I don't have a single best jewelry memory. But all of my best jewelry memories are with my husband, Ben. That sounds like a cliché, but it's not really...
In case you are wondering (or worrying!) NONE of the memories include him getting down on his knee. He never formally proposed or presented me with an engagement ring. (And that is a story for another day!) In fact, in the 17 years that we have been together, he has only given me 2 pieces of jewelry. (And why should he, right? Although a nice big stone that I could put into a piece of jewelry might be nice someday. hmmmmmm.)
I have digressed a little from my original thought...
I met Ben when we were attending Tyler School of Art---I was getting my BFA, he was getting his MFA---we were both concentrating our studies in the Jewelry/Metals Department. After a year of friendship, our relationship evolved into a more romantic one. I have many fond (and some not so fond) jewelry related memories during this period of my life. One in particular was when I was working late in the studio one weekend night. Ben really wanted me to watch one of his favorite movies "Robin and Marian," but I had to work on my project. So he rented the movie and brought it to the studio. He pulled the forming stakes I needed to use in front of the studio television, so I could watch the movie with him while I worked. (Nice date, huh?)
I don't have digital images of my school work. These are badly scanned from slides.
I don't think this is the piece I was working on when we watched "Robin and Marian", but it of the same time period (circa 1992).Another fond jewelry memory I have takes place years later...
I had started my business and Ben was teaching Jewelry/Metals at Rowan University. We would go to Rowan every Sunday---he opened the studio for his students and I would work on my own jewelry. We would drive from Philadelphia to Glassboro in the late morning and pick up lunch on the way---many times we would eat a picnic lunch on the lawn near the jewelry studio. We would spend all day there---I would bring waxes that that I injected at our home studio and we would invest them, do a quick burn out and cast. We would drive home Sunday night---many times fighting with the summertime New Jersey to Philly beach traffic---and would listen to "This American Life" on the car radio.
Ben and Danielle casting at Rowan University circa 1998To read about my fellow EtsyMetal members' best jewelry memory, please visit the following blogs:
Andes Cruz Designs
Bijougirl
Sara Westermark
