In designing and fabricating jewelry using only gemstones that are mined in America, I often use stones that were mined in Maine, which has a rich variety of gorgeous stones from which to choose...a rainbow of tourmaline, amethyst, and beryl to name a few.
In a beautiful moment of synchronicity, I connected with the folks from the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum (MMGM), which will be opening in 2014 in Bethel, Maine. This world class museum will be focused on preserving and exhibiting Maine mineral specimens, gemstones, and historical documents that tell the story of Maine's mining history. I am honored to be creating jewelry for the Museum's gift shop that features their beautiful Maine gemstones.
After receiving a lovely little package of precious stones from MMGM, I got to work designing. First, I made several sketches for each stone, then I selected my favorite design for each and emailed the Museum for approval. Once I got the go ahead, I headed to my studio to get started. I fabricated each piece by hand, using all recycled sterling silver, and embellishing with hand engraving, hammering, or oxidizing. Each piece also features my hallmark, a hummingbird, and a 925 stamp to indicate sterling silver.
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