As I'm sure many of you know, my jewelry business got it's start because of the TV classic, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Costume designer Cynthia Bergstrom gave me my big break and I've had a love affair with my jewelry designs contributing to characters on TV for the past almost two decades!
In quarantine, the love for Buffy has grown even more as new fans get hooked on the show and old fans binge episodes in rewatch. It's the fandom that has inspired me to go back, take fresh screenshots, and revisit designs I made over 19 years ago for the show! Here I talk about a few of my favorite pieces - how they came to be and how I've redone them (or not) for this revival collection. I hope you all enjoy them!
1) The Floating Crystal Necklace
I was living in Los Angeles at the time and the *biggest* jewelry craze were Swarovski Crystal stretchy bracelets. You could not find a store that could keep those crystals in stock! Another popular design at the time was the "Tin Cup" pearl necklace, which featured "floating" pearls and was worn by Rene Russo in the movie Tin Cup.
I loved experimenting with designs, so I merged the two, pairing crystals woven together by invisible wire, so the crystals appear to be floating along your skin!
When I saw this piece worn by Sarah Michelle Gellar on Buffy, I nearly fell off my couch. It was amazing that something I had made with my two hands had made it onto my favorite TV show.
2) Copper Swirl Necklace
This piece is the result of a lot of hard work! Hand formed links that are hand hammered to create a mix of swirls and curlicues. I used copper wire because I saw so many artisans on Telegraph Avenue using them for hair pins and bracelets when I was a student at UC Berkeley. Is the copper wire from a hardware store? Yes, yes it is.
The copper sheen is a perfect match for our red-headed Willow, don't you think?
3) Blue Chalcedony Necklace
Sometimes the stones speak for themselves and these blue chalcedony are such a mysterious blue - like a slightly cloudy day. The original design had smaller stones, this round of designs features larger drops that are a little more free-form. They are amazing! I think this recreation of the original design captures the sprit of the original and even kicks it up a notch! I've also secured the stone better in this design that the original.
4) Multi-Silks Necklace
I was just beginning to learn about jewelry design back in the "Buffy" days, so I was experimenting with a lot of different materials in my work. Ribbon, leather, vintage components, alternative metals like copper, were all in my toolbox. This Multi-Silks Necklace is an example of mixing a traditional technique, pearl knotting, with a modern "floating" gem design. I love the bold colors used here that still can be worn in a simple, elegant way!
5) Wired Crystal Necklace
OK, I've gotten a lot of requests for this piece over the years. It's a gorgeous look on Sarah and it was a one-of-a-kind design I sent in to the show (back then I had no thoughts that anyone would want copies of my work)! I remember having a coil of sterling silver wire and seeing the loops, decided to try and weave crystals into it, like I did for my Illusion Choker Necklaces. It's a design that is lacey, delicate, and meant to be treated with care.
There are several other pieces I was fortunate to have on the show. Some have great stories (the turquoise blue felt flower and suede cuff) and not so great (a necklace used on Dawn was literally made from a sheet of puffy stickers)! Please check out my seen on TV galleries for Buffy, the Vampire Slayer here.
And don't miss my Buffy Revival Collection 2020!
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