I’m thrilled to write that 2009 his has been the most successful holiday season for Erin McDermott Jewelry. Not only have I been able to participate in over fifteen craft/art/trunk shows in the past 3 months, but I have met some incredible people & made some amazing connections. I have been reminded of why I love doing what I do and my passion and drive in jewelry design couldn’t be more stronger than what it is right now. One of my most popular designs this season has been the disc necklace. Essentially, the disc necklace gives a person the ability to capture a motto, a belief, a phrase, or a moment & boil it down to it’s essence. The person is able to transfer this to a hand-cut, hand-textured, and hand-engraved disc and wear it everyday. In addition, the customer is able to add charms, stones, and pearls to the necklace to make it even more personalized. Everyday, I am able to design these necklaces for family members, artists, cancer survivors, students, grandmothers, and many other people who have something to share and want to keep it close to their heart by wearing a delicate disc necklace around their neck.
I had a great time designing five different disc necklaces for a set of parents that wanted to give their five (yes, five) daughters something special for Christmas. The parents asked all five of their girls to give them 2-3 words that were important to them. One of the girls is in fashion design school and chose the words: color and texture. I paired these words with piece of venetian glass. Another daughter has just graduated with her masters in Marriage and Family counseling and she chose the words: live, love, and moment. I paired these word with a turquoise and freshwater pearl. Another daughter works at Augusta hospital and the words that she chose were: patience & compassion. The fourth daughter is applying to law school and she chose the words: faith and truth. The last daughter is the “baby” & is a freshman at Wakeforest. She is quite a gifted writer and she chose the words: express, create, and peace.
I love what I do because I am able to learn more about people & these people inspire me. I have been able to design disc necklaces for individuals who have beat the odds & I have been able to design necklaces in hopes that they will bring couples and families together. Most importantly, I have been able to take my jewelry design above and beyond sterling silver and gold & transport that to something that is meaningful and has made a difference to someone. Let me tell you, that feels good.
