Your fingerprint is one of the most unique things about you. Sarah Graham has found the perfect melding of fingerprints and incredibly meaningful pieces of jewelry. It all ramped up when she became a mother. When her son was four months old she created a necklace which had his fingerprint on it. Soon, all her mom friends had to have one too. (This is SO not your typical “mommy jewelry,” right?!) She was then tasked with figuring out a way to take this outside her studio and offer it to people far and wide. She knew there was a market for these future heirlooms. When I stopped by her booth at the Couture show, I was thrilled to see some of the collection in person!
Instead of using the old-fashioned technique of taking wax impressions of the prints and then translating them into jewelry (as she originally did), she is now using CAD technology. This allows her to take the line to a whole new level and expand her audience across the country. Take a minute (and 18 seconds) to get an up-close look at how this works.
Pretty awesome, right? And you can see that the finished product still looks very organic, as if you really did push your finger into wax. Her use of recycled gold and her signature black oxidized cobalt chrome make her designs all the more intriguing.
I cannot imagine a more meaningful wedding ring, with the prints of your bride, and perhaps your children on it as well. (How ideal would this be for a second wedding with a blended family?!) I tried on a couple men’s designs while at her booth.
One of the things I like about this collection is that the prints are so subtle, that others may not realize what a treasure you’re wearing until they look closely. It’s like wearing a precious little secret…and definitely a conversation starter.
Though Sarah has been based in San Francisco for many years, she has recently teamed up with Richards and West Jewelers, a family owned business of master bench jewelers. This is allowing her to get out in the world for more inspiration and focus on design. She is currently doing a winter-long artist in residency with Elliott Yeary Gallery in Aspen, Colorado. I can only imagine how her new environment with inspire her. I greatly look forward to seeing her new creations at the Couture show in Las Vegas in June!