I could talk endlessly about jewelry, so here you’ll find the latest posts from my most popular topics. You can also check out my most popular posts, or explore posts by topic in the right-hand column. Happy exploring!
There’s something so wonderfully tactile and genuine about wobbly, imperfect forms. I get why we strive for perfection, but perfection feels a bit cold and untouchable, no? I like it better when you can sense the person behind an object. From an off-center shape or the marks of a sanding file or a scratchy finish, it just feels like it has more soul.
I was recently at dinner with a friend, catching up and inhaling the appetizers, when sort of randomly she asked me, “Why gold?” Wait, what?
“Why did you make the sudden switch to gold?”
Her question reminded me that she (and also you!) don’t live 24/7 with me in my brain, and haven’t gone through the months (possibly years?) of deep thinking about jewelry and how or why I make it.
So maybe it’s time for some clarity. There are 3 main reasons why I’ve recently made the switch to making (mostly) solid gold jewelry:
It comes as a surprise to most people when I tell them I’m Puerto Rican. And although Puerto Ricans aren't immigrants (we're the US citizens everyone forgets about) I fell into that stereotypical 2nd generation immigrant phenomenon: wanting to be more like the people I grew up around (white, middle-class suburbanites) than my parents (thick-accented, loud-laughing, unapologetic Puerto Ricans).
Why did it take so long for me to realize that trying to be like everyone else is dumb? In trying to fit in, I lost touch with the incredible foods and flavors distinct to Puerto Rican cuisine, I wore neutral colors and silhouettes because “that’s what chic NYC people do, right?," and I missed so many chances to get to know people better because of how little Spanish I could speak.
