Vellum

A versatile alternative to add clever luxury to your design process.

Vellum is a translucent, smooth paper that has a delicate and elegant appearance. Traditionally, it was made from animal skin, but modern vellum is typically crafted from synthetic materials or high-quality cellulose fibers. It’s widely used in crafting, calligraphy, and design because of its unique texture and ability to diffuse light beautifully.

Artists use vellum for tracing, layering, and mixed-media projects. It’s often used for overlays in graphic design, adding a sophisticated touch to presentations and documents. Vellum can be incorporated into the jewellery design process in creative ways, adding depth and texture to designs.

Layered Sketching – Use vellum to create layered sketches, allowing you to build depth in your designs by stacking different elements on separate sheets.

Softened Color Effects – Apply watercolor or ink washes to vellum for a dreamy, diffused effect that enhances gemstone renderings.

Translucent Overlays – Overlay vellum on darker backgrounds to create a luminous effect, mimicking the glow of precious stones.

I also use Vellum in my jewellery design process to create interactive drawings for my clients to place over their hand and help with decision making. I draw gemstones in different shapes and colours on vellum so a client can explore initial directions without having to commit to a particular stone of size.

There are so many ways you can incorporate Vellum into your process to create interest and use as a helpful design tool to extend your client experience.