October 2018 3-D Featured Artist Sandy Jones
When I was a child, my grandparents owned a large wholesale greenhouse. Following them around the greenhouse, I fell in love with color and design. From Grandpa I learned to love the color and beauty of nature. From Grandma I learned design – sitting with her at her workbench, watching her fingers fly as she created the most exquisite flower arrangements and corsages. Although what they did was quite different – they were both artists in their own way! It turns out that what Grandma did with wire to create those arrangements is not so different than what I do with wire for jewelry.
After earning an MBA from Northwestern, I joined the corporate world, spending most of my time in the beauty industry. I worked for companies like Bath and Body Works, Victoria’s Secret, Frito Lay, Aveda and Guerlain – always in marketing, where I was responsible for product design, packaging design and advertising. I also designed “color collections” for several beauty companies – those seasonal make-up collections that follow the fashion trends – they were so much fun to work on!
I discovered my passion for jewelry making while working in New York City, and stumbling across the stone importers in the garment district. I took some classes, exploring various forms of jewelry making. I was so lucky to happen across some very generous artists who shared their skills and knowledge, and eventually fell in love with wire work.
My jewelry is all about the beauty of the stones – their color and clarity and sparkle, and I design to showcase that. I like to say that my jewelry “dances.” Movement catches the light and calls attention to the facets in the stones (and therefore to the wearer!). My jewelry is not for the shy.
Also, as I use stones, I am aware of their inherent properties – for example, amethyst helps you let go of old feelings that can prevent you from moving forward. After the piece is finished, I often “infuse” the entire piece with color therapy. Each color (vibration, really) has its own power. For example, yellow is known to foster joy and hope. To give a piece of jewelry this property, I “soak” the piece in both sunshine and moonlight, through a piece of yellow-colored glass. I like knowing that each piece, while beautiful, is also giving the wearer a little boost…………
My goals for my jewelry are simple – I want the wearer of my jewelry to feel that her own beauty is enhanced by wearing one of my pieces. Maybe that is accomplished because she loves the colors, or the shapes of the stones, or the way the stones “dance” on her neck or ears. Or maybe she feels the power of the stones, or the infusion of the color. I just hope she really enjoys wearing the piece.
