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:
I love gold! It’s one of the un-fussiest metals to take care of, it’s slow to oxidize or tarnish, and cleaning it is delightfully simple and straightforward. Here I share my best method for cleaning gold jewelry at home — don’t read too fast or you’ll miss it!
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.
Come celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with me at Hops Petunia in Kingston, NY! There will be local makers and food vendors, some complimentary snacks, and a giveaway.
Over the last 10 years of living in the Catskill Mountains, it’s been wonderful getting to know other artists, makers, and creatives in this area and brainstorming fun ways to play together.
A recent project with a local creative was with Rick Holbrook, a still-life and product photographer who I’d been Instagram-stalking for the last few years. He has a fantastic sense of light, composition, and styling, and I was too happy to get my jewelry in front of his camera when he suggested that we team up.
