Lady Liberty with her jagged crown.

The state of America is, has been, has always been… rough. That’s an understatement, a comical boiling down of the grief, pain, and turmoil in this country, that has lasted since colonizers set foot on the soil that would become the United States. I don’t mean to be flippant. I could write volumes here. I could, more accurately, quote and link to more eloquent and nuanced volumes here. There is so much to say, but I don’t know how to say it. So this is what I made. She is the symbol of our freedom free from chains, but now she is worn and broken, left to hang limply. She may be cracked and chipped, but the crown is still there, and the fire still burns. There is still hope.

This piece is made with jagged green kyanite keys, the original inspiration for this piece. The second item that finalized my need to create her was the Italian glass leaf that I saw more as a flame, her everlasting torch with silver foil inside. The spacers are faceted African turquoise rounds, and similar-in-color, mottled fire polish. I hope someday to come across or create a tablet for the other earring, but I really liked the balance with the fat and thin in the meantime. The piece is finished off with sterling silver findings, including adjustable sterling silver chain.