Third trimester, my wedding ring no longer fits. I discovered statement earrings are a good choice to shift the admiring eyes away from belly and other growth areas.
My suggestion is time your delivery date close to your birthday for extra special gifts. My son and second child was born two weeks after my 40th birthday. In honor of these two special events Daddy took our 3 year old daughter to Tiffany’s. Together they chose a classic pair of platinum and diamond studs. David remembered the first time around studs were the only safe earrings with a baby in arms. A ring would be risky because it may not fit for a few months, post baby fat. Pendants and bracelets were off limits too as they would likely end up in baby’s mouth.
The sparkle in their eyes when the Tiffany Blue Box was presented is with me every day. I promptly had my ears pierced a second time so I would never have to take the earrings off. Of course I let out a little scream on opening the gift, after all, I am a jeweler and could have purchase those diamonds from one of my sources. Alas Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of my favorite films and I will always cherish the incredible love that came with the little blue box.
Year two, a sporty digital watch with timer is essential. My kids weren’t good sleepers, nap times were also brief. The first part of year two for me was focused on recovery from my own sleep deprivation. A digital watch with large numbers is a great help for tired eyes. The timer helped me keep track of the rare opportunities I had to slip away into my studio. If I was able to get into a project the watch would remind me after 30 minutes the nap was probably over.
By year three both of my children were producing irresistible art works, weather on the side walk, in the bath tub or during their visits with me in the studio. My son could hold his pencil or crayon correctly from the first time it was offered to him. With both interested in what mom makes they shared their own jewelry design ideas with me and loved playing with my “slinky” like bangles. I now felt safe to wear anything from my jewelry collection as long as hands were washed before the “slinky” bracelets came out to play.
Year four my kids art collection was growing fast. When my daughters preschool teacher discovered I was a jeweler, and who doesn’t love jewelry? She asked if I could help with the annual fundraising auction project. She wanted the children to create self-portraits we could incorporate. I suggested we transfer the images onto metal, a charm for parents to wear the image of their kids. We created three charm bracelets with five portraits each. The kids contributed their drawings, a few parents helped forge the sterling silver chains in my studio (lots of fun, no injuries) and I came to class with my hand tools, silver wire and donated beads that each child used to help finish their master pieces. Parents were thrilled! No one had to take home a mosaic coffee table and we raised over $2,000 for our school! My kid’s grandmas were also thrilled to receive the cherished charms for Christmas that year.
Over the years my children have influenced what I wear in subtle ways and what I make. I choose more color in my jewelry and I continue to create kinetic pieces that are as playful as they are interesting. My daughter, 4 at the time, told me she would never get married because she would have to pierce her ears! I look forward to the day she hopefully asks me to create the rings for that very special time in her life. I'm so lucky to be a mom!
Happy Mothers Day!
I can hardly sit still at my bench with so much calling me to the garden.
I often refer to my designs as “three dimensional drawings”. My process begins with the sketch of hard lines and pattern then I create the idea in wire models to refine curves and movement. The image of the drawing is always with me, an architectural plan, a graphic. I love the contrast of a dark line on paper. To express this in my jewelry I color my silver with a dark patina.
Sterling Silver is composed of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. If you own Sterling Silver Jewelry or table ware you know that over time it tarnishes or oxidizes, the copper is the culprit. To achieve the graphite dark patina I like I artificially speed up oxidation by exposing the jewelry to the common chemical potassium sulfide, used in garden fertilizer to skin care treatments. Jewelers use it to create an “antique” finish. Mix a small amount in warm water then immerse the silver jewelry for a few minutes, rinse in cold water for a matte black finish like the Architectonic Bracelet pictured.
I love to push contrasts in my designs. Using 22k gold and sterling silver together with the more highly polished dark patina pictured here on my earrings is one of my favorite combinations. For this finish the same potassium sulfide water bath is used then the jewelry is tumble polished with stainless steel shot. The steel planishes the metal like hundreds of tiny hammers. I love the hard shine and reflection with the high carat gold.
Gina Pankowski will launch the new Metropolis Collection at the JA Winter Show, March 1-4 at the Javitz Convention Center in New York.
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