I've been busy!

Back to jewelry creating. Several years ago I was creating my artisan gemstone jewelry for a local gallery and it always sold so well. So I want to get back to my roots, so to speak, and I've started with these:This is my newest piece. The beads are a lovely amethyst with naturally occuring inclusions of milky white swirls and tan.This is more like my older pieces. This is one of my favorite designs where I bring together a mixture of metals and textures.I love gorgeous materials and timeless design, but even more I love the making and gifting of it. You will find my jewelry for sale on my website at http://www.cyanrift.com/. You can also shoot me an email and I will respond back. Happy Holidays! -Sharon Marzonie

Coffee shop interview with Arielle

You ever get that feeling when you meet someone and pow! you can feel that person's beautiful energy and you're drawn to connect serendipitously, making an excuse that brings you two together? Well I did! I was flattered today when Arielle Black-Foley, an Outreach Coordinator at Prescott Area Women's Shelter (PAWS), agreed to do a little interview with me. I met her through the volunteer work I do there, where I am an overnight advocate one night a week overseeing things while everyone sleeps (or so we try)!Arielle and I met at a really chic coffee shop in downtown Prescott and sat at some high-top chairs in the nice, cool A/C. She's bright and with a personality that won't sit still, originally from Massachusetts and recently moved to Arizona.

Me: What/who inspired you to be in your line of work (describe your line of work)?

Arielle: I just graduated from the University of Vermont knowing it was important for me to do what I love and that it would involve the social sciences of some sort. Part way through, I switched my major, International Development, to a minor, and then chose Anthropology as my major. After making the switch, I was able to focus better on my passions: women's issues and empowerment via anthropology. From here, I began to view things on a much broader, world-conscious level, therefore when I set out on a field project I strive to maximize the local resources and societally analyze problems, such as with disadvantaged populations, in order to get at the root cause. Also, my mom inspired me, having a Masters of Social Policy.

Me: Do you have a special piece of jewelry that inspires you (I noticed you are wearing some interesting pieces)?

Arielle: I interned with Karen Sparacio, the founder of a non-prof called Project Have Hope, which is a cooperative group of Ugandan women (Acholi) that run their own micro enterprises making paper beads, textiles and hand-painted wooden tiles. I own a pair of their earrings that are beaded into a circle shape with bright orange beads. These to me convey a bold, empowering statement. I love to wear them, and they are kind of big. I sometimes wear these earrings from India and this bracelet from Spain (both gifts from other close friends that are worldly jet-setters like Arielle).

Me: Have you made any of your own jewelry?

Arielle: No, I'm too impatient. I go around with the idea thinking I'd like to someday, and that it would be relaxing.

Me: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?

Arielle: "If everyone were to do what they were capable of, then the world would be a much better place."

Me: Tell me about an exciting event that is going on for you right now regarding PAWS and/or working at the homeless shelter?

Arielle: This Saturday, August 20th, at the Prescott Fine Arts building, there are two shows (at 2pm/7pm) called Dirty Laundry. It's written by nine female playwrights, a field which I believe is primarily men and women are under-recognized. I love sassy independent performances with a twist of feminist humor so this is definitely my cup of tea/coffee!
You are the best, Arielle! Thank you for making the world a better place. xox, Sharon Marzonie

Minimalist Artisan Jewelry

According to late 20th century industrial designer, Dieter Rams, good design can be simple and straightforward, and while something looks very simple it is somehow very desirable. His motto is “less but better.” Many of us have heard similar phrases such as, “less is more” or “less is better.” And I like the sentiment of these expressions, but are they really true? Is it fair to say that some objects/products need as “little design as possible”? What about when it comes to jewelry design?

More frequently I notice this “less is more” trend in jewelry design, where the piece is reduced to its necessary elements to work as jewelry (also known as minimalist jewelry). When I encounter it, I find it oddly and unexpectedly plain, though this does not seem to deprive the piece of its timelessness or value. An example is a plain freshwater pearl midpoint on a simple chain or a pale, faceted gemstone or glass framed with metal and dangling from simple earwires. Some may think it’s too simple or weak while others love a clean, fresh line that is not too fussy.

I have experimented with this trend in my own jewelry line; and here is an example I'd like to share:

I've really enjoyed designing pieces of this nature, not necessarily as minimalist jewelry, but with the goal to showcase the materials rather than clutter the simple beauty of the stones with complicated combinations. I love good stones and rare, collectible beads. I also love the silver color of argentium sterling silver (a new metal I'm excited to be working with).

