Museums have always been spaces where time interacts; a “then” meets “now”. The latest addition the Met Museum’s store is a collection of fair-trade jewelry lines, sustainably sourced around the world. In this editorial, we explore how these era-inspired pieces allow for time to interact between centuries.

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useums have always been spaces where time interacts; a “then” meets “now” in an institution that is constantly being reinvented.

 

Jewelry has been of a similar nature; accessories created with the intention of being based down through generations, inspired by cultural periods and constantly disposed to reimagination as time progresses.

 

Which bring us to today’s partner: The iconic The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

The Met is the largest art museum in the United States, and one of the three largest in the world, located in the heart of New York that, a city known for bringing together a multitude of identities together.

 

The Met Museum’s store has added a new dimension to their jewelry collections that are inspired by the Museum’s collections.

 

They’re now starting lines of sustainably produced, fair trade jewelry, and all proceeds directly benefit the Museum. Two of these lines are showcased in this editorial; the Hellenistic and Byzantine inspired collections. Read the editorial to learn more about the precious stones used and their origins.

Hellenistic Cabochon Collection

Using sparkling fair-trade, semiprecious stones and mesh metal chains, The Met salutes the work of ancient Greek artisans.

TIME INTERACTS; museums have always been spaces where time interacts; a “then” meets “now” in an institution that is constantly being reinvented. jewelry has been of a similar nature; accessories created with the intention of being based down through generations, inspired by cultural periods and constantly disposed to reimagination as time progresses.

Labradorite (Maniry, Madagascar)

 

Sourced in Madagascar, labradorite is mined in huge 20′ by 20′ chunks of “dimensional stone” then legally exported. The stones are then cut and polished in the USA, where workers look for areas of uninterrupted “labradorescence”—the rich green iridescence that makes this stone so intriguing.

Black Jasper (Black Stallion Mine, Oregon, USA)

 

In the Columbia River Valley of Oregon, black jasper is found in boulders strewn around flat plains—you won’t find shafts at this mining site. Splitting them open with crowbars and sledgehammers reveals rich formations of this opaque quartz.

Byzantine Gem Collection

Reinterpreting the Met’s magnificent necklace collection using fair-trade stones and USA-based manufacturing.

Lapis Lazuli (Ovalle, Chile)

 

At a remote site high in the Andes, Las Flores de los Andes extracts a stone that occurs in abundance only here and in Afghanistan. Famous throughout the world for its signature deep-blue color, lapis lazuli has been a coveted luxury material in the Americas for centuries.

 

The Met purchases a cache of Las Flores’ rough lapis—the provenance of which, unlike the Afghan lapis that flows through clandestine networks, is clear. While cutting Chilean lapis poses a challenge, skilled artisans were able to find the most uninterrupted blue areas of the striated stones.

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This post was graciously sponsored by The Met Museum.

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