At Hogans, we are deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of skilled jewellers, ensuring that our apprentice jewellers receive top-tier training and guidance to uphold the high standards of craftsmanship that define our brand. Hogans Family Jeweller’s, Pauly Armstrong was proud recipient of the TAFE Queensland's 2021 joint Apprentice Jeweller of the Year Award. This prestigious award has been instrumental in recognising Pauly’s exceptional talent and dedication to his craft, particularly showcased through his remarkable creations.
The theme for the year was Reflections. He was tasked to produce three functional pieces of jewellery that paid tribute to the ambiguousness of the reflections theme. From this Pauly designed and handcrafted a pair of sunglasses with interchangeable lenses that featured gold inlays and gems set in one arm. He also crafted a matching set of cufflinks and a stunning signet ring that also featured the gold inlay, along with diamonds set in each piece.
Pauly’s attention to detail and innovative approach to the theme truly set his work apart. The sunglasses, with their interchangeable lenses, showcased not only his technical expertise but also his ability to seamlessly blend an element of the functional world into a statement of luxury. The gold inlays and gem-set arm added a touch of elegance, making them a standout piece. Each one of his pieces was a testament to his ability to create cohesive, stunning jewellery that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Winning the TAFE Queensland's 2021 Apprentice Jeweller of the Year Award was a significant achievement for Pauly Armstrong and Hogan's Family Jewellers. It highlighted Pauly's dedication, talent, and the high standards of craftsmanship that he upholds as a jeweller. His remarkable creations not only paid tribute to the theme of reflections but also set a new benchmark for excellence. In an exclusive interview, we speak with Pauly about his inspiration, challenges, and overall process in creating these award-winning pieces.
Q: Let’s begin by finding out more about the inspiration behind the stunning pieces that you designed and crafted for your jewellery TAFE apprenticeship. The theme for the year was Reflections, from this how did you decide on the direction you were going take regarding the design of the pieces in your collection?
A: The reflection theme led me to think about my journey as a Jeweller. I started my jewellery apprenticeship journey some years ago and my apprenticeship was disjointed due to changes of employers. Fortunately, I was offered the opportunity to finish my apprenticeship here with Hogans Family Jewellers, and they gave me the training and guidance I required to truly fly in this journey and reach my full potential as a jeweller. To me the theme of reflections made me think about my journey, focusing on my growth as a jeweller. From where I started, to where I am now and to where I can go.
I also reflected on myself outside of jewellery. I am a Sci-Fi fan and a cosplayer, so a strong futuristic feel was always going to be a part of my design. My hero piece being the sunglasses, signify the literal sense of looking both back on my life’s journey so far and forward to the path ahead. The cuff links are a representation of old-world style, and the signet ring being the anchor to symbolise family who helped guide me throughout.
Q: What stones and materials did you utilise to achieve your final designs? Was there any significance behind these?
A: The silver used in my pieces was all reclaimed and recycled from my original training pieces created during my first, and second-year TAFE classes. This is a true representation of the reflection back on my education in a fully tangible manner. Silver as a material is also hardwearing, so I choose this to create my pieces as I wanted them to be truly functional and long lasting. Gold accents framing the lenses were added to symbolise looking at the higher levels of training I have achieved through Hogans and the step-up from early level skills and materials to the more refined. The cabochon gemstones of ruby and amethyst were styled similar to display lights on Sci-Fi tech while utilising the older word royal colours of reds and purples.
Q: The sunglasses you designed and crafted were something so beautiful and unique. Can you talk us through the full process from designing to assembling them, along with the significance behind incorporating the interchangeable lenses?
A: I wanted to think outside of the box for something no student had tried before. I also wanted to make something that is functional for the everyday wearer but, also something more uniquely tech/futuristic in style. The design incorporated the literal aspect of reflection with a set of mirror lenses along with the cliche of dark lenses for looking towards a brighter future.
The complex interchange mechanism for lenses was a hat tip to the “click clack” style gadgets of space age spy gear. Swapping out parts for specific purposes. The hand engraved panel lines giving the Starship feel was an aspect from my love of Sci-Fi.
Assembly was an exciting challenge to work out the number of parts that relied on others working in sync. Parts that lock and counter lever all holding together under the tension of the corresponding components. This makes the piece quite versatile while appearing quite sleek and simple at first glance.
Q: Approximately how long did it take you to assemble the sunglasses, the cufflinks and the signet ring pieces in full?
A: Our TAFE time originally allotted to make our final pieces was 4 weeks. This was unfortunately interrupted by lockdowns and travel restrictions during COVID-19. I managed to successfully complete them all in a truncated 3-week timeline.
Q: What were your biggest challenges when designing and assembling these pieces and, how did you overcome them?
A: Custom shaping the glasses to suit my face structure and incorporating the hinges so the lenses were interchangeable around the unique shape of a head shape was a challenge. Luckily my model was always on hand to check, make alterations and recheck. Along with the challenges of setting stones in styles I had not practiced before and hand engraving straight detail/panel lines. It just took time and perseverance.
Q: What are you most proud of with this design?
A: I love that my sunglasses are unique and had never been done before at TAFE Qld. They are functionally wearable, stylish and mostly importantly, fun. I wanted to show what is possible in expressive and alternative jewellery, as we normally focus on “traditional” jewellery, like rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. I personally like to think outside the box, and these were a true reflection on my hobbies, my passions and me as a person.
Together, Pauly's three creations – the sunglasses, cufflinks, and signet ring – formed a cohesive and thought-provoking tribute to the theme of reflections. Each piece, while functional and wearable, was also a work of art that paid homage to the ambiguous and multifaceted nature of reflections. Through his masterful craftsmanship and innovative design, Pauly succeeded in creating a collection that was both visually stunning and intellectually engaging. At Hogans, we are proud to support talented apprentices like Pauly, in partnership with TAFE, as we continue our commitment to developing the future of fine jewellery craftsmanship. We look forward to seeing more of his imaginative designs transformed into skilfully crafted jewellery pieces.