I am not sure I’m really posing this as a question or as a rhetorical one that I enjoy sitting and intellectualizing over. Either way, feel free to post a comment below, as I’m interested to hear your thoughts on minimalist movements in general, as many of us have undertaken (with great effort and courage!) to de-clutter and simplify our homes, parent’s homes, offices, or even something as seemingly simple as a jewelry box! xo, Sharon Marzonie

Creative Travel

Today I sit here in Prescott scratching my head in amazement at the turn of events. This year will be one of road trips and festivals (yes, I know even with the price of gas) instead of international travel. Believe me, if I get offered a chance to squeeze in some passport time, I will.

My first festival of 2011 I traveled to this past weekend in Apache Junction: the Arizona Renaissance Festival. It was a fun side priority to put my costume together for it. Some people feel it is essential that you develop a persona too (lords and ladies, maybe next year I will). A few weeks before I scouted my local thrift shops looking for the perfect, affordable dress and/or accessories. I never did find any tall lace up boots or corsets. So for simplicity's sake and because I'm not one to surround myself with a lot of drama, I wore a faux velvet smock, black hippy skirt (which I got during my travels in Thailand) and gladiator-style sandals made by Dansko. All of my jewelry I made myself.Travel, even a short road trip, is a phenomenal vehicle for personal transformation and another way of meeting interesting people. I know from experience I don't have to travel all the way around the world to reap the benefits or the fun. I've also learned to try and not plan too much ahead that way making room for changes along the way. It's so much more "organic." I let one event (at the festival) lead me to the next, and I didn't really have to think about it. Many of the interesting people I met working at the festival move from one to the next all around the US. They seem to have "organic travel" down pack and enjoy being nomadic.

Thanks for reading as I make sense of and embrace many more trips like this ahead, which really has my wheels spinning. This year I will downsize my "stuff" and learn more about sustainable living in case I ever take to the open road for a long stretch of time. Goodbye for now, you lovely gypsies! ~Sharon Marzonie

Warm winter knits @ www.cyanrift.com

Making Jewelry by Hand: Alexander Calder

When I first discovered Calder's style of jewelry in a book in a dark corner of my library, I had fantasies of slipping back in time as a Parisian duchess with great beauty and wit one can imagine, wearing this stark metal jewelry. Then my artist-looking-for-inspiration kicked in and I wanted to know what metals were used and how it was constructed. I indulged myself and flipped through the entire book. Turns out Calder, who lived from 1898 to 1976, individually handcrafted his pieces from basic, every-day wire such as brass, steel and silver, and also used recycled bits of old glass and crockery. He composed his jewelry by hammering, broadening and squiggle-ing wire into shapes such as leaves, u-shapes, circles and especially spirals; there are no soldered joins. These basic shapes are reinvented every single time a circle or loop is made.

I really love the grounding element an artist brings to their craft, whether it be clothing, paper, clay, wood, or metal. So in honor of Calder, I created this mosaic (made via images on Flickr) of his jewelry: a rare form that is beautiful, timeless and exudes a great passion for life. xo, Sharon Marzonie

What is artisan jewelry, you might ask?

Well, I can answer that! It is classed as jewelry that has been made by the hands of a creative jewelry artist, comprised mainly of high-quality stones and metal findings. If the artistry is resonant enough by using components with meaningful words and special, rare gemstones, it can exist as a highly personalized piece of jewelry for the wearer.

Artisan jewelry is often made completely from scratch, where the artisan uses lost wax casting or prepares the metals through heating, bending and shaping, sets stones, fires enamels, as well as creates the jewelry. Some artisan jewelry is crafted with ready-made components, whereby the artisan artistically connects all the pieces together. Regardless of the techniques used, usually hours of time and concentration are given to creating a piece of handcrafted artisan jewelry to assure that it is beautiful, unique, and far from ordinary.

One of my greatest passions is creating, selling and giving artisan jewelry as gifts or wearing it myself. I especially enjoy giving it to women that appreciate having it as "their own." My favorite elements are organic sterling silver findings that are lovingly made by hand in small quantities rather than mass produced (see examples at my website at Sharonunlimited.com). Having a rare and exquisite piece of jewelry that has been made or chosen specifically for me (or my customer) is a touching and memorable gift to receive and treasure for many years to come. Xo, Sharon