Sandrine B. Valentine Pendant

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

When I create a custom piece, I always draw a lot of inspiration from the stones. In this case, I wanted to create one piece that represented three individuals. Since Jackie knows that Lorna favors necklaces and earrings, I decided to create a pendant using all of the stones.

There is a lot of positivity and good energy in Lorna’s story so I opted to set the sunstone in the center of the pendant, like the sun that radiates light and goodness in the center of our solar system. Since the stone is from Lorna’s mother, it also seemed fitting for the center of the piece. Around the sunstone, I hand carved a sun design, with the rays pointing toward the other gemstones, which represent the mother’s two daughters and are set along the top and bottom of the pendant. In a nod to Lorna’s love for Greek history, I added a Greek key pattern around the edge of the piece. In ancient Greece, the key pattern represents unity and eternity, which felt appropriate for a piece representing a mother and her daughters.

The piece features a matte finish, so the metal doesn’t detract from the stones. I’ve also kept the piece on the lighter side so it’s easy for Lorna to wear regularly. I want it to be something that she would want to have with her at any given time.

Sandrine Valentine is the owner of Sandrine B. Jewelry in New York City.