Inspirational, poetic, heartfelt. . . these are words that describe the jewelry lovingly created by
Jeanine Payer.
Jeanine is considered a pioneer of the genre of 'jewelry with meaning' and her designs are painstakingly hand-inscribed with inspirational poetry, such as that offered by writers including Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare, Confucius, Gandhi, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
She describes her intentions rather well when she says,
"I believe in pieces having a wonder about them. I like making things that are at once both powerful and private." To the exceptional roster of writers and poets used in her jewelry designs, Jeanine has now included a contemporary poet, Yale professor and literary-award-winning writer, Elizabeth Alexander. Ms Alexander is the poet who wrote and delivered President Obama's inaugural poem "Praise Song for the Day."
Inspired by our recent Presidential Inauguration, Jeanine has just released a new jewelry collection called Elements of Change, a commemorative collection exclusively featuring excerpts from "Praise Song for the Day." Working collaboratively over the last few months with Ms Anderson, Jeanine has tapped into her inspirational roots and has created a new, invigorating, continually meaningful collection with words that are meant to inspire us each day.
This commemorative collection, launched April 1st in recognition of National Poetry Month, is described by Jeanine as
"commemorating the hope and spirit of President Obama's inauguration".Let's take a look at just a few of these commemorative pieces. These are the pieces within her collection that inspire us the most.
This necklace is entitled "Light." The inscription says, "In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, any thing can be made, any sentence begun. -Elizabeth Alexander"
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Here is the reverse side of "Light"
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This necklace is called "Praise." It is inspired by the classic and shapely design of an antique pocket watch and is engraved both front and back. The inscription says, "Love beyond marital, filial, national, love that casts a widening pool of light, love with no need to pre-empt grievance. In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, any thing can be made, any sentence begun. On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp, praise song for walking forward in that light. -Elizabeth Alexander "
This next piece is more complex than most. It's the one we feel most inspired by and want to acquire as soon as possible. Here we have the effect of two silver pages that are bound together with tiny rings and complemented by a small oval tag. The engraving appears on the front, back and inside of the book-like pendant and is entitled "Song." The inscription reads as follows, "In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, any thing can be made, any sentence begun. On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp, praise song for walking forward in that light. -Elizabeth Alexander"
The front of the necklace
This is the piece entitled "Song" when opened
And this photo is the reverse side of "Song"
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With a focus on today and an eye towards tomorrow, Jeanine has successfully joined modern inspirational quotations with a skillfully developed technique that she has used throughout the years for all of her jewelry designs.
Jeanine says it best when she describes the effect her jewelry has for the individual who wears it,
"Each person brings their own particular meaning to the jewelry, therefore each piece becomes highly endowed."
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