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ARTISTIC STATEMENT: DIANE NELSON GOLD
THOUGHTS ON ORIGINALITY... Each one of my jewelry pieces is meant to bring to its wearer, the joy of owning an original work of art. Every time I make a new piece of jewelry, I embrace the opportunity to make an entirely unique creation. If, by popular demand, I again use the same element or two, I'll still strive to give it a different twist, somehow.
Other jewelry artists may call their work "one-of-a-kind," rationalizing that no two stones are alike, even though they repeat the same designs over and over. I will not repeat an exact design, and you can be assured that whatever you purchase from me will not, at some future point, be replicated by me. (Any future "limited editions" will all be labeled as such from the first sale.) *** The future is here: In this recent economic climate, I want to offer quality jewelry at more affordable prices, and have started an "LTD" line of limited edition pieces. Most of them have a more basic design, and are numbered begining with the letters "LTD." *** In my one-of-a-kind pieces, the design time that goes into each piece of jewelry I make, is reflected in my pricing, to some extent... though it would be difficult to truly count up my hours... Like anyone who has a passion for what they do, I find myself obsessing over my work: reworking things to make them better, daydreaming about various stone combinations, elements and designs, and waking in the middle of the night with gorgeous inspirations! PLEASE KNOW THAT YOUR SUPPORT OF MY ARTISTIC VISION IS GREATLY AND HUMBLY APPRECIATED.
THOUGHTS ON CRAFTSMANSHIP... I've heard stories about "designer" necklaces from department stores that fall apart on the first wearing, beads spraying across the floor... My work isn't like that. I assemble things with an eye toward longevity: I want you to enjoy wearing my pieces for a long, long time. I use high quality, 49 strand professional beading wire every time, and give each joint a test tug, to ensure sturdiness. My reputation depends on it, and I stand behind my work.
THOUGHTS ON DYING STONES... I'm biased against dyed stones. First of all, I don't see the point of it, when stones come out of the earth in such an amazing array of natural colors. In my eyes, dying stones is like gilding the proverbial lily. Second, I had a bad experience, twenty years or so, ago with a department store Lapis Lazuli necklace (which wasn't cheap.) After about a dozen wearings, the color started to leach out of the beads... and onto a light aqua silk blouse I wore with it. That's just unacceptable. My third reason for rejecting dyed stones is my most important: In my research on the therapeutic energies of stones, I've encountered thinking that states the beneficial qualities of stones can be destroyed or altered by dying. This idea resonates with me, and so I am what people call a "purist," with regard to dying stones: NO DYED STONES ARE USED IN MY WORK. I try to be careful about my sources and to buy stones with a known history. EXCEPTIONS: In my work, I will occasionally use stones which have been enhanced by heat treatment. This process tends to bring the natural color to life, as in the case of much Smokey Quartz, Amber and Fire Agate. Also, natural, undyed turquoise is often soft and fragile, and can need stabilizing, a process where it is treated with resin. At present, naturally hard, strong turquoise is out of my budget range, though someday, I hope to be able to work in it. PEARLS: Though pearls have their own beneficial energies, I don't so much mind messing with them, as I do with stones which have been formed over eons. By contrast, all the pearls I use are cultured fresh water pearls, which are man-initiated / mollusk-made. Pearls only come naturally in shades of white, peach and mauve. Otherwise they are dyed or enhanced somehow. The colored pearls I use currently, are dyed with an electromagnetic process which is guaranteed not to fade.
THOUGHTS ON STONE THERAPY... In my heart, I know that wearing, handling and working with stones makes me feel good: that's one of the reasons I love making jewelry. But... I'm just a nutty artist... For thousands of years, people have been amassing information on the beneficial qualities of particular stones. 5,000 years ago, ancient Chinese medicine described many different stone therapies. For thousands of years in Western culture, people have believed that wearing Amethyst will guard against accidental intoxication. This is just one example of the folkloric medicinal body of knowledge which was passed through generations in the verbal tradition. In "modern times" we have turned to laboritory chemistry for wellness, but more recently, the lab has been able to validate many kinds of old fashioned remedies for natural wellness. This is the beginning of re-integration of the ancient wisdoms into our wellness arsenal. We now know that all matter is composed of elements (atoms) which are in constant motion. The notion that matter is "solid" is, under this premise, sort of bizrare. In turn, it's not that bizarre to assume that each particular form of matter has its own unique kind of energy. "Hard as a rock" is only one aspect of stones and nothing is truly "inanimate." The natural world is a cause for great awe.
"There are no unnatural or supernatural phenomena: only very large gaps in our knowledge of what is natural."
- Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 Astronaut I sincerely hope you will derive as much joy from wearing my creations, as I have in the process of their creation. My Very Best to You - Diane |