When there are nine - this is the brilliant answer given by Justice Ginsburg when asked the question when will there be enough women on the court.
As a woman who graduated from law school and practiced for a bit, I am so grateful for the opportunities I had because RBG paved the way. Upon hearing the news of her death and the despicable race to replace her before the election, I wanted to honor her and her life’s work in this piece.
There are nine hand cut, hand textured trapezoid pieces that have been bonded with 24K gold and oxidized. The placement of the gold to me represented the journey RBG faced as a woman in a man’s world.
I was inspired not only by her famous dissent collar but also the one she wore for announcing majority opinions.
As a jewelry designer, I am inspired to create pieces that are not only bold, but also unique and something you won’t see everywhere.
Originally hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, a former manufacturing town, I was drawn to Fordite stone, also known as Motor City agate. Fordite is now a key staple in my one of a kind collection. There is something so special about taking a piece of automotive history and repurposing it for beautiful jewelry.
Fordite is not technically a stone. It is actually a man-made material that came from the floors of the assembly lines at the Ford Motor Company. Before the car painting process was automated like it is now, cars were painted by hand on long production lines. The vehicles’ paint would drip down and dry on the equipment used to move the automotive bodies. This enamel paint would then get baked onto the rack and solidify. After this process is repeated hundreds or thousands of times, the deposits can grow to be several inches thick.
The inspiration behind this design is the idea of women as superheroes.
Women have sacrificed so much during this Covid pandemic. The design represents a ring version of the famous Wonder Woman cuff bracelet. It is fold formed to divide the ring in half, which delineates between the gold and silver sections. The gold portion is hammered and has 24K gold foil bonded to fine silver. This section represents the unmatched strength of women.
We face challenges and triumphs and that is what this texture represents. The gold is a symbol of the strength and boldness of women. The top portion has a matte texture accented with a diamond set in 18K gold. representing the delicate and feminine nature of women.
Women are natural caregivers and have been endlessly giving during this past year. Whether they are caring for themselves, their families, their business or caring for their communities, women are giving.
- Chrissy Liu
