Kaelin Cordis Necklace Suite
Auction Closed: Congratulations to the highest bidder.
Kaelin Cordis Necklace Suite titled Finding Home
Designer MSRP: $3,200.00
100% proceeds from this sale will be donated to NEST in support of its Jewelers United Program, part of the Makers United Program.
Finding Home is composed of Argentium and Sterling Silver, with recycled 14k yellow gold, and 23.5k gold foil. This piece features a variety of responsibly sourced gems, including an 8mm Oregon Sunstone, two 3.5mm Montana Sapphire Hexagons, two 6x3mm Brazilian Fire Citrine Baguettes and two 3x1.5x1mm Australian Sapphire Tapered Baguettes.
Techniques used in this piece include soldering, fusing, piercing, reticulation, carving, dapping, forging, kiln hardening, hydraulic press forming, and hollow form construction. In addition, the Argentium threaded components were kiln hardened to ensure durable mechanical connections.
Each earring detaches from the necklace by removing the threaded ear nut from the reverse of the pendant, and removing the stabilizing spacer behind the shorter earring. To reassemble, place the spacer on the pendant, thread the shorter earring through the hole, and screw on the ear nut on the reverse. Slight adjustment of the orientation of the earrings may be necessary to ensure a firm connection with the pendant.
Total Suite Weight: 27.5 dwt / Approximate Pendant Dimensions: 69x32mm / Chain Length: 18 inches
How your purchase supports the supply chain.
Every purchase you make with Columbia Gem House supports a responsible supply chain. We work with individual miners and cutters, while offering careful consideration and respect to the cultures, communities, and environments in which our gems are produced. These are some of the key guiding principles in how our gems are brought to market. To learn more about our process, visit our Fair Trade Gems® Principles & Protocols page.
Additional Information
This piece was inspired by the MJSA Responsibly Sourced Design Challenge Story
This was an interesting commission. Normally when I’m creating a custom piece, I can question the customer for details that might be important. In this case, Jackie hasn’t yet met her sister and has only learned bits and pieces about her during their Zoom and phone conversations. So, I had to really think about something that would be appropriate for Lorna. This is a woman who has spent her whole life wondering about where she came from, which likely shaped her perceptions about life and may even be why she spent her life studying other people’s cultures and histories.
Knowing that she dedicated her life to studying ancient civilizations, I researched typical design styles and I discovered something interesting. Whether it was Aztec, Saxon, Tibetan, Tuareg, or any other ancient culture, there’s a good deal of overlap. Every culture incorporates spirals, granulations, geometric textures, and engravings into their artworks in some way or another. I liked the idea of incorporating these elements that have resonated with artists throughout time in an overlapping design that plays with layers as tangible elements of history.
Given Lorna’s love of jewelry, I wanted to create a piece that was flexible and that she could wear for any occasion. That’s when the idea to create a pendant that includes two earrings that could be removed and worn separately struck. The pendant features a spiral shape with the sunstone in its center. Since they represent the two sisters’ birthdays, I wanted the citrines and sapphires to be paired together but also separate from the sunstone, so I’ve used them in the complementary yet non-matching earrings. Although the bulk of the pendant and earrings will be made in silver, I’ve accented the pieces with 14k Fairmined yellow gold, both as wire that winds through all the pieces, but also granulation that trails through the piece to connect to its heart. In addition, I’ve incorporated some 23k Fairmined gold foil to create the illusion of weathered texture.
When the earrings are removed, Lorna will discover some hidden portions of the pendant. Initially I was thinking of engraving a DNA type spiral into the piece, but I believe that would be too modern looking for a woman who spends her time studying the past. Instead, I created a maze design that’s often found in ancient Greek designs. Just as the Greeks used the symbol of a labyrinth as the visual representation of the search for knowledge and enlightenment, Lorna too has been on the search for knowledge into her own history. That search has finally led to her discovering her birth family so that’s why I’ve named the piece Finding Home.
Kaelin Cordis is the owner of Kaelin Design in Rogers, Arkansas.
