School of Design / Silversmithing & Jewellery / Ruby Yujia Zhai / Collections:Ornaments of Resonance

Collections:Ornaments of Resonance

This body of wearable work explores sound, rhythm, tension, and tactility within the process of metalsmithing. Rather than seeing metalwork purely as a method of shaping material, I am interested in preserving the fleeting sensory experiences embedded in making: the crisp sound of a saw blade cutting through silver, the rhythmic order of tools arranged in the studio, the movement of materials under tension, and the unusual tactile quality of metal burrs created through engraving.

Across this series, I work with used saw blades, silver sheet, silver tubing, wood, and leftover fragments generated during the making process, transforming them from tools or discarded materials into brooches and rings. Worn saw blades become more than expendable equipment; they act as visual lines charged with rhythm and memory. In some works, they evoke the strings of a cello; in others, they combine with gemstones and pierced musical notes to form brooches inspired by the structure of a musical staff, an idea that emerged from observing the strong resemblance between a hammer rack and sheet music.

I am also interested in the spatial behaviour of material. Saw blades move fluidly through silver sheet and silver tubing, creating a sense of controlled movement and physical tension. In another work, bookmark-like silver sheet is combined with wood and saw blades to generate a visual rhythm reminiscent of piano keys. These forms suggest that wearable objects can hold a sense of tempo, sequence, and movement.

Alongside sound and rhythm, the series investigates touch. The metal burrs produced during engraving are usually removed and discarded, but I preserve them and reinterpret them as eyelashes or the tendrils of a Venus flytrap, creating an uncanny tactile sensation. Through this gesture, the work draws attention to material residue, fragility, and sensory ambiguity.

Overall, this series translates overlooked aspects of the making process—sound, gesture, tension, residue, and tactile sensation into visible and wearable forms. The works move between tool and ornament, sound and structure, order and sensorial experience, forming a dialogue between musicality, material memory, and the body.

Trill No.1

Piece:Brooch Medium:silver,saw blades

For Sale: £349

Trill No.2

Piece:Brooch Medium:silver,saw blades,cubic zirconia

For Sale: £349

Turn No.1
Turn No.1

Piece:Brooch Medium:silver,saw blades

For Sale: £598

Turn No.2

Piece:ring Medium:silver,saw blades

For Sale: £550

Turn No.2
Turn No.2
Micro Tremor

Piece:brooch Medium:brass,plastic

For Sale: £269

Silent Bite

Piece:ring Medium:brass

For Sale: £158