16 Apr For Maggie, Max and Mel – Gifts from a Grandmother’s Jewelry
Posted at 13:01h
in handmade, locket, lockets, Metalsmithing, process, Renaissance Metalsmithing, Stories in Metal, super cool gifts, Virtual Studio
1 Comment
A fresh, white blanket of snow didn’t matter on the morning of one of my meetings with my client, Diana. Not a native Southerner, she didn’t assume that our meeting would be rescheduled when we awoke to the wintry conditions outside like I did.I made my way to the studio in my 4WD, as did she. We had much to discuss regarding the project to honor her family with custom pieces of jewelry.
Her wish was to honor her daughter Jennifer and her grandchildren Maggie, Max, and Melanie using the assortment of jewelry she and her family had collected over the years. The collection was vast and included all kinds of things, from silver dolphins in every scale imaginable (jewelry-wise) to 18 karat cocktail rings with diamonds and rubies.
As we sorted through the piles of jewelry together, I asked her about the kids. She shared…
“Margaret Grace is artistic and gentle. She has such a kind heart. She loves Billy Joel, and she has amazing blue eyes.”“Max is musical. He is so gentle and caring, and he loves plants. Cactus! And, he has always been a treasure keeper.”“Melanie Ann is sparkly! She is musical, girly and talkative. She’s also a swimmer, and is artistic and assertive.”
I prepared sketches for Diana, and then it was off to the bench.
The plan:
Diana’s Legacy Collection
- For Maggie, a locket featuring a chevron-esque brooch body, with six little ruby accents along the base.
- For Max, a small vessel with a friction lid, featuring a layered top with lapis and opal inlay elements from cufflinks and a ring.
- For Melanie, a locket featuring a puffy heart pendant set into the lid, and a fancy “M” on the reverse face. Inside we suspended a tiny kinetic gold fish, just for a touch of fun.
- For Jennifer, a pendant featuring the face of an 18 karat Italian brooch with an enamel and diamond motif in the center.
- And, for Diana, a small pendant featuring a mine-cut diamond cluster she remembers her aunt wearing in a ring.
Goodbye dolphin
Pieces from her collection were melted down and then rolled into fresh pieces of metal sheet that I used to fabricate the new pieces. I also harvested all sorts of gemstones and elements to include in the new pieces.
The entire process gallery below was shared with Diana as I worked on the pieces. She was able to observe the process online in her GMA Virtual Studio, so she saw the cuts and the fires and the fittings as they happened. During that time she relocated from North Carolina to Texas, so this kind of engagement in the project would not have been possible for her otherwise.
She presented the pieces to her family at Christmastime. I was happy to hear from her later when she called to thank me for my artistry and insight. What an honor for me to be able to transform a somewhat random assortment of jewelry pieces into intentional and deliberate pieces that helped Diana express her love for her family.
Just about everyone I know has that pile of random pieces that may or may not have special meaning for them. There have been occasions when I have advised clients to keep vintage or antique pieces as they are if they are exquisite creations with exceptional aesthetic merit. Other times, a renaissance is in order. For those times, I welcome the challenge.
I call it Renaissance Metalsmithing.
Working with existing pieces to create something new is in many ways much more technically difficult than starting with new metal stock and freshly cut gemstones. But I recognize the value in the history of the pieces, as well as the blessing of new life and a fresh outlook every day.
Diana Shelly
Posted at 23:00h, 17 AprilGinger, what a beautiful article. Thank you so much for all your creativity, patience and insight. And thank you for sharing our story on your blog. I feel honored.