David Thorp Bangle Bracelet

THE STORY BEHIND THE DESIGN
This piece was inspired by the MJSA Responsibly Sourced Design Challenge Story

When I create bespoke work, I like to draw inspiration from the client. For this piece, I focused on the idea of Lorna being reunited with family as well as her interest in ancient history. Her upcoming trip to Greece stood out, and in my desire to incorporate ancient motifs, I read up on Greek iconography and references to ancient Greek jewelry. In my research, I noticed parallels between the story of Persephone being reunited with her mother in Greek mythology and Lorna finally finding her birth family.

Although I don’t design many, I thought it would be interesting to create a bracelet for Lorna. Arm bands and bracelets were also common in ancient Greece. I settled on a hinged bangle design. A hexagon sapphire, Lorna’s birthstone, is set on one side of the clasp; on the other side, are the remaining stones, representing the other members of Lorna’s birth family. When the bracelet is closed, the sapphire is reunited with the rest of the stones, just as Lorna has finally been reunited with her family.

The rest of the bracelet features a twist design, as that is a common element in older Greek jewelry. Granulation was also common, so I’ve included a milgrain application throughout the bracelet to emulate the look of granulation. I’ve also adorned the bracelet with floral metalwork that is reminiscent of the blooms that emerge at the start of spring, when Persephone is reunited with her mother. It makes the bracelet, which I’ve named Persephone Rising, a bit more ornate but not an over-the-top piece, so it’s one that Lorna can wear on her trip to Greece as well as in her everyday life.

David Thorp is the owner of Mercurious Jewelry in Oakland, California.