5 minute read
Art and Artisans
arts + artisans
Artful Adornments
For many of us, selecting our daily ornamentation is a morning ritual: earrings, necklace, pins, watches, or rings. Some are gifts—cherished symbols of love. Others are just plain fun. Jewelry has been part of human history for millennia. The oldest known jewelry, found in a cave in South Africa, is a simple string of beads created by drilling holes into snail shells. Dating back 75,000 years, it was the beginning of the human romance with wearable charms, symbols, and trinkets.
Technologies, both ancient and cutting-edge, have aided many Milford businesses in the making extraordinary gifts. For Mark Valentine, owner of Valentine Jewelers (350 Boston Post Road), his fascination with the jewelers’ craft began around the age of 21, after witnessing an artisan at work. “I saw someone fixing jewelry at a work bench—sizing rings and doing other things—and it interested me,” he recalls. “After mentioning it to my mother, the next day she found a school in Manhattan and enrolled me. I took a bus to the train and the train to Manhattan every day.” Valentine had discovered his vocation.
At the time, his parents owned several small businesses. “I proposed the idea of a jewelry store and they thought it was a great idea. We set up shop in Milford on Bridgeport Avenue in 1980. The business continued to grow, and the Milford community has been very supportive. Long time clients have become friends.”
From the beginning, Valentine’s has specialized in crafting custom pieces. Whether creating a perfect setting for a brilliant stone, engraving an affectionate note, or helping mark the time with a distinctive watch, Valentines has been a go-to for four decades.
And the artistry of this family business continues with the next generation. Mark Valentine Junior is now working with his mom and dad and their sweet dog Sammy, a furry favorite of friends who come to shop. Valentine’s has become a part of many lives, creating unique remembrances of romance, family, and friendship. Rosemary Celon-Gordon, co-owner of the Gilded Lily Gallery (101 River Street), views her take on the craft
Artist and gallery owner Rosemary Celon-Gordon uses unique “bits” to create her jewelry.
Valentine’s offers many treasures from vintage Rolex watches to dazzling diamond rings.
differently. “I don’t consider myself a jeweler, but more of an artist that makes jewelry,” she says. “I started making pieces at Milford High. Mr. Cormier offered a place to hang out during study hall. I would go there to chill out and make jewelry, so he kind of started me on the path.” A few classes in college fostered Celon-Gordon’s exploration of the arts, and today she shares her avant-garde and fanciful wares at the Gilded Lily. Semi-precious stones, glitzy costume jewels, and cameos make their way into her creations. “I have gone to New York and enjoy exploring the costume jewelry supply house. It is packed with boxes and boxes of curious bits. A treasure trove that you need to dig through… nothing is labeled,” she laughs. “It inspires the creative process.”
The Valentine Family includes Sammy, who playfully minds the shop where diamonds sparkle in their display cases.
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Rosemary’s eclectic style shines through in her one-of-a-kind creations.
“Most of my work is stone with base metals, mostly sterling silver and a bit of bronze,” she explains. She also uses what is referred to precious metal clay. “The clay is made with metals. When it is combined with a binding agent it becomes malleable and must be quickly formed before it dries. The item is then fired and stays in the kiln to cool down. Once the binder cooks away the silver or other choice metals remain. The piece can then be shaped, polished, or patinaed.”
Celon-Gordon’s rings, earrings, and necklaces are distinctive conversation starters and unique statement pieces. Whic is perfect. Because as one of history’s most famous jewelry collectors, Elizabeth Taylor, once said, “Jewelry has the power to be the one little thing that makes you feel unique.”
—Susan Carroll Dwyer
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