Shipwreck Ebony and Recycled Musical Instrument Jewelry
Greetings! You are looking at jewelry that was made from black ebony that washed ashore from a shipwreck that occurred in 1854 off the coast of Cuttyhunk, MA. The red colored wood in the earring to the right came from a retired shipbuilder’s scraps derived from a ship’s “bolster” (used where a rope would drag across a surface).
The wires in these pieces are from recycled stripped piano string copper as well as brass and nickel (some recycled – working on it!). There is mother of pearl, paua and awabi shell as well and the finish is made from cows milk. The reddish earrings in the lower right image were made from a shipping pallet and the white ones are made entirely from recycled piano keys, cello/bass/guitar scraps from defunct instruments or maker’s scraps.
Although I have always been very pro-active in seeking to make my products from scavenged and re-cycled woods, recently I decided to “up” my standards to make my livelihood even more in accordance with my beliefs of living lightly on this planet. Not so strangely, it seems like this direction has found a lot of support in the form of ideas and materials flowing in my direction. Even though working with recycled materials is proving to be more costly time-wise, both, in working with the materials and obtaining them, I’m very grateful for the support. Here are some of the materials that are being used in the creation of my work. Thanks for your interest!!
