O‘ahu Pendantcirca 2000 Sterling silver While living on the mainland after college, I was feeling homesick and made myself a tiny Oahu to hang around my neck. The hammered silver brings to mind the ocean and how the choppy waves reflect sun at all angles, and give the piece a feel similar to a hand carved object that might have been found in old Hawaii.

so I created a secondary motif of two larger leaves and some more abstract botanical patterns in which to center the gem

the fish held an important place in cultural practice and lore

and perfection

and the prongs have been pushed low enough that there is no tactile disturbance when running one's fingers along the surface of the pavé

which is evocative of the helical structure of of DNA (albeit only a single helix in the chain)

The choice of the fleur-de-lis as the center spire of the tiara is a nod to the French influence in the bride's Haitian ancestry

substituting ginkgo leaves for peach blossoms

My wife can a difficult woman to shop or design for—she has her own strong aesthetic

since the real value here is the stone

or comma-like shapes

I heard it in my wife's voice: "arise

even more so now that the population is critically endangered