Kaelin Cordis Necklace Suite

THE STORY BEHIND THE DESIGN
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.