When it comes to customizing jewelry, even the smallest changes to a standard design can take a piece from beautiful to tug-on-your-heartstrings-eyes-welling-up magic. When Jeana reached out to me about a Mini Splash Gem Bangle for her mother, she was torn about which stone she should choose. Together, we came up with something extra special.
A Tale of Hope
In 2020, Jeana’s mother was in the final stages of liver failure due to an auto-immune disease. She was a candidate for a liver transplant and, miraculously, she was matched within nine days. Today, Jeana’s mom is strong, healthy, and grateful every day. Jeana says “My mom is very kind and gentle, and with someone who gained the gift of life - it can be very hard to shop for her. One thing my mom always says she is grateful for is the chance to see her daughters become mothers and have a relationship with her grandkids.” After hearing Jeana’s story, I knew that this piece needed to reflect her mother’s special relationship with both grandchildren.
A Simple Change
Instead of one gem, we decided on a trio of petite birthstones on either side of the cuff. We selected a blue sapphire, a violet sapphire, and a pink tourmaline to represent her grandchildren’s September and October birthdays. Coincidentally, October also happens to be Liver Awareness Month, so it all worked out perfectly!
Crafting the Cuff
This piece started out the same way as all my Mini Splash Gem Bangles. Once the casting came in, I hand-filed, hand-textured, and sized the piece. I also soldered in my Kristen Baird logo, which I include on the inside of all my cuffs.
Instead of adding the typical cabochon stone, I instead created three bezels in the perfect size for the birthstones. After carefully placing the stones, I used my hammer handpiece to gently (yet forcefully) push the metal over the stones securely, setting them in place. After polishing and shining, this bangle was ready for its holiday debut!
Christmas Reveal
I couldn’t wait to hear how Jeana’s mother would react to her special gift and was overjoyed to hear how much she loved the bracelet.
“When my mom opened the gift she was truly touched by all the details that went into the bracelet. She loved the colors of the individual stones and the detail in the cuff itself. She immediately put it on and showed all of us and now anytime she is spending the day with the grandkids, she always has her cuff on her wrist!” - Jeana
The magic truly is all in the details!
