A Mission in Life

2: Karin Jacobson

The first thing that struck me in reading about Lila was the places that she’s traveled, and how each must be special to her. I wanted to incorporate some of those places in the piece but without being too literal. I also saw the project as a way to stretch my design muscles and try some new techniques.

Although Lila’s wedding ring is very meaningful to her, it’s not the fanciest, so I decided that it would fun to design her a bigger, statement piece. A large neckpiece wouldn’t interfere with Lila’s busy and active lifestyle, and it would give me a larger canvas to incorporate more of the symbolism.

Since Lila is a gardener and dedicated to preserving the natural earth, I opted to incorporate a floral theme. Although Malawi is home to a vast number of indigenous flowers, it’s particularly known for its large variety of orchid species. I crafted the flower design of the piece based on the shape of an orchid, using an origami type of technique to give...