Ribbon Lace, 2019

3D filigree pendant suspended from a 20 in. chain

My concept was to form an undulating textile-like structure that, though strong and unbending, would appear as ephemeral as the folds of fabric. I imagined how this pendant would look unfurled so I could sketch its framework into a template that would accommodate its future ripple.

I alloyed a deep 18k rose gold from pure 24k gold and milled it into square wire for the framework. All the framework is Micro-TIG welded rather than soldered so that the sheen of the rose gold would be continuous as the light travels across the undulating metal. I twisted and milled the fine (pure) silver wire for the interior then formed, snipped, and tension fit each wire individually to create the perfect balance of positive and negative shapes. Once all the filigree was secure, I began the careful process of bending the structure into its undulating ripple. Since I first came up with this way of shaping Russian filigree, my work has been a complex combination of careful planing and unexpected experimentation.

The Koroit (a type of Boulder opal) is exceptional in its flash so it and the metal reflect their brilliance into each other. I set it in 22k yellow gold for contrast. I fused, shaped, and wove the very delicate Roman chain links to create a pattern with both the matching, deep 18k rose gold and fine silver.

I’ll own that I’m an all out tech nerd for incorporating cutting edge technology like micro-TIG welding into historical techniques like filigree. My nerdiness and my reason d’être to make art, however, is in service of making the world a more beautiful place. Far from “skin deep,” beauty is complex. It can be sudden and natural, but it is never simple.

If there is power in beauty, it’s not merely the bias and privilege unconsciously awarded to those deemed young and attractive. The solace beauty gives helps us persist to make things better for those around us. Rather than leaving us staring at only the surfaces of “skin deep,’” beauty's complexity invites us to delve deeper, to briefly get lost in its wonder and feel the connection of admiration.