Sarah Graham Metalsmithing

Monday, January 30, 2012

Fingerprint Jewelry

Created in 18K gold and Sterling Silver, Sarah began offering this idea over ten years ago when a friend requested a ring with her new baby's prints as a 'push' present. Since then, Sarah has made countless wedding sets for couples who imprint their fingers in each other's bands as a way to make the most extraordinarily sentimental and personal wedding rings ever. Several prints can be combined on the same piece of jewelry, so when a couple already has children, those can be included on the rings as well. She even once took a paw print from a canine 'family member' who served as the ring bearer in the couple’s wedding! But because the prints are pressed directly into the wax, rather than taken from an ink impression, the process must be done in person, and until now has only been offered to friends and family in Sarah's San Francisco studio.  This differentiates Sarah's jewelry from the fingerprint offerings you see online, and most importantly highlights what makes her designs so unique – the rich, natural texture. It also facilitates a way for the designer to connect directly with her customers – stores advertise the event in advance and Sarah comes with her wax impression kit, often customizing the designs even further. So why is Sarah finally taking this beyond her local studio and offering it to the public? Probably that little life changing event she encountered recently when she became a first time mom herself. When her son was four weeks old, she made a gold and oxidized silver necklace with her his prints and it wasn't long before everyone in her mommy group had one. While she knew the bridal market for fingerprint jewelry was big, she was blown away by the demand for jewelry by moms searching for something that captures the fleeting moment when children, and their little prints, are young - in a more sophisticated style than one usually finds in mom jewelry. Her calendar for fingerprint shows is filling up quickly as stores get in line to schedule their own in time to help customers celebrate all of life's most important occasions with this truly one of a kind jewelry.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012


The Three ‘R’s
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle….You have heard it a thousand times; testament of a strong slogan. And by now we should all be practicing these three dictums without thought as we go about our daily lives. But how to reconcile our love of fashion, and jewelry in particular, with this environmental triad? Well, turns out we don’t need to stretch our moral boundaries too far to justify a fine jewelry purchase: 

Reduce - By choosing fine jewelry, rather than costume, cost alone will necessitate a reduction in the amount of pieces you purchase.
Reuse – Take your time, consider your lifestyle, and find a piece you absolutely love. Wear it daily, build your signature style around it, and value it accordingly. Then pass it on to your children!
Recycle - The vast majority of all fine jewelry on the market is made from recycled precious metals. With the exception of the Mint or very large manufacturers, jewelers are casting and fabricating from refined metals that were mined previously.  Be discriminating - the smaller the designer, the more likely it is they are taking extra steps to identify the origin of their materials, and the more easily you can obtain this information. The same holds true for the store you buy it from.

Use discretion and be thoughtful in all your purchases, and treasure the act of treating yourself!