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Joel Nation's description about making special products for sale express exactly my approach to offering for sale the jewelry I make by hand one piece at a time...
"[Joel] Nation contrasted this industrial model with its polar opposite, what he calls 'artisanal production', where the competitive strategy is based on selling something special rather than being the least-cost producer of a commodity. Stressing that 'productivity and profits are two entirely different concepts,' Nation suggests that even a small producer can be profitable so long as he's selling an exceptional product and keeping his expenses down. Yet this artisanal model works only so long as it doesn't attempt to imitate the industrial model in any respect. It must not try to replace skilled labor with capital; it must not grow for the sake of growth; it should not strive for uniformity in its products but rather make a virtue of variation and seasonality; it shouldn't invest capital to reach national markets but rather should focus on local markets, relying on reputation and word-of-mouth rather than on advertising; and, lastly, it should rely as much as possible on free solar energy rather than costly fossil fuels." FROM: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan p. 249
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The mind is a setting. It is a place to be within, like your mother’s living room, familiar, comfortable, filled with couches to slouch in, spread onto.
The mind is a setting in a place that no one else can get to. Not really. It’s the most private place you have. It’s so secret that sharing the mind, opening it to someone else, letting them try to understand you, creates situations that can take time to unravel. The mind is a setting as cultivated or as wild as you make it. It is a natural setting where the animal instinct, unconscious, wild, sensual, respond-to-the-light being exists with one that is conscious, cultivated, conditioned -to-be polite, sharing, compassionate. This mind is often the one in charge. The mind is a setting that’s split down the middle between light and dark, night and day. It is an open cavern with a skylight, a garden with marble steps and grottos and ponds where frogs jump and lilies float. And there is the dark side, too, the night side setting of the mind, the place from which original thought originates. It’s something to ponder: why we spent more time in one place of the mind than another. The mind as a place makes it real and inviting, a haven, a safe journey. A portable vacation…When others are packing for Hawaii, filling suitcases with sunscreen and sunglasses and shorts and you can’t go, there is always the mind, someplace new to traipse around in: a safe place, but an imaginary journey, too… Try it sometime…it’ll be our secret. FROM: Goldwork and Shamanism by Gerardo Reichel-Dolmstaff: An Iconographic Study of the Gold Museum of the Banco de la Republica, Columbia p. 30-31
"Gold is practically incorruptible...the brightness of gold and its other properties are long-lasting, so that through the ages this metal has become a symbol of Eternity. Gold is used in religious rites as a sacrifice or offering, for it is an element pleasing to the gods and is almost demanded by them... The Sun is a disc of gold, it is the father of gold, and it waxes strong on gold;...Hence, the link between gold, the supernatural sphere, and power recurs constantly in human thought...gold has always had a connotation inspiring a feeling of reverence and even fear. This is why in many past and present societies goldsmiths have been and are associated with magic. The goldsmith, like the shaman, is one who makes transformations; for by working the gold and giving it a culturally significant form he makes the material pass from a profane to a sacred state. An element of magic is nearly always connected with the goldsmith's scientific and technical knowledge...the magic of transformation... Gold was associated with the Sun for its brightness, and thereby acquired a seminal, fertilizing, vital significance and even political significance. The Indians today hold that there is a reciprocal relationship between gold and the Sun, in which exchange occurs...On certain days of the year, when the Sun is in a certain position, they celebrate a ritual of exposing the gold to the Sun - 'asolear el oro' - in a very sacred place. The gold objects are placed within bead necklaces of carnelian and rock crystal on ritual basketry trays, which are then deposited near a temple and left there for some time, exposed to the rays of the Sun. It is believed that the gold thus absorbs new fertilizing Energy, becomes purified and renews its brightness, while the Sun finds satisfaction in the offering, for it strengthens its beneficient power." Knowing how she can benefit us, beauty
sometimes acts like a hooker. Because she knows if we spend an hour with her we will be better off. And beauty is right, she is clever. When has looking at the graciousness in nature or in art, or hearing some moving music not softened your face, made your touch more wanted, your voice more rich and alive, and the world more bearable. And the sweet taste of hope yours and able to impart. From: A Year with Hafiz: Daily Contemplations by Daniel Ladinsky  Jasper Pebbles, Kronkite Beach, Sausalito, California set in Sterling Silver Ring, 2019. Sourced and made by Arte Fact Jewels [RI19-356] There is great satisfaction in finding the stones I set myself. Here is an example of a sterling ring made with four small but beautifully colored jasper beach pebbles found on Kronkite Beach, Sausalito, California where they had been polished naturally by the Pacific Ocean. Understanding not only where these pebbles came from but that they have been given form by the response of wind and sand and wave to the motion and momentum of the Earth itself, its vibrations and rhythms, imbues these pebbles with an energy and substance and magic that no human hand could impart. FROM: Understanding Northwest Coast Indigenous Jewelry: The Art, The Artists, The History by Alexander Dawkins (Foreword by Corinne Hunt)
p.90-91 'Some crest symbols...on amulets, pendants, rings, (etc) are said to have spiritual powers that enable them to protect or heal...These objects “...do not so much act as receptacles of these powers as provide a catalyst through which they could be called upon...” either by the wearer or with the help of a healer...Most sought after as spiritual guardians are beings that can travel between these distinct worlds (sea, sky, land)...Amongst Indigenous cultures around the world, body orifices are seen as portals between internal spirit and the outside world. Healers and high-ranking individuals wore (...) lip labrets, earlobe plugs, earrings and nose rings to protect their soul from external threats and prevent it from leaving their body. This jewelry is often made from bone or abalone shell, both of which are softer materials and easier to wear in sensitive areas...:bone is often considered sacred because it exists beyond death and is said to contain the essence of a person; abalone shell has iridescent qualities that have long been linked to the sun's energy and strength. Wearing jewelry made these materials can be viewed as both visually and spiritually empowering.' FROM: The Golden Horde: From the Himalaya to the Mediterranean by Sheila Payne
p. 54 “The symbolism, the women of the Hand Weaving Club of the Goddess has said, related to the peasant's view of their lives - ... - as a cultural space created out of universal chaos, an organized resistance to be guarded from the wandering malevolent spirits of the natural world around them. It was the marginal areas of this existence – fences and gates around homes, thresholds, corners of the frame construction... - that are the most vulnerable...Just as it was humans in transitional states – babies..., brides, fiances, etc... [therefore, thresholds, transitional states, gates + entryways] FROM: The Golden Horde: From the Himalaya to the Mediterranean by Sheila Payne p. 207 “Amulets are the refuge of people who have little control over their lives, of people who inhabit a world they believe to be in the power of the spirits, both good and evil.” p. 251 “And then I saw it...a perfect example of the amulet. Just as it should be, a padded triangle with three tassels. It was made of dirty brown leather thonged together, embroidered in silver with the motif of a crescent moon and the solar symbol of an 8-pointed star, and had a loop to hang it by. The tassels were of twisted wool, the outer ones white, the central ones red. An extract from the Koran was inside, said the museum director...It was for a man. To protect him from illness. Women's amulets, she pointed out, were always hung with gold coins that jingled and so kept the evil spirits away.” Sheila Paine is a world expert on tribal societies and textiles. Her passion for travel began when she was very young and has taken her across the world, from Africa to Pakistan. She is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and has worked as a professional translator/interpreter in French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Her museum-quality collection includes embroidery and amulets and has been staged in numerous exhibitions. She is the author of several acclaimed books, including Embroidery from India and Pakistan, The Linen Goddess, and The Afghan Amulet, and has won travel writing awards from the Independent and the Sunday Times. FROM: 'The Splendor of Ethnic Jewelry' (from the Colette + Jean-Pierre Chysels Collection) Text: Frances Borel Trans. From French
p. 16 “Body decoration is a ubiquitous phenomenon that transcends time and space. There is not one civilization, however limited its available materials may be, that does not practice self-ornamentation. As long as our species has existed, the human body has been a focal point of adornment and a versatile medium for our every longing and fantasy. There is no part of the human anatomy that cannot be embellished with jewelry of one kind or another....” p. 20 “There is nothing accidental or gratuitous about a people's passionate desire for self-ornamentation. For them, symbolism is not just intertwined with body adornments; symbolism is its very essence. The meaning of a visual vocabulary can be so obvious to its user that they take it for granted and end up forgetting its original significance...” p. 21 “...Body decoration, which the logically-minded might dismiss as superfluous, plays a decisive role in the lives of ethnic people and their craftsmen. They lavish time and patient effort on self-adornment. Their civilizations do not experience time with the sense of urgency that we do; they relive it over and over again, and their traditions are thereby passed on intact and unaltered from one generation to the next...So pressed are Western jewelers for time that they sometimes find it difficult to duplicate the casting, chiselling and filigree techniques of native crafts people. There are some things our machines can't do. They may save time, but they cannot take its place." p. 27 “Africa, Asia and the Americas boast gold- and silversmiths renowned for attention to detail and technical sophistication....the same virtues prevail when they make use of less costly materials – unlike most western jewelry, which cares only how showy an emerald or diamond may look. Boldness, profusion of color, opulence – these things should dazzle us, too...Are we so out-of-touch with our sense of celebration that our concept of wealth amounts to a multi-carat stone stuck on the third finger of one hand?” p. 30 “Among ethnic peoples personal adornment is motivated not just by the obvious desire for beautification, but by the instinctive need for self-protection. Things cannot be left as they are; measures must be taken to safeguard life and limb. Baneful forces are constantly lurking. Clothing and jewelry as a physical and psychological shield...” Sustainability Is About Quality Over Quantity
FROM: Stella McCartney and Gabriela Hearst Preach Sustainability at Vogue Global Conversations By Steff Yotka April 14, 2020 “At the end of the day, all the good values that we put in our product will not be enough to have people buy your product,” Hearst said bluntly. “They have to buy it because it’s a great product, because it’s well-designed.… No one is going to buy your product for your good intentions.” She continued, explaining that growing up on a ranch in Uruguay taught her quality and sustainability are inextricably linked. “You learn about sustainability from a very utilitarian perspective: You have to build products that last. We always lived and consumed with very few things, but they were made well so they could withstand the force of nature.We learned to grow [our business] with quality over quantity,” she said, noting that she opted not to wholesale her popular bags, an opportunity that could have doubled the size of her business, because it would mean doubling the natural resources consumed. “We’ve been very mindful about strategically growing and not overexposing and over distributing.” “We can still have incredible, desirable, fashionable, well-made timeless pieces as Gabriela says, but now is a time to use efficiently and with respect and to go back into normality in a new way,” McCartney added. “We all know how we were practicing things previously; we can do better. I think now is the time to ask those questions and hopefully actually action it when we get back.” Waste Is a Failure of Design “Sustainability is learning how to work within limitations and parameters, which, in my opinion, is great for creativity,” said Hearst. “As Stella was saying, we don’t live in an endless cornucopia of natural resources. We have to balance production and consumption.… Waste, at the end of the day, is a design flaw. It doesn’t exist in nature." "We have to stop and consider the waste. It’s spiraled out of control,” McCartney reiterated pointing to figures that showed that during shutdowns in February carbon emissions in China lessened by 25%. “We’ve seen in such a short period of time how incredible nature is, how she bounces back so quickly when we just stop for a second. I think that’s so hopeful. Will we ever be able to heal Earth? It looks like we can.…We have to come out with hope. We have to realize we consume too much.” Both designers pointed to using upcycled materials and sustainable fabrics as a means to reduce waste. “At Stella McCartney the biggest environmental positive other than sourcing is we don’t kill animals, and it really has a massive, massive positive footprint on our environmental profit and loss. That is a fact. Maybe the good of this is that people slow down, they ask more questions, and they’re a little bit more considerate,” McCartney concluded. CLASSIC CLEANING METHOD FOR EARRINGS
1. Place your earrings into a small plastic container and fill it halfway with peroxide. 2. Let the earrings soak in the peroxide for ten to twenty minutes. Soak them overnight if they are especially dirty. 3. Take the earrings out of the container. Use a small jewelry brush or toothpicks to scour away remaining dirt and debris. 4. Set the cleaned earrings on a paper towel and let them air dry completely before wearing or storing them. This method works for most earrings. However, some types of earrings cannot be washed using the general method because the gemstones or the settings could be ruined. CLEANING EARRINGS WITH GEMSTONES The more expensive type of earrings with gold or silver settings and pricey gemstones such as diamonds should be cleaned using the following method: 1. Fill a medium-sized bowl with a cup of warm water. Pour 1/4 cup of ammonia into the water. Put the diamond earrings into the solution and let them sit for about twenty minutes. 2. Make sure to put on rubber gloves before removing the earrings from the ammonia solution. Put the earrings into a second bowl containing fresh warm water. Add about a teaspoon of liquid dish soap. Swish the earrings around in the bowl. 3. Scrub the diamond earrings gently with a soft toothbrush or a jewelry brush. Try to get into the crevices, where dirt and debris are most likely to accumulate. Scrub the earrings until they take on a shine. 4. Rinse the earrings in a third bowl of warm water. Soap residue can give the diamonds a cloudy appearance, so rinse them thoroughly! Lay the earrings on a soft cloth. Microfiber hand towels are soft and absorbent. When the earrings are dry, lightly polish them with the fabric. CLEANING SILVER EARRINGS Some metals, if not cleaned properly, lose their shine and begin to appear dull and old. Cleaning silver earrings using the standard cleaning method is not recommended. Use this method instead: 1. Line a small glass baking pan with tinfoil. Make sure the shiny side is up. 2. Put the earrings on the aluminum foil. You can clean several pairs at a time with this method. 3. Fill the pan with warm water. Make sure that the earrings are completely immersed in the water. 4. Sprinkle a handful of baking soda over the top of the hot water. Keep adding baking soda until a chemical reaction occurs on the earrings. 5. Keep the earrings in the baking soda/water mixture for a full hour. 6. Rinse the earrings in plain water and towel them dry with a soft cloth. ADDITIONAL CLEANING TIPS The following tips will help you prolong the life of your earrings: If your silver earrings have settings with jewels glued to them, do not use the silver cleaning method. Instead use jewelry cleaner and a soft cloth to shine the earrings up. E.g. Sparkle Bright All-Natural Jewelry Cleaner: Tarnish Remover & Polishing Cream Pearl jewelry should never be cleaned with harsh chemicals. A solution of mild soap and warm water should be enough to keep them clean. Allow the pearls to air dry before putting them away. Never wash your earrings over a sink. Using a bowl to clean your earrings will prevent them from getting lost down the drain. Avoid wearing earrings to bed, during a shower or while swimming. FROM: http://www.jewelrynotes.com/clean-care-earrings/ |