As far as Sarah Davison is concerned, high-end jewelers are missing out on the most innovative method of jewelry making.
The “Cherokee Heritage” exhibit showcases Davison’s unique method of crafting Precious Metal Clay into original jewelry, which is currently on display at the In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005-A Paseo, through Dec. 31.
The clay starts out like gray Play-Doh, and the organic binder encasing the precious metal is stripped away in the jewelry’s firing process, leaving silver behind. Davison uses this material almost entirely, with only a few pieces made of standard sterling silver.
“Many high jewelers think it’s just a craft, but actually, it’s just a different way of manipulating metal, and if you look at some of the things out there, they’re really high-quality, beautiful pieces,” she said.
UNIQUE METHOD
Her venture began as a challenge. Originally a shoe and boot maker, Davison quickly became frustrated with fitting feet. She quit the business and started making jewelry with beads, but eventually discovered people could easily duplicate any of her pieces. Wanting to create original pieces, she searched for a unique method to replace beading. She discovered Precious Metal Clay in a magazine five years ago and has been using it to create jewelry ever since.
Her pieces incorporate various texts, including personal scriptures, foreign languages and Cherokee phrases. She’s dabbled in other artistic outlets like enameling and glass, but said she can’t turn away from her passion of jewelry.
“I just enjoy this so much, I’m not ready to move on yet,” she said.
In Your Eye Studio & Gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
“?Paige Lawler
This article appears in Dec 9-15, 2009.