Reflect: to contemplate, ponder
Cynthia Renée, a trained geologist, gem hunter, and gifted jewelry artist, was inspired to create the Reflections Collection during a period of contemplation, discovery and rebirth in her own life. In the midst of this natural cycle, she rediscovered the fierce allure of nature, which shocked her senses and set her on a new path of artistic discovery.
“Beauty and nature have always pulled me back from the depths, and I found myself turning again and again to the metaphors the natural world provided,” says Renée. “It can be a harsh and impersonal place, but it is also filled with majesty, reflection and redemption.”
Reflect: to contemplate, ponder
Cynthia Renée, a trained geologist, gem hunter, and gifted jewelry artist, was inspired to create the Reflections Collection during a period of contemplation, discovery and rebirth in her own life. In the midst of this natural cycle, she rediscovered the fierce allure of nature, which shocked her senses and set her on a new path of artistic discovery.
“Beauty and nature have always pulled me back from the depths, and I found myself turning again and again to the metaphors the natural world provided,” says Renée. “It can be a harsh and impersonal place, but it is also filled with majesty, reflection and redemption.”
Cynthia Renée set to work to create a series of intricate, one-of-kind jeweled creatures featuring hand-carved animals, natural gem crystals, pearls, and diamonds designed to reflect the transformative powers of nature.
“In the past, almost all of my creations have been inspired by my clients, or were designed around a particular gemstone,” says Renée. “But to create a collection inspired by life’s journeys, now that was a new experience!”
And the results were so stunning that one of the Owl Queen pieces won “Best in Palladium and Color” over six categories of palladium-made colored jewelry in the prestigious Spectrum Design Awards 2013 from the American Gem Trade Association.
Cynthia offers these magnificent pieces as talisman – reminding us all of the strength, guidance, joy and love that dance inside our hearts when we listen.
Here, “The Owl Queen” is a regal and fierce protector. Hand carved from petrified palm, Cynthia placed her bird atop a huge green tourmaline crystal, festooned with a stainless steel “barbed wire” accent. To animate the owl and give her life, tiger’s-eye was used for her eyes. The gems were spaced out using a small spaghetti stick, then carved in, glued, modeled, and polished with diamond polish paste. The positioning of the owl’s palladium and diamond crown involved a lot of patient work, too: the feathered tufts had to be ruffled just as the owl would do so in nature.
A majestic force to be reckoned with, “The Owl Queen” reminds us to pause and reflect so that we may experience the majesty and richness in our own lives.
Cynthia Renée “Owl Queen” brooch/pendant features a hand-carved owl in petrified palm, perched on a 42.57 carats natural green tourmaline crystal, crown of 950 palladium with hand granulation & 0.16 carats diamond accent; hand-made stainless steel “barb wire” accent on crystal. 2013 AGTA Spectrum Award: Best Use of Palladium and Color.
