Welcome to the launch of GEMFABLOUS! I have several goals for this blog. The first is to provide a forum to teach people about gemstones in a way that’s easy to understand, short-and-sweet, fun and interesting. While some of us love reading about Raman spectroscopy and refractive indices what the what??? – most people are more interested in knowing what each type of stone looks like, why they’re the color they are, and whether they’re good in ring or not. If you’re interested in the former, I highly recommend the hardcore scientific journal Gems & Gemology, published by the Gemological Institute of America and available on their website for free (http://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology). If, however, you’re in the latter group, you’ve come to the right place!
A second goal is to provide a forum to present some of the things that inspire my creative journey, and how I translate those inspirations into actual handmade objects. I find inspiration in virtually everything, from nature, to shapes, science, storytelling, people, textures, color palettes, garbage…you name it! Process is important to me, and I spend quite a bit of time and effort translating my ideas into prototypes, frequently through an insane amount of tedium that would drive a “normal” person crazy. I’ve been asked often whether I meditate, and the answer is no, simply because my work is my meditation. Spending 50 hours intently focused on creating thousands of components is quite meditative. Believe me.
I love developing techniques for my jewelry that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also generate an element of surprise. Having a client respond to a piece of jewelry for something overt – like its color palette or the beauty of a gem – is one thing, but revealing a surprise element and having them exclaim, “Whhhaaaaat?!” That’s the fun part for me as an artist.
A final goal is to have a centralized place where I can share all sorts of randomness, like art tips and shortcuts, favorite tools, fabulous museum exhibits, publications I find most useful, and whatever else strikes my fancy and might inspire someone else.
I’ve been thinking about this blog for more than a year, and after several years living abroad in a country with dismal internet, I finally have access to all manner of technology, so it’s time to get on with it! So sit back, “follow” GEMFABULOUS, and let’s have some fun! Thanks for reading!
–Heather
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