Skyler's Week #1 - Getting to know Monika

My first day with Monika started in May. I was very excited to travel to Harrisburg to see her store along with the studio space inside. The first day there, we spent a lot of time talking about jewelry as I assisted her in setting up my space to work. She equipped me with a new workbench, new tools and my very own mini torch. I was thrilled to have a space of my own where I could work along side of her. Through out the day we disccused many topics regarding jewelry but I was especially interested in Diamonds. I don't really know that much diamonds... but there's a lot to know! She taught me the 5 C's of diamonds - carat, color, cut, clarity, & certification. It was so interesting for me to learn all about the things considered when choosing a diamond. Jewelry making is so much more than metal, there's an entire world or stones I need to know!

Later on in the day Monika shared with me some of her own work she created when she was at UArts. Her stuff was extremely well made but a lot of it was actually quite funny. She had an interest in vintage trinkets & so she incorporated a lot of them into her jewelry. My favorite piece of hers was a little toilet brooch... you just have to see it, it's on my instagram! She also made the ring that had a tiny vintage phone on top. Her work was really well made & I was very impressed with her creativity. She has become a good role model for where I want my work to go while I am at UArts.