Treasures from the earth and oceans become cherished jewelry designs in the hands of Joe and Bonnie Masslofsky. Semi-precious gemstones that they mine in North Carolina appear to be common rocks. However, once Joe cuts, shapes and hand polishes them the beauty of their unique colors becomes evident. Each has its own individual characteristics which are then framed in sterling silver or 14K gold filled wire by Bonnie. What once may have seemed an unattractive product of the earth is now a beautifully designed piece of jewelry.
The world’s oceans and Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay also give up many treasures that were nothing more than someone’s trash decades before. These treasures are now know as sea glass. Some colors are more rare than others due to the chemicals used to make the original products. As Joe and Bonnie walk the beaches of the Bay they are continually harvesting these treasures to turn them into prized jewelry designs. Unlike the rocks mined in North Carolina and reshaped to reveal their beauty, Joe and Bonnie merely wash each piece with soap and water. Then they utilize the unique shape that the sand and tides present to them. Most come from bottles that have broken into curved or triangular shapes. No two are alike so they create a wire wrapped frame that accentuates that individual shape and color. Whether it is a semi-precious gemstone or a piece of unpretentious sea glass each becomes a one-of-a-kind jewelry design.
Not unlike many individuals, their lives have taken many turns before ending up on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Bonnie had been in the graphics and publishing world and Joe was a computer engineer before anyone had heard of a PC when they decided to leave the corporate world and become innkeepers. As B&B owners they restored a grand Victorian gem they named Flaherty House while providing modern amenities and gourmet breakfasts. After 10 years of ownership they sold the property but decided to remain in the innkeeping profession, this time as managers of other inns.
That brought them to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and St. Michaels in 2004. Because the final inn that they managed had a very small manager’s quarters, Joe had to give up his hobby of wood working and sold his power tools. However, he still needed a hobby outside of innkeeping, so Bonnie signed him up for a class making jewelry from precious metal clay.
Thus began an adventure into the world of jewelry making. At first he made pieces from precious metal clay which had to be fired in a kiln. He then discovered a love of pearls and found a jeweler to mentor him in making jewelry from semi-precious gem stones.
During this time on the Shore they had been picking up pieces of sea glass wherever they walked the beach. This led to a friendship with a new mentor who encouraged him to begin wire wrapping the glass as pendants for necklaces. It took several years to develop his own style of wrapping.
Throughout this evolution Joe would ask Bonnie her opinion of pieces that he would create. As with many spouses the suggestions came freely, so Joe told her she better start designing necklaces and bracelets herself.
The adventure continued with a trip to an emerald mine in North Carolina in the spring of 2013. They came home having mined raw stones (emeralds, garnets, amethyst, sodalite, obsidian, quartz, saphires and rubies). After teaching himself to cut, shape and polish the new stones he realized he no longer had time to do the wire wrapped framing. So Bonnie took up the position of principal framer using sterling silver and 14K gold filled wire to complete each design. They have learned that the beauty of some stones lies in the intensity of their opaque coloration and the challenge of irregularly shaped sea glass can result in a statement piece of jewelry.
The adventure continues in their home studio in Easton with Joe cutting, shaping and polishing stones while Bonnie uses her own designs to wire wrap each unique piece.
Many of their creations can be found on weekends exclusively at the AM Gravely Gallery at 408 S. Talbot St. in St. Michaels, Maryland. For more information, contact Flaherty House Specialties at 410-745-2130.
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