Experience Polychroma: One of a kind Australian Opal Jewellery

Heide Musuem of Modern Art: Limited Edition Opal Necklaces

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Melbourne's Heide Museum of Modern Art, we're pleased to offer a limited series of silver and opal neckpieces for the Heide Editions series.

Melanie was invited by the museum to design and craft something that responded to the Heide story, or her personal experience of Heide.

"I've always felt a personal connection to Heide. My parents would often take my brother and I for visits to Heide II on an architectural pilgrimage. I have always quietly imagined what the house might have felt like to live in and reading the double biography 'Modern Love' really opened up a new perspective on the Reeds and their circle … an intellectual and creative hub which still ripples through Melbourne today."

Melanie created three striking geometric pendants (seen above), handmade in our Melbourne workshop in sterling silver, and each set with Australian Mintabie opals.

"The collection of three pendants I have made were created to celebrate the lives of three key figures from the Heide circle: Sunday Reed, Cynthia Reed Nolan and Mirka Mora. Using Australian gemstones was key to the creation of these pieces.  I wanted to celebrate and honour this precious opal gemstone while also speaking to the women who contributed so much to the story of Australian art.

"The Circle pendant was inspired by Sunday Reed; she sits in the centre but a little off-balance, leaving room for others to join her. The Straight pendant with two different-sized opals is linked to Cynthia Reed Nolan, how she took a back seat to the fame enjoyed by her husband Sydney Nolan but he arguably couldn't have achieved his success without her tremendous support.

"The Curved pendant with the pear shaped opal is for Mirka Mora, whose curvy form, broad smile and angel-filled art has always made me smile—it's a celebration of the feminine."

Thanks to Clytie Meredith for these images of Melanie taken within Heide. Melanie can be seen below wearing the large Pearl Introvert Hoop earrings

You can read more about the Heide Editions series in this Broadsheet article.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Melbourne's Heide Museum of Modern Art, we're pleased to offer a limited series of silver and opal neckpieces for the Heide Editions series.

Melanie was invited by the museum to design and craft something that responded to the Heide story, or her personal experience of Heide.

"I've always felt a personal connection to Heide. My parents would often take my brother and I for visits to Heide II on an architectural pilgrimage. I have always quietly imagined what the house might have felt like to live in and reading the double biography 'Modern Love' really opened up a new perspective on the Reeds and their circle … an intellectual and creative hub which still ripples through Melbourne today."

Melanie created three striking geometric pendants (seen above), handmade in our Melbourne workshop in sterling silver, and each set with Australian Mintabie opals.

"The collection of three pendants I have made were created to celebrate the lives of three key figures from the Heide circle: Sunday Reed, Cynthia Reed Nolan and Mirka Mora. Using Australian gemstones was key to the creation of these pieces.  I wanted to celebrate and honour this precious opal gemstone while also speaking to the women who contributed so much to the story of Australian art.

"The Circle pendant was inspired by Sunday Reed; she sits in the centre but a little off-balance, leaving room for others to join her. The Straight pendant with two different-sized opals is linked to Cynthia Reed Nolan, how she took a back seat to the fame enjoyed by her husband Sydney Nolan but he arguably couldn't have achieved his success without her tremendous support.

"The Curved pendant with the pear shaped opal is for Mirka Mora, whose curvy form, broad smile and angel-filled art has always made me smile—it's a celebration of the feminine."

Thanks to Clytie Meredith for these images of Melanie taken within Heide. Melanie can be seen below wearing the large Pearl Introvert Hoop earrings

You can read more about the Heide Editions series in this Broadsheet article.