A Halo of a Tale

Telling stories in precious metals.

An Angels fan’s pendant tells the tale of how he become a baseball fan.

Angels Up Front

Mets On Back

“The man was a wizard with a garden hoe.”
 
My friend was relaying to me how it was he became an Angels fan.  The California Angels, near Los Angeles, but actually located in Anaheim… those Angels.

I’m very proud of this tiny garden hoe. The blade carries my hallmark in fact.

It turns out that my friend is also a Mets fan, because his grandfather was a Mets fan.
 His grandfather taught him baseball as they listened to Mets games on a transistor radio, usually out in the garden.

Then Nolan Ryan went to the California Angels, and my friend's heart went there with him.  Even after Nolan left the Angels to return to his native state of Texas, my friend remained, and remains a diehard Angels fan.

Four of the five elements of this pendant. At this point we were trying to locate his grandfather’s wedding band.

It all started in a garden, with a transistor radio tuned to a Mets game.  It makes perfect sense when you know the story.

We could not locate his grandfather’s wedding band, which would’ve been a splendid gesture to use as the halo on the Angels’ A.  Instead I used an old wedding band I had on hand to reference the sentiment we intended.

Sirius as the stars above.

Are you serious?

A Cushion cut diamond in platinum and yellow gold.

Love is measured in joules,

If she’s electric, 

You thirst for her spark.

Forged rose gold with diamonds in white gold settings.

A foreign ring of dubious alloy?

Cold, computer aided metal…

Sterile and safe will do?

Are you serious... when it comes down to it.

White & Rose gold woven around diamonds.

Or does she move you

To ignite a plan.

The only one built for her alone.

A customized commercial ring with a mine cut diamond in white gold.

A ring.

As serious as you are.

White and Rose gold wedding set, featuring a jasper and diamonds.

Kintsugi Hearts: not all hearts are broken.

Kintsugi (kin-su-ge): Japanese for "golden joinery"

What makes a Kintsugi Heart special, is the philosophy behind the design.  Beneath the glimmer of these gold and silver symbols lies an ancient Japanese concept. 

To gift, or wear, one of these hearts is a powerful display in the understanding of who you are, or who someone is to you.... or both.

Kintsukuroi and Kinsugi are popularly practiced upon broken pottery.  The repair of pottery using gold, has come to symbolize a premise that one is better for having been broken. 

There is value in the break as well as the broken.  There is value added in the cracks.  The repair not only adds character, but valuable character. 

To repair something that is broken demonstrates that the broken thing has worth.  To use such a valuable material as gold to repair with creates an increased value.  Kintsukuroi (pronounced kin-su-kur-roy) is Japanese for "golden repair".  

My first Kintsugi Hearts were actually Kinsukuroi Hearts; broken, bruised or torn silver hearts repaired with gold joinery.  The symbolism was direct and the aesthetic powerful.  Any stage of recovering from a broken heart can be found in one of my Kintsukuroi Hearts. 

I've even had my golden repaired silver hearts given to a person recovering from heart surgery; literal heart repair!

But not all hearts are broken.
Some hearts have never wandered dreary streets, or wept over love lost.

Some hearts become whole, having never felt they were missing a piece. 

These happier hearts feel complete all over again, never having felt diminished in the first place. 

For these silver hearts, the golden joinery is an embellishment, not a repair.  A playful silver heart better defined using golden joinery; A Kintsugi Heart. 

One, whose heart feels the elation of new love, or consistent love, will find promise and loyalty within the design.

A Silver & Rose Gold Kintsugi Heart