The Story Behind The Ghost Jewelry Series

I love antique beads, lace, textiles, clothes, and jewelry and have been collecting them for years. Some of the hardest things to find are 80 to 100 year old laces and fabrics that are in good, let alone wearable condition. So it stands to reason that some of my favorite pieces of clothing and lace are basicly falling apart. Teetering on the thin edge of “ could I ever wear this lovely vintage "blank" again with out completely destroying it or not? ”. So I began to find that I love the things I own that are so old they are falling apart as much as the "mint" conditon fabrics. The deconstructed look, the decadence in decay, that is the look of the Ghost jewelry series. I decided that I really wanted to make new jewelry line that captured that essence, but would be made to last. So what to do? How do I create this fabulous wispy, ethereal style and make pieces that will last? Trial + error=success

After much experimentation, I found out how to preserve the deconstructed fibers. How to take new and vintage textiles, deconstruct them, and preserve the worn look while still keeping each piece of jewelry very durable. Many of the pieces in this series are metamorphic. Hence, they are very long strips of various textiles, heavily beaded and ornamented in some areas and sparse in other areas, usually with no clasp. This means you can wrap them on you neck, wrist, head, and even your waist. Hours and hours of sewing, beading, and “curing” are spent on these pieces. Every item is very unique and captures the quality of the evanescent spirit. Also, if you need to wash one of these pieces, I suggest the home drycleaning kits that you can buy at your local grociery or drug store.

These pieces are meant to look like they were each a sentimental antique treasure that has been handed down, worn for years, repaired and added to.

Enjoy!

XO, Em