 An
Interview with Featured Artist: Margaret Diamond
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How did you get started in making jewelry?
I had a bead collection left from my days in the 70’s of macramé
jewelry . About four years ago I began to see people wearing dangle ear
rings and decided to try making some. A friend of mine had a pair with
dangling beads and wrapped crystals. I decided these looked nice so I got
some small crystals and fooled with them till the wrapping looked suitable.
I became mesmerized with the wrapping procedure and started wrapping every
stone I could get hold of. The inspiration kept growing and I kept elaborating
on the initial idea. At the same time I was in a bead frenzy and my friends
and family started watching out for beads for me. It is amazing what a
variety I began to acquire.
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Where do your ideas come from...what gets you started?
In beginning a piece, I pick out a stone that appeals to me at the moment
and then search through my collection to find what I have that compliments
it. Then I begin assembling, adding various stones or beads according to
what feels right. I do like to be left without distractions other than
music while I am designing . New ideas appear while I am in the process
of one piece. I start laying out the beads and stones on my work table,
this way the next piece is ready to start as soon as the last one is finished.
There is always something sitting on my table ready to be created.
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What types of materials do you use?
I made a rule for myself when I began making my jewelry that I would use
only natural materials, my favorite beads are mineral stone beads. I then
accompany them with various wood, glass and  brass
spacers. I sometimes also like to use shell beads and a few bone beads.
Found items can add interest and originality to my work - these could be
any thing from a little brass wafer to a brass nuts from the hard ware
store or something on the bottom of my father’s old tool box.
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Does your work have any symbolic meaning?
Many mineral stones are said to have healing qualities about them , but
I don’t pay attention to this when creating a piece of jewelry. I just
put things together because of their aesthetic appeal. Often a person is
drawn to a particular piece and then they find out that the stone stands
for something significant in their life. So it does seem, for many, that
there are symbolic meanings in a piece. Also, a stone or other piece, may
seem fit an individuals personality when I am designing a work for them.
.
 How
long does each piece take you to create?
It is difficult to say how long it takes me to complete a piece or a set
- I often have two or three projects going at once so I loose track of
time . A necklace with elaborate details may have three evenings work on
it before it is completed. I take a lot of breaks during the working time
or I suffer from stiff neck and burning eye. Most of my work is assembled
with wire, there is seldom a time that I need to use head pins - wire is
more flexible and I am quite comfortable using it . there are a few different
ways I have been closing the end rather than using a head pin and these
become part of the design.
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Any final thoughts or advice for a beginning jewelry maker?
There are some things I feel are important to success not only in jewelry
making but in any other art form, one of these is to have adequate tools.
Without the proper tools, the struggle and the end result will be frustrating
and may discourage you. Another thing is to be sure to have good lighting
and always go easy on the self criticism.
Marge Diamond lives in Elyria Ohio with her son, Joe and her grand daughter
Jennifer. She is the mother of five grown children and the grandmother
of seven. Daytimes she is employed by the Lorain County board of Mental
Retardation as a workshop instructor in the adult sheltered workshop.She
enjoys not only making jewelry but playing , teaching and performing traditional
folk music on the Mountain Dulcimer.
"Since I was a child there has never been a time in my life when I was
not pursuing some form of creative exspression.It is the natural connection
for me between things material and things abstract or Spiritual.Be it music
or making something it is my prayer and my blessing , and I wish to share
that with as many folks as possible."
If you would like to get in touch with Ms. Diamond or have any comments
for  her,
please send snail-mail or email c/o Etcetera
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