Singularity Collection
Every piece of jewelry that I make is handmade and one-of-a-kind, but sometimes I make only one version of a piece, a work that comes from a special place and inspiration, and that I cannot even try to make again. Each of these pieces involves many hours of love and work and is made almost entirely from reclaimed or recycled materials.
Zenith Necklace
Zenith Necklace
This one of a kind statement necklace is the result of a series of bad ideas.
As Montana moves away from the sun and we have shorter days, my morning runs start at first light. Last week I went for a run before sunrise, out in the forest. Some would say that’s not the best idea. Especially with the bears down from the mountains, pilfering apples from trees and raiding trash cans.
But as I stood up on the side of the Bitterroot mountains, looking across the valley to see the sun just peeking over the Sapphire mountains, the sky brilliant hues of pink, purple, orange, and blue, all I could do was stare/not stare as I watched the sun move slowly above the horizon. Times like these remind me of how small I am, how huge the universe is. They make me feel the movement of the ground beneath my feet.
Also considered a bad idea: staring at the sun. I tried just glancing at it in passing, looking at the sky all around it as I tried to watch/not watch the sun slowly move above the ridgeline.
After watching the sun, I proceeded down the mountain toward home. As I ran, I closed my eyes to see the red and pink afterimages of the sun.
Another bad idea: running down an unmaintained Forest Service road with your eyes closed.
Somehow I didn’t trip and fall, somehow I didn’t permanently damage my eyeballs, somehow I didn’t get eaten by a bear.
And somehow my thoughts about the movement of the earth around the sun and those red and pink spots in the dark of my closed eyes became these pieces.
Made using the cloisonné enameling technique, this necklace is handmade with enameled reclaimed steel and oxidized sterling silver. Cloisonné is a process of filling small sections of thin silver wire with different colors of enamel so that the colors do not blend together during firing. After many layers and firings, the enameled surface is sanded level and refired. The oval shape of the pendant is folded for added dimension.
The bold, lightweight pendant measure 1 3/8 inch wide, 7/8 inch high, and 3/8 inch deep. It hangs on an adjustable 16 - 19 inch oxidized sterling silver chain.
All jewelry is handmade from a minimum of 50% reclaimed materials. A percentage of every sale is donated to a non-profit environmental, humanitarian, or arts organization. Thank you for supporting sustainable craft!