Efflorescence

I have long been fascinated by lockets.  The idea that jewelry (or anything for that matter) can have an inside and an outside really flabbergasts and delights me.  I really have that child-like wonder when it comes to objects that have secret spaces and compartments.

This dichotomy makes sacred space possible.  This boundary between public and private space signifies what is special and precious... to have something hidden away makes that "something" instantly exotic and enticing. 

For all you know, I could have a worn down pencil nib in my locket... but if I told you that's what was in there, wouldn't you instantly want to know 'why?'  Why is something so commonplace held in a place of honor?  Where did it come from?  What did it draw?  Who gave it to me?  Why, why, why? Secrets beg questions.  Secrets breed curiosity and that passionate itch to know more.

"Efflorescence" means to blossom or bloom, "a gradual process of unfolding or developing," but in this specific instance, that word also means to "unearth."  "Lockets" are signifiers of deep and sacred stories that beg to be harvested.

Even though I had long lusted after constructing a locket of my own, this necklace was the first locket that I ever made... and coincidentally, my very first attempt at making a hinge.  By all accounts, both attempts were a success :)

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