CHAIR RING - WEEK 1
Mark was recently presented with the challenge of creating a custom ring for a customer. Here are her words about what she was looking for and why she felt that Mark was the perfect person to make it happen.
"I met Mark at my local jewelry store when he was visiting and I felt a connection to him right away. We have many things in common, the love of nature, architecture and furniture, especially chairs. My husband & I were re-doing our wills and I realized that I did not have any family left to leave my things to, that no one would appreciate them and sitting in a safe, I wasn't appreciating them either. So, I had a bunch of stones from various pieces that were handed down with which to make a ring. I wanted something unique and knew Mark was the one who could take all the things I saw in my head and put them together in an actual product. (He has such a gift for this!) I was inspired by medieval chairs that I saw in a furniture book and he was able to take all the things I liked, find a place for all of my stones and still make me a work of art. I wanted a conversation piece on my hand and a chair that could stand upright in my curio case as a piece of art. I'm so excited!"
Using customer's stones to creatue unique pieces of jewelry that can function as art pieces is one of the most interesting aspects of working with Mark everyday. Above is his original sketch for what we will refer to as "the chair ring." Check back next week to see the progression of this spectacular piece.