The SANTA FE TOTEM, one of my favorite one of a kind pieces, recently SOLD at the
Stockley Gardens Art Festival! I was elated (and a tiny bit sad) that this show-stopper, constructed back in 2006, finally found its perfect mate.
Every one of a kind piece I make tells a story. I wanted to share with you the story of the Santa Fe Totem.
When
I was
22, I embarked on a 6 week long RV trip with my boyfriend to explore the
cracked red earth,
cacti-covered canyons and black night skies. The rugged landscape was so
beautiful that at times it brought tears to my eyes. It was in Santa
Fe, while wandering in and out of art galleries, including the
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, that I
discovered this large Chrysocolla gemstone in a tiny shop in the city center.
The
Chrysocolla shows off a turquoise blue-green hue that is interlaced
with brown red matrix, like a quiet canyon creek flowing over parched
earth. I set the stone with a modified bezel, wrapping around the
bottom and side edges, while prongs of 14 karat yellow gold crown it
above like a rising sun. The 14 karat gold prongs are echoed below the
bezel, connecting the gemstone atop to a rugged landscape of sterling
silver. Using recycled sterling silver, manipulated with my
torch, I created a highly textured surface reminiscent of the landscape
that marked my desert journey.
Chrysocolla is a copper bearing mineral found wherever copper deposits naturally
occur, especially in areas of the southwestern USA, Chili,
Zaire, Australia, France and England.
Pure Chrysocolla is too soft for jewelry purposes but it
is often found in quartz deposits, mixed with
malachite, turquoise and azurite, which makes it hard enough
to polish for cabochons. Chrysocolla is associated
with peace and tranquility, patience, intuition, and unconditional
love. It is thought to offer gentle and soothing qualities to the
wearer.
A
part of my heart will always belong to the parched red earth of the
southwest United States, where this stone was born, but I am happy that
this special piece will be worn and cherished close to the heart of its
new owner.
