Jewelry Shadow Boxes

Rone Prinz has been making hand-carved jewelry for years and always thought when her work was not being worn, it should be displayed as art. She finally came up with a solution when she and her boyfriend joined their studios in the garage. His woodworking skills would come in handy to make custom display boxes. Together they created works of art.

The artwork begins with her jewelry. The design is normally conceptualized but not planned since she never knows what she is going to get until she is working on it, as the materials often dictate the piece's direction. She makes a hand-carved heart, which is cut from naturally fallen antler from native mule deer or purple heart wood. She grinds and sands down the shape until it is the perfect texture. Then she adds handmade silver bezels and backings. Natural gemstones and hand-carved or cast silver accent pieces add the finishing elements.

Once the piece is complete, Rone’s boyfriend Brad makes a shadowbox to match the piece. He cuts the appropriate lengths of wood, joins them together, sands them and finishes the box. The jewelry is then mounted inside the box, which in turn can be mounted on a wall for display. The best part is the jewelry can be removed and worn at anytime, and when you’re done wearing it, it can be put right back on display.