Jeff the Skater Dad with Spiky Hair

Sometimes I consider myself a metalsmithing journalist, and a very blessed one.

Through mostly word of mouth over the years, I have been asked by different people to make memorial jewelry to honor their loved ones. I've come across a lot of stories, and created what I hope to be meaningful heirlooms that fulfill more than just aesthetic contentment. Each of the stories broke my heart a little, but then also regenerated it because through loss, we can look at what is left behind as our gains. 

A new friend of mine, Deaven, unfortunately lost her beloved dad, Jeff, about two and a half years ago. I have never had the pleasure of meeting Jeff, but here is how she remembers him,

"As a youngin my dad always supported me in anything I had my heart set on. I loved watching him skate around on his skateboard and show me all the different decks he had since he was a kid! He gave me my passion for riding and taught me everything I know. He allowed me to have the mindset of doing what I love no matter how tough it is to achieve, how frightening the fall might be, but just to keep pushing and never give up. Till this day anytime I grab my board to go out for a cruise I make sure to take one lap around the block on his beloved Pool Boy (skateboard) in his memory."

Although things got hostile as she grew older, as her parents were going through their divorce, her dad's influence on her values stayed closely with her. 

As Deaven requested, I made two minimalistic style rings with her dad's signature smiley face etched on them. One for her, and the other for her little sister. The small strokes on top of the eyes were apparently Jeff's spiky hair. How cute is that?

After forming the rings to the right size, I applied an even coat of black paint on the surface and carefully scraped off the spiky smileys. They were then immersed into the etching bath for an hour and a half. Cleaned and then darkened with patina, these happy faces are completed.

“What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”

–Helen Keller

Grieving to me is the most abstract and personal thing. It hits us in different forms, at different times, with absolutely no warning. One second we cry ourselves a river because we miss our loved one unbearably, then we want to smash every possession in the house, and then we smile because we thought of something fun we've experienced together. However Deaven and her sister are going to experience theirs, I hope these little smiley faces on their fingers will give them strength, courage, and unlimited good vibes. Just like what Jeff would say, "Keep pushing and never give up!"