Jamie Hollier Necklace
Auction Closed: Congratulations to the highest bidder.
Jamie Hollier Necklace
Designer MSRP: $3,250.00
100% proceeds from this sale will be donated to NEST in support of its Jewelers United Program, part of the Makers United Program.
This necklace was crafted in 18K yellow gold and Sterling Silver, featuring 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. The whole pendant was hand-fabricated, including the bezels for the stones.
Total Necklace Weight: 7 dwt / Approximate Pendant Dimensions: 40x26mm / Chain Length: 17 inches
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Additional Information
This piece was inspired by the MJSA Responsibly Sourced Design Challenge Story
I like to approach custom designs by focusing on the interesting details and goals for the client, such as where they’re likely to wear the piece. As I was thinking about Lorna, I keyed into her active involvement with the Chicago Historical Society and believe that she would appreciate something that is a little bit dressier that she could wear to the society’s fundraisers and galas.
Although Jackie has only known Lorna for a short time, she knows how important history and family are to her, so I believe it’s important to try to incorporate both into the piece. Initially, I looked into Berkeley, California, where Lorna grew up but then I moved on to researching Chicago, where Lorna decided to settle down and raise her family. As a professor at Loyola University, Lorna spent a great deal of her time on campus and in my research, I discovered an archway over a library on campus that I felt was a perfect inspiration for the design.
Lorna doesn’t strike me as funky; she’s artistic and refined but not edgy so I didn’t want to create anything asymmetrical or really out there. Initially I contemplated a ring design, but sunstones are not particularly hard and wouldn’t hold up to a lot of wear and tear in a ring. After sketching designs for both necklaces and bracelets, I settled on a necklace design.
All the stones are set in 18k yellow gold, as I felt the metal would work best against the color of the stones. An 18k yellow gold frame also runs around the piece and connects it to the chain. The bulk of the necklace is created in sterling silver that’s been oxidized. Not only is the oxidation a nod to how the original arch has oxidized over time, I felt the blackened silver allows the gold bezels and frame to better pop. The silver rays are woven above and below the inner gold frame and meet in the center, which is accented with keum boo. As a callback to the library arch, the gold is hammered to add texture and to also add a bit more sparkle. As a final special finish, the handmade oxidized silver chain features 18k gold accents and is connected with hexagon-shaped jump rings that tie into the center sunstone. It’s a special piece that deserves a special chain.
Jamie Hollier is the owner of Balefire Goods in Arvada, Colorado.
