Earrings by Erin Sayler of Fury Jewelry & Design, made with salvaged components and rose quartz dangles. Photo: Erin Sayler.
The silver-toned parts in a pair of earrings Erin Sayler wears almost every day were blackened and caked with grime when she found them. They came from three pieces of broken jewelry in a discard bag at a local National Guard thrift store.
“I could see the potential before I could see the details,” Sayler wrote in an email interview.
For Fury Jewelry & Design, finding a usable component can come before knowing what the finished design will be. Sayler took the pieces apart, cleaned them and removed tarnish before trying different arrangements with rose quartz dangles.
Sayler is based in Helena, Montana. She also collects, cuts and polishes many of the gemstones she incorporates into her designs, including stones she has found in the state.
“Sometimes I have a vision from the beginning, and other times the materials reveal something unexpected along the way,” she wrote.
The earrings kept the shapes that had caught her attention, but the separate pieces no longer had to retain their old designs. Sayler approaches a broken necklace or bracelet as a set of components she can reconsider.
“I think I'm much more interested in preserving the beauty and potential of individual components than preserving the original design,” Sayler wrote.
“I see a collection of shapes, textures, colors, and possibilities,” she wrote.
Combining those parts also means deciding how they will hang from someone’s ears. Sayler has worn statement jewelry for years and draws on that experience when judging weight and comfort.
“I love bold, dramatic designs, but I also know that beautiful earrings aren't much fun if they're too heavy!” she wrote.
She points to her forest-green teardrop and crescent-moon earrings as an example: lightweight vintage teardrops allow for a larger design. She holds components up, feels their weight and watches how they move as she changes the arrangement.
“Sometimes even a small change in placement or proportion makes a huge difference in how everything comes together,” Sayler wrote.
That assessment happens while arranging and handling the pieces. Sayler distinguishes it from wearing a finished pair before selling it.
“I don't actually wear-test finished earrings because I want my customers to be the first people to put those hooks or studs in their ears,” she wrote.
“I use new, hypoallergenic hooks and studs on every pair,” Sayler wrote.
The old components can give a pair its shape and texture, while the decisions about balance and the parts that touch the wearer help determine whether she considers it ready. The customer’s first wear remains their own.
“Ultimately, I want people to feel comfortable and confident wearing my jewelry,” she wrote.