Kimi Kaplowitz Necklace

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

When I approach a project, I always start with the stones. I like to lay them out visually and design elements around them that will accentuate them. For this project, the sunstone is so large I thought it would be a cool center stone for a necklace. Creating large, intricate necklaces incorporating gemstones isn’t something I do much of, but I really wanted to take on the challenge.

In thinking of a necklace design, I knew I wanted something V-shaped, as I find it’s complementary to the body. I also knew I wanted to incorporate female figures as a prominent element in the piece, as they’re often seen in Greek sculpture and pottery, which felt like a nice nod to Lorna’s love of Greek history. When thinking about the design, I began visualizing the idea of women finding each other in space. Placing the sunstone in the center of the piece to represent the sun, I imagined female figures surrounding it, reaching out across the space, just as Lorna and Jackie are reaching out to one another. While the rest of the necklace is silver, the figures are bronze, which I believe will develop a nice patina over time and lend another nod to Greek pottery.

Wanting to give the necklace a natural and flowing feel, I incorporated other design elements, such as fern fronds, which are common Greek architectural motifs, and mushrooms, which I use often in my work and that which seem to flow nicely with the figures. All the stones are set with square, geometric prongs that I believe balance out the flowing elements featured throughout the rest of the piece.

While I was thinking of Lorna’s upcoming trip as a great time for her to showcase the necklace, I believe she’ll want to wear the piece for other special occasions or nights out.

Kimi Kaplowitz is the owner of Theeth Jewelry in Portland, Oregon.