Studio jeweler, Mary Preston, placed her work in the context of other jewelers who, like herself, embrace and abstract motifs such as lace and other traditional forms of ornamentation in the making of their work. This use of the Decorative Arts as subject matter represents a fresh and expanding lexicon in today’s contemporary jewelry. Aptly described by jewelry historian Bruce Metcalf as one of the jewelers”creating the ‘next moment’ in jewelry,” artist Mary Preston finds inspiration in historical pieces and lost crafts for her beautiful creations.

In the case of her latest body of work, Preston seeks to “reinterpret the familiarity, formality and symbolism of the lace bow / ribbon as used in historical jewelry,” in a series of brooches, some silver, some gold, each combined with various gemstones. Progressing from the intricate, filigree nature of her earlier jewelry, Preston’s new work features broad surfaces of lightly textured gold or blackened silver, twisted and coiled to achieve flowing, voluminous forms, edges scalloped to connote the materials of reference. Complimenting the black and gold metal, color is threaded though the various layers of each brooch, like needlepoint sewn through these sensuous forms.