Striking the Right Note

7: Allison Mack

I enjoyed this challenge because Sarah is a lot like myself—we are both starting out on our career paths.

I settled on designing a necklace for Sarah. She has a busy lifestyle, but I wanted her to have something that she could wear to work or while visiting museums on the weekends. In addition, I wanted something that would serve as a constant reminder of her love of jewelry—something she could look at and connect with it at any time.

While considering this project, I thought about the things Sarah was dedicating her life to—fairness and a strong belief in the power of the law. That made me think about our country’s courthouses and how many often feature columns along the front of the buildings for support. That’s a strong, powerful image that I wanted to convey in my design. The center of the pendant is constructed with metal bars that appear to be supporting the center bezel-set blue chalcedony, just as Sarah’s experiences in law school will s...