Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Jewelry box tour 3 || Amy Sacksteder


1Your name, s’il vous plait Amy Sacksteder

*  I met Amy a few years ago through Lauren of Dear Golden Vintage. That was a happy day. Although I don't see her nearly as much as I would like to, when I do see her she is always wearing an outfit that I covet (often paired with great boots that I also covet). And the girl knows how to accessorize in a no-fuss way with the perfect combination of tough/modern and delicate vintage pieces. An admirable skill, for sure. You can check out Amy's lovely blog here.

2| Where do you live? Scenic Michigan, U.S.A.

3| What do you do during the day and at night?
Day: artist/ art professor
Other days/night: reading: Murakami-ish magical realism, biographies, social action, historical fiction, art books; gardening; traveling; collecting vinyl LP’s and enjoying them with friends and drinks; running and yoga; playing around in the kitchen making great vegan food with my partner in crime, Mark; eating amazing food and seeking out wonderful restaurants in different cities; organizing, rearranging, scheming, planning and general better-making.


4| What do you look for in a piece of jewelry? What are you drawn to? I have a hard time putting my finger on it.  I hate to say I know it when I see it, but it’s true. Common qualities seem to be: vintage, tassels/dangly elements, stackablity (for rings), uniqueness, something that resonates with a rich past; that connects me to the woma(e)n who once wore it (or man; I like a good man’s watch). But sometimes I’m a sucker for a new, innovative handmade piece as well, or a small treasure I bring home from a trip that can bring me to back that time and place whenever I wear it.

5| Tell me about the jewelry you wear the most. Is there something that you never take off? Well, I never really take off my antique engagement ring or my grandma’s thin gold wedding ring given to me by my mom.  I tend to wear the same earrings for long stretches and switch out necklaces or rings to suit my mood.  Even with those, I still go through infatuation phases where I’ll wear the same gold necklace with my mom’s little gold pendants from the 70’s or a carved plastic (or bone?) rose necklace for weeks, for example.  For earrings, I’m lately partial to my mom’s old gold hoops because I barely know they’re there and a pair of black lava rock studs I got in Iceland when I was there for an artist residency last year. I also always keep the same brooch on specific jackets or coats. They seem to want each other, and who am I to deny them that?

 


6| What is your jewelry weakness? Although I only have one piece in each of these categories, I swoon for gutta percha Victorian mourning jewelry and antique English and American (Hoffman) butterfly wing jewelry. I love sleek, black jett and obsidian antique pieces. I am also always on the lookout for early plastics such as Bakelite and Lucite. Aaaand just when you thought you were getting to know me, I’m also going to tell you that I love to wear pieces that have a bit of rock n’ roll fierceness to them like large, bulky rings or ostentatiously long / large necklaces. 


7| What’s the last piece of jewelry you added to your box? Since first writing this interview, my grandfather passed away and I thus inherited a gorgeous ring from my grandmother, who passed away in April (that's the lovely turquoise and jelly opal ring on the right above). Also, my grandmother had given me her 1942 class ring when I was eleven or so. The emblem/class crest had come off and I kept the ring for years with the solder on the top, not wanting to wear it. Then this fall, I had the idea to have a diamond from my wedding ring (which had lost one and had two remaining) set into the surface of the ring which connects me to it/her even more. I cherish both rings and wear them a great deal.

8| Please tell me a great story about one of the pieces in your jewelry box. Many of my most cherished pieces were inherited or given to me as gifts. One of the strangest and most interesting objects I own is a large, black, fringed neckpiece made out of a thrifted black t-shirt and plastic, wood and metal beads made by an Icelandic artist. My friend Una wore it to the group exhibition opening that marked the end of my November residency in Reykjavik. I told her how much I loved it and inquired about the artist. She immediately took it off and placed it over my head and declared “It’s yours!  It looks better on you anyway.”  She wouldn’t take no for an answer. I received a steady stream of compliments the rest of the long, celebratory night.

 
9| If price was not an issue, what piece of jewelry would you give to your best friend? I would give Duff a certain 1920s Egyptian Revival necklace with a tiny sarcophagus and a pale blue enamel chain (hi Duff!).  I would buy Lauren this super fancy bejeweled wildcat ring she wanted ages ago, for a surprise. 

{This jewelry box series will "air" every Wednesday this month, with five interviews in all. You can read details about the series and check out last week's interview here.}

21 comments:

linda l said...

Nice interview. I really like those rings!

Jacqueline said...

really beautiful pieces, but that's not surprising from such a fantastic woman. thanks for sharing, amy and duff.

ashhlet said...

Oh my gosh! Love all of Amy's jewelry + how she display them!

Marcia said...

Wonderful! I especially like how she displays/stores her long necklaces.

lauren said...

my favorite jewelry collection of all time is in the clutches of this riotously cool Amy Sacksteder, why just yesterday i was wearing a pair of earrings i skillfully wooed her into letting me borrow.

olygirl said...

Such fun! I'm really enjoying this series. Love the mourning locket. Such beauties.

Leslie W said...

I'm really loving this series and getting to see some fabulous jewelery too!

mosquints@yahoo{DOT}com

Wild Tea Party said...

Amy has some fantastic pieces - really quite special! I'm a little jealous of her mourning locket.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous collection! Love the objects used for display! Ann, vintagewhisper

Anonymous said...

Amy's turquoise and jelly opal ring is magnificent! Such a fantastic collection.

Marguerite said...

That was a lovely interview! And I, too, love how she displays her jewelry (I must find a hand like that!) Most especially that stack of rings with the sharp nail at the top -- as if to say..... touch if you dare!

alexis said...

Love the rings! can't wait for next week interview :)

Bettina said...

What a wonderful collection of necklaces in the first picture!

rebecca s. said...

i love these little peeks into these lovely ladies jewelry boxes. especially how it seems that everyones most cherished pieces were gifts from loved ones. i can relate to that as i am sure most everyone can.

gorgeous collection.

Petites Merveilles said...

I love that turquoise ring and how memorable that it originally belonged to her grandmother.

No Carnations said...

Wow, what a necklace collection! I am amazed but also tend to wear the same things in phases...right now its a certain purple glass 1940s ring from you know who!

steph.kelley said...

Ummmm.....SARCOPHAGUS necklace??? I think Mont just started wearing jewelry.....Haha! For me the clincher is lava studs — loving geology, and especially the craziness that is Iceland, a wee blob of lava that happens to have broken the surface of the ocean, that is a choice I agree with. Another great episode in the series of Jewelry-Peeping! xoxoxoxo

ashley said...

I really enjoyed reading all these interviews which let me peek into their fantastic jewelry collection. Love the turquoise and jelly opal ring :)

Anonymous said...

what a surprice to see in one of the images that Amy has the same vintage brass mouse ring holder that stands on my desk.. mine is called penny! does Amy's one have a name?
i also wear the same few pieces for a long period, a phase...

Francesca _Syrah said...

what a surprice to see in one of the images that Amy has the same vintage brass mouse ring holder that stands on my desk.. mine is called penny! does Amy's one have a name?
i also wear the same few pieces for a long period, a phase...

Liane said...

I really like the way Amy displays her jewelry. They're sculptures in and of themselves! Lovely pictures. My favorite is the last one. Also, the diamond looks like it was made for that class ring. What a wonderful way to remember your grandpa and keep him close.

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