Studio Process: Tesserae Stream Collection
There are a ton of rocks out there, but at the same time, the colorful semi-precious stones used in my inlay jewelry are still non-renewable resources. Once they are cut into a shape, there’s no going back.
This kind of thinking is how the Tesserae Stream Collection was born. How could I upcycle the gorgeous but tiny bits of stone leftover from other inlays and give them a new life instead of being thrown away?
As a test run, I started hand-arranging the small pieces of stone that I have been collecting over the past four years, separating all of the blues and greens for this particular project (since that’s a color I gravitate towards in much of my inlay jewelry).
The “grout” for these small mosaic jewelry pieces is a strong, museum-grade epoxy to hold everything in place.
By the time the epoxy cured and the surface was cut down to reveal the glittering surface before me, I was awestruck. The beauty of these mosaics spoke wonders to me about how even the smallest bits of stone could create a symphonic gestalt of color. Just take a look at the before and after in this short video!
Just as each small stone comes together to make a strong aesthetic impact, small steps towards more sustainable studio practices can make a difference in the long run while helping you choose jewelry that has a positive impact on the environment.