Stargazing: New work from the Orbital Collection

“I know that I am mortal by nature, and ephemeral; but when I trace at my pleasure the windings to and fro of the heavenly bodies I no longer touch the earth with my feet: I stand in the presence of Zeus himself and take my fill of ambrosia” 

― Ptolemy, Ptolemy's Almagest

I love this quote. It completely captures how I feel gazing up at the night sky, thinking about the vast universe, how small I am, how incomprehensible it is, yet at the same time how powerful the mind is that we seek to understand, that we are part of it. Amazing. 

I was recently asked how I choose my stones and regrettably, my answer focused on the buying aspects: attending gem fairs, visits to the jewelry district, scouring the local rock shops. What I wish I had focused on was how the stones I choose fit into my work.  

Each of my collections focuses on a few specific stones that I attempt to connect to the themes of my work. When I'm creating something for the Orbital Collection, like these ocean jasper pieces, I'm aiming to find stones that resemble galaxies, nebula, and gaseous planets. 

With other Orbital pieces, like these lapis and pyrite pendants, I'm looking to evoke the night sky, at times obstructed by whispy clouds and at others clear and crisp the first twinkling stars showing themselves. 

Labradorite, prehnite, or moonstone make their appearance as I'm imagining shards of freezing comets rushing past foreign landscapes or the glow of the moon as its reflection dances on water.

So the next time someone asks how I choose my stones I think I might tell them that I'm looking for the feeling that lives somewhere between discovery and imagination. 

Thanks for reading!