Derek Mckay Duncan: DMD Metal

I’ve been quietly obsessing over DMD Metal’s work for some time now- the obsession striking the moment I saw this beautiful Lapis Lazuli ring.

From first glance at the stone, it is clear that this artist chooses only the best and most arresting stones to frame his metals- which are the primary focus in Derek’s work-not the stone or gem. It is very difficult to get your hands on quality Lapis Lazuli- which has many swaying standards of what defines a quality stone. While we at AurumEve are choose our personal preference for “fine” jewelry- Derek’s choice of Lapis is by all standards excellent.

This calcite free stone’s specks of pyrite are not overwhelming or gaudy in the least-the perfect distribution to dress “up” or “down” for a piece that I would never want to take off. The intense and celestial blue hue of this stone embodies the mystical energy you feel when hearing of and reading about the stone’s primary geographies: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

San Francisco based goldsmith Derek Mckay Duncan received his BFA in Sculpture and bridged into graffiti and then went on to jewelry design. I love his flexibility and curiosity: it has clearly paid off artistically.

Derek’s work reminds me of that personal idol that many of us had at some point before we settle into the comfort of our personal selves: the person that is beautifully comfortable in their own skin and all of the beautiful contradictions that make us beautiful and unique. His work is unabashed in its boldness. It seems to revel in the beautiful and honest juxtaposition of precious metals and stones in a not-quite-definable but intuitive style. Its aesthetic is one similar to graffiti: expressive in itself- not worried about elegance or being “urban”. Beautiful as it is in all of its somehow structured eccentricity.

 

Images courtesy of DMD Metals.