The Compass Studs
Made from hand carved cast studs with shell and sand collected from Santa Cruz California of the Ohlone territories. Once the metal studs are made they are coated in a layer of high quality 14k gold which is a thicker gold plate than the industry standard. Once the studs are plated, a protective finish is added to prolong the life of your jewelry. Then I curate this worlds using sand and shell, placing each grain and bit in by hand.
The Compass series, are all made from earth pigments collected along the way. This idea has been a long time in the making and its finally happening! I first started making my own color pigments while painting in college. I learned from one of my mentors the proper way to grind the pigment and what oils to mix them with. I would make my own oil paints by collecting dirt, rocks, and any other earth I liked the color of. She taught me about the origins of pigments in paints we see in many classic colors today - like blue made from lapis stone and red made from the cochineal bug. It meant a lot to me to be able to make the physical connection to land and art.
The Compass series are made in honor of our connection to place and time.
Earth for these studs are from these lands that were first home to the Ohlone territories, who are still alive and thriving today. 5% of the proceeds will be donated to organizations supporting the Ohlone people.
