of God’, selling for a record £50 million. Then Jack was only 24 years old and living with his parents in Birmingham. Now aged just 30 and living in East London, Jack has launched his own jewellery collection called Danger, which was shown at his first solo exhibition last month at Sam Taylor-Wood’s studio in Clerkenwell.
‘Danger’ features eight one-off pieces of jewellery inspired by deadly animals including a diamond-encrusted lion cuff, an emerald poison frog brooch and diamond and ruby jellyfish rings. Each piece is so exquisitely crafted that they should be considered art as much as jewellery and as such, each piece will be sold with its own bell jar and ebony display case, which locks with a gold and diamond scorpion-shaped key. Prices start at £220,000 and comparisons to Faberge and Lalique spring to mind. His loft style home, which he shares with his fiancee, is a fascinating reflection of his passion for dangerous creatures, antique scientific paraphernalia and vintage curiosities. I visited him this week with Ingrid Rasmussen to interview him and photograph his home and found him to be a true gentleman, a lovely man and an incredibly exciting talent.
Whilst chatting with Jack, I was privileged to be able to try on his Octopus bracelet, aptly named ‘Temptation’. Set with a dazzling array of golden sapphires, opals and diamonds (and worth a staggering £550,000) it was one of the most extraordinary things I have ever seen and testament to his skill as a designer, craftsman and artist. Keep checking back with me for images of Jack at home and the full incredible story of his success.
