This necklace is an homage to the classic game of pool and the relationships it has fostered for me.

I’m definitely not a pool shark, but I enjoy frequenting local dive bars in SF and when I travel in order to catch up with friends and create “one night friendships” with the strangers I meet. This game helps bridge language barriers, