She's Making Jewelry Now...

This video is kind of embarrassingly accurate in that it nails people perceptions of what a 'jeweler' is. Oh, how strikingly different things are in my studio from what this video depicts! But, it's still pretty funny... enjoy!

Things that make you go hmmmm...

Gasoline, trading cards, Juicy Fruits, and the iciest bling ever makes for the best gas station shopping in a while!

This box of jewels is labeled 'One tablet after breakfast & one at bedtime'...

Don't mind if I do!

Amazing Diamond Rings...

The Hope Diamond's got nothing on these rings... Care of Amsterdam's Albert Cuyp Market, you could be the happiest girl in the world. By my estimation, each diamond weighs in at about 5 thousand karats... those are some seriously large rocks! I can't believe that the vendor isn't afraid of these tempting babies getting stolen. Customs requires international travelers to make claims on any purchase over 350euro, so I had to refrain from buying one, but I just had to take some pictures to remember what I passed up on.

That Chain So Crazy!

Note: I've been working on this blog post for quite a while now, and I'm honestly not sure it's going to make any sense, so good luck reading!

One of my favorite things about jewelry is it's role as a communication device which turns the wearer into a billboard expressing the wearers beliefs. Traditionally, jewelry also doubles as a portable asset or an outward display of wealth.

Jewelry in excess is nothing new in the world of hip hop, think back to the iconic images of RUN DMC wearing twisted gold chains, with oversized pendants. Since they first stepped onto the scene in 1984, RUN DMC helped to create an image that has influence generations of musicians after them. It's been over 25 years since the pioneer of hip hop artists donning opulent gold chains, diamonds, pendants, watches, and other oversized baubles and the jewelry is becoming bigger, brighter, and more expensive.

Today, chains and pendants are becoming so large that they are almost unwearable. Artists are layering them in a melee of gold and glitz. Some things haven't changed at all, like NAS's necklace at the right, he could have reached back in time and taken it right off of Jam Master Jay's neck. But, some things are evolving at a rapid pace. Gone are the days of sporting a stolen Mercedes hood ornament on a chain around your neck as pendants are growing larger and encrusted in colored pave set diamonds.

I have to say that I really do appreciate this hyper-opulence that is being embraced by the hip hop culture. It's steeped in history (from acknowledging previous hip hop and rap artists to embracing African cultures), and at the same time there is a drastic over-the-top-ness that is so obscene that I can't do anything but to embrace it. I think that there is a silent understanding that some of these pieces are completely tongue-in-cheek, like the huge dollar sign pendant that Nigo is sporting below... It's completely a redundant piece (joke?) that is made of money, about money.

I often find myself thinking about menswear jewelry, and what it's role in society is. The examples in this post are just one facet of that genre.. and such an eye catching, mouth watering facet it is! For more examples of gold, diamonds, and other examples of urban jewelry, be sure to check out one of my new favorite blogs: YOU SEE THAT CHAIN?

Nigo, wearing multiple pave chains and pendants.

Pharrell, Diamond pave pendants and multiple chains.

Lil Wayne, Diamond Grill

Kanye West, Horus Necklace by Ambush

Kanye West, Eye Am Not Alone Ring by Ambush

Soulja Boy, The Work Is Yours Necklace

Soulja Boy

David LaChapelle

I've been away from my studio for a bit, and have been spending more time 'doing research.' Maybe I'm trying to justify my growing obsession with pop-culture, but I find myself recently attracted to highly saturated images and colors, high gloss, sparkly jewels, gold and diamond encrusted medallions, and just really extravagant objects and imagery. I'm not quite sure what it is about these stereotyped displays of wealth and culture that I find to enticing, but there is something about how these commercial goods and images so bluntly stroke my sensibilities and entice my inner consumer.

On a recent trip around the Internet, I came across this imaged by David LaChapelle. I have really always liked his use of hyper-saturated colors, and the high sheen that everything in his images seem to have. His subjects become plasticy objects, and everything is equalized into a glossy visual melee. Bordering on pop-grotesgue, he creates images that are visual cacophonies which seem to be suspended from time and place.

Davids imagery has the ability to transform even the classiest subject into an objectified commodity. The people in his photographs uncannily seem to lose their identity and morph into anonymous objects that could almost be mass produced.

The Hope Diamond

Yeah, so I totally fell prey to all the hype surrounding the Hope Diamond, and I went to go see it on my whirwind tour of D.C. The 45 carat diamond is currently on display at the National Museum of Natural History. In my defense, I went to the museum with the intention of visiting their mineral display (which is phenomenal), and didn't even really know that the Hope Diamond was there.

There were a couple of things about the Hope Diamond that I found really interesting. First, this was the first time that it's been displayed unset. I felt that this was an honest way to show the diamond without the added distraction of the necklace. Also, the empty necklace without the diamond set in it was stunning on its own. It looked almost lonely in it's incompleteness, and I really liked the nostalgia and vulnerability of the separation.

The other thing that really threw me about the Diamond was the fact that the exhibit actually addressed the fact that the stone is thought to be cursed. There are stories, although inaccurate, that depict the Hope Diamond originally being stolen from a Hindu Temple or being initially set in a religious sculpture; with the curse resulting from the sacrilege of the stones removal. Although a lot of the stories surrounding the stone are embellished or fabricated entirely, some of the lore is true. Many people who have encountered the diamond have died untimely deaths, from owners to stone setters, to potential thieves. It's interesting how the history of the stone has been fabricated in such a way as to transform the diamond into an idol to be both feared and worshiped.

Images: original sketch of the Hope Diamond, uncut; Hope Diamond and empty setting at the Smithsonian.

PADLOCKS OF LOVE COMING TO PROVIDENCE

After blogging about the Love Locks a while back, I noticed that the only location within the United States that Love Locks were being collected was in Guam, which is a pretty unattainable location for most of us to access. Love Padlocks are a custom by which sweethearts affix padlocks to a fence or similar public fixture to symbolize their love, or they're used to commemorate a loved one. I found myself attracted to the memorial aspects of this guerrilla tradition, and how such simple devices are used to permanently mark emotions, loved ones, wishes, or memories. Naturally, I'd like to have an opportunity to have a collection point a little closer to home than Guam.

So, I've been scouting out locations to start a collection locally. Unfortunately, Providence urban planners have been pretty diligent about not using building materials that would be conducive to having padlocks attached to them. Traditionally, the site of a Love Padlock grouping is on a bridge or scenic outlook; that way the people who leave their lock can throw the key into the water or down the side of a cliff. It's a nice symbolic gesture alluding to how the sentiment that is commemorated by the lock will last as long as the lock is in place. But, here in Providence there is no chain link, or fences with smaller rails by the rivers... Except for in India Point!

On a recent bike I ride, I noticed that the new hardscaping for the India Point Park overpass was done with really nice square link fencing, perfect for locking things to it! And, the location is just a short walk away from the Bay, where the keys can get tossed into the water! I'm going to be making up anonymous invitations to post around in order to get people to initiate the collection... so keep an eye out, or just go stick a lock over there ASAP!Images from top to bottom: Metal chain-link railings at Mount Huang, China, adorned with padlocks, the keys ceremoniously thrown to the bottom of the cliff; Love padlocks on the Passerelle Leopold Sedar Senghor in Paris; Future site of Love Padlocks in Providence's India Point Park.

Coprolite Watch

Apparently, I'm only making tacky or ironic posts these days. Supporting this revelation, I just came across an article from the Associated Press about a Swiss luxury watchmaker who just revealed a new design for a watch made of fossilized dinosaur feces, and poisonous toad skin costing $11,290. The dial is made of Coprolite, which is a fossilized animal dung.

"A relic of the Jurassic period, it has taken millions of years for this organic substance to embrace its present warm and matchless tints," states the press release from Artya, sounding like something out of a J. Peterman catalogue parody ala Seinfeld. "In its mineral aspect, it forcefully underscores the pristine strength emanating from the very dawn of life."

The coprolite used to make the watch dials came from a plant-eater that died about 100 million years ago in what is now the United States, designer Yvan Arpa told the Associated Press. The strap for the Coprolite watches is made with the blackened skin of American cane toads. In live cane toads, the skin is toxic and can kill if ingested.

Despite being an incredible expensive accessory, the watch looks pretty chintzy and cheap. The contrasting textures and colors compete for attention and result in a watch that definitely looks like you're wearing crap on your wrist.

Love Locks

I just came across an interesting news story about the new phenomena of 'love locks' in Cologne, Germany. Apparently, the officials in Cologne are baffled by the new romantic tendency to padlock 'love locks' on the Hohenzollernbrücke bridge that stretches across the Rhine River.

According to this new custom, couples close the padlock and then toss the key into the Rhine to signify their enduring love. Commemorating the couples’ devotion to each other, there were originally only about 10 padlocks permanently affixed to the bridge, but the number has now grown to the thousands. Some have scratched their initials in the metal locks, while others have gone as far as having them professionally engraved to honor anniversaries, weddings, or other important dates. Apparently, the tradition began in Italy, and has slowly been spreading across the world.

This commemorative act is a very Victorian sentiment, so I found it to be intriguing. I really appreciate the symbolism of jointly sealing a token and relegating the key to the Rhine. The collection has become a physical index of peoples emotions. Aside from the sentimentality of the act, the locks themselves look beautiful on the bridge. I've attached a photo below of a collection of heart shaped locks from The Victoria and Albert Museum, which I though were appropriate to accompany this story. If you want to learn more, I came across an interesting wikipedia page that references other communities that have adopted this symbolic gesture.



Images: top and middle: 'love locks' on the Hohenzollernbrücke bridge; bottom: Gold, enamel, and gem set hear shaped padlock clasp pendants, 1855.

CATS FOR GOLD

I was recently shown this website, catsforgold.com, which boasts the refining service of turning your unwanted gold scrap into adorable cats. This seems like a wonderful opportunity to get rid of some junk, and receive a package of purring love in your mailbox.

Now, I have a couple of questions about the services touted by this website... First, what kindof cats are we talking about here? I really don't want a stray cat or an alley cat, or a cat with feline leukemia. Also, is it possible to get a pet of lesser worth in trade for silver? Maybe a Guinnea pig? I do have a couple ounces of scrap silver lying around, and a new hamster would be nice.

Anyway, if you have some scrap gold and want a new pet, check out www.catsforgold.com...