Total size 7.25 in. = 6 in. length + 1.25 in. gap

Something that isn’t mentioned quite often is the near obscene amount of time it takes to make artisanal/handmade jewelry. Do you see all of the deep stamping in this cuff? It’s meticulously done. I know you can appreciate and comprehend this in spirit, but it’s my hope that when you read my diatribes you gather something extra about the pieces. Well, with this one, I want you to grasp how difficult it is to do this sort of work. And in many cases, for many artists, it’s a labor of love. They’re doing what they love to do and hope to make enough to support themselves and their families.

I could never do this. I look at it and all I think is the amount of precision hammering that goes into it. I can love and appreciate it, but it’s like watching diving in the olympics. I can’t do that, but isn’t it gorgeous? All of the flipping and landing without making a splash. I’d fall off the diving board, hit my elbow, and flop into the pool. Then I’d complain about my elbow and hope someone comes to rescue me because I’m a poor swimmer. In the context of this piece, I’d hammer some silver, ruin it, bang my fingers, and burn myself a lot. Then I’d probably sob for a minute and decide that it’s actually a brutalist piece and this is what I intended all along.

Eugene Charley did no such thing. All of the symmetrical lines, grooves, and repousse work is masterfully done. The stamping is deep, which requires a bit of power to make happen. I’m in awe. And that’s something good art should aspire to do. Why hammer all of this with precision and skill only to not put people in a state of awe. Art should inspire as much as it causes the artist to perspire. And there’s a lot of work in this piece. It is my hope that you all come to appreciate the skill put into the work as part of the admiration of its beauty.