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Nadine Kam photos
elle Couture Jewellery’s creative director Lance Ishibashi and KCC’s Carol Sakihara at the opening of her students’ exhibition Friday night.

By Nadine Kam

elle Couture Jewellery creative director Lance Ishibashi made room in the new 909 Kapiolani jewelry boutique to share the floor with some talented young designers from Kapiolani Community College over the weekend, with the opening of an exhibition that will be on view through Jan. 29.

Lisa Shiroma’s copper “Star” necklace with satin ribbon.

I enjoyed looking at the pieces and entertained the thought of owning some of them because they are so different from what’s in the marketplace, which tends to follow big trends. Unfortunately, only a handful are actually available for sale, at a maximum of about $330. Given the class project nature of the work, many of them have sentimental attachment to the pieces they created, and you can’t put a price on that.

I loved Mia Takara’s brushed silver “Bear Fuzz,” but unfortunately, she’s not parting with it. It started as a ring with claws that wrap around the finger, but she found it difficult to attach the two pieces.

The students have access to limited tools and materials, but the show just proves how these are not handicaps when imagination is at work.

Since my story ran in the paper Thursday, some generous souls in the community have already offered donations of jewelry findings to the KCC program headed by artist Carol Sakihara. I’m sure more assistance would be welcome.

Jeremiah Skurtu with an “Industrial” ring he created. It was so large, they had to develop a special casting method for it. Below, he also wore a skull ring he created while attending high school in Texas.

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