In this digital space, it is so easy to filter our lives and modify images to show to the world. We often put forth our best foot, I would hope! However, there is so much value in showing the messy reality, as well—behind the scenes. Jewelry is beautiful, and the life of a jeweler may seem fun and glamorous, but it is what I call “a labor of love.” Because it is just that—a lot of labor, and a lot of love. The physicality behind making is impossible to ignore—even if you were using the most simple of jewelry making techniques, there would still be pliers and hands involved.
One of the things that I have always loved about making jewelry and metalsmithing is that the process seems to be a mirror of life itself. You start with these beautiful raw materials, bending and sawing and soldering and hammering. Sometimes it looks quite ugly! But then you refine it—you sand it, and polish it, and bring out its true beauty. Isn’t that what life is? To take it some steps further, you then present this beautiful object to the world, and someone purchases it to wear or to gift, thus pushing that beauty further into the world. It really is quite magical.
