Where it all begins:

These drawings are for a custom order from a great customer. It took me some long, thoughtful nights of thinking about what I was going to do for him. He wanted earrings, a ring, and a necklace; all that would kind of go together. He was very specific about his request. We met and talked a number of times about his wife and what he wanted for her. It is their anniversary, and he wanted to do something very special. I could tell by the way he spoke about her how much he adores and appreciates her. I thought it would be fun to show how I start a project like this, and then to show and explain the end results.
The ring was the first design I came up with in my head. It fit perfectly with what Colin wanted for his wife. The oxidation and patina will change over time revealing new areas of metal. I thought this would represent the changes that Colin's wife Kim has been through over the years with her changing career and her drive to achieve what she loves. The ring has five rivets that represent their five children. The swirls represent the craziness that life can sometimes be, but beauty can still be found within that craziness. The lone sapphire represents Kim and how much she does to support her family.

Colin picked out the tin in the center of the necklace, that says EVENTUALLY. He picked this to represent Kim's journey. Colin knows that through her hard work and dedication, she will "eventually" reach her goals. The swirls around the tin represent the trials and tribulations of getting to that point, and the singular blue sapphire represents the beginning and the end to her journey.

The oxidized silver swirls represent Kim's & Colin's strong bond. The three circles that are on the necklace and the earrings represent their family unit. The single hanging pearl on each earring represent the fact that Colin and Kim are still themselves and have been able to hold onto that throughout their relationship and still love one another.

Happy anniversary you two!
The funniest part about this whole thing is that about a month after I initially spoke with Colin about creating these pieces for Kim, Kim called me to commission this piece for Colin's birthday. I had to bite my tongue every time I spoke with her. I had to not reveal all of the things that I already knew about her. I only called Colin "your husband" to assure that I was not presuming that she had told me his name. Uhg! It was hard, because I am the biggest blabber mouth in the world. I am so glad that I did not spill the beans.