My fascination with jewelry partially stems from the fact that the impulse to adorn ourselves is almost as ancient as mankind. Driven by many different factors, the impulse to adorn as a means of creating identity is what most intrigues me. When someone puts on one of my pieces, I want them to be both physically and emotionally effected because that piece introduces a new facet of, or a change to, their identity. Each piece, somewhat like a uniform, allows for some aspects of that person’s personality to come forward, while at the same time masking others. The goal I have for my pieces is to instill a sense of empowerment in the wearer, to make that individual feel like that they can face their peers, or strangers, with a confidence that they might not have otherwise.

The use of Victorian interior design motifs is a starting point from which I aim to achieve my goal. The Victorian home was the realm of the woman, as separate as possible from the masculine world outside. I am interested in the implications of a woman existing almost exclusively in the home, constantly surround by everything feminine. At the time, it was a devise used to separate women from society. I use those same motifs, which acted as restrictions on the Victorian woman, to empower the wearer of my jewelry by making her aware of her body and the power that femininity can hold, instead of those elements confining her. Chemical etching, the process by which I achieve these patterns, is also a driving force in my work. As I recognize and attempt to overcome the limitations of the etching process, I equate this experience with the power of perseverance in producing a good result.