This body of work is the beginning of a line of research in which I am referencing one of the historic purposes for enamels, to mimic gemstones, while considering the function of jewelry as a symbol of economic status. How much is too much? When does luxury become too excessive?
As stone mining, creation, and setting processes have evolved and made the inclusion of stones into jewelry much more accessible, the need to create the illusion of gemstones through the use of enamels has become unnecessary.