The mystery and infinite possibilities of outer space have gripped the imagination and shaped our culture, especially in the latter part of the twentieth century. From Saturday, June 27, 2015—Monday, January 4, 2016, Carnegie Museum of Natural History captures the essence of the final frontier with Out of This World! Jewelry in the Space Age, a fine jewelry exhibition that brings together scientific fact and pop culture in a showcase of wearable and decorative arts related to outer space, space travel, the space age, and the powerful influence these topics have had on human civilization.

Beginning with jewelry and artifacts memorializing the appearance of Halley’s Comet in 1835, Out of this World! travels forward through time to explore nearly 200 objects from landmark moments in space-related history. Pieces in the exhibition include ephemera, jewelry, and objets d’art inspired by events that captured our imagination, such as the 1865 publication of Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon, the 1957 Sputnik launch that kicked off the space race of the Cold War, and milestone NASA missions.

Out of this World! also reflects upon the futuristic artworks inspired by space themes that reach beyond the current age.  Some objects make decorative use of materials originally developed for the space program, while others take their inspiration from such cultural phenomena as the Star Wars saga.

This exhibition is on view in Wertz Gallery: Gems & Jewelry, part of Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems. Highlights of the exhibition include:

• Lunar Excursion Module by Cartier Paris, an 18-carat-gold model of the Apollo 11 lunar module made to commemorate the first moon landing in 1969—and only one of three in existence
• The Tampa Necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels, featuring a rocket and a trail of diamonds, inspired by Jules Verne’s novel From the Earth to the Moon
• Planetoid Valleys by Björn Weckström, modeled after the silver necklace worn by Princess Leia (actress Carrie Fisher) in the movie Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope
• Dynasty Ring by Mark Schneider, designed to look like the machine that Dr. Eleanor "Ellie" Ann Arroway (actress Jodie Foster) uses to make contact with alien life at the climax of the movie Contact
• Jewelry created from materials created or used during the space race, such as polymer, titanium, and fiber optic glass—and jewelry made with materials from space, including meteorites
• Custom-made jewelry by local Pittsburgh artist Paul Michael Bierker inspired by sci-fi television shows and films such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Firefly

To view images of several of the objects in the exhibition, please visit Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s media photo website: http://www.carnegiemnh.org/press/default.aspx?id=25547. 

Out of this World! Jewelry in the Space Age was originated by the Association for the Study of Jewelry & Related Arts, LLC, with Elyse Zorn Karlin as consulting curator, and Eric J. Hoffman as the space consultant. Support for the exhibition has been provided by Schneider Downs, Burns White, and Caesar’s Designs.

Out of this World! was conceived and organized for The Forbes Galleries, New York City, by Elyse Zorn Karlin, private curator and Co-Director of the Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts (ASJRA).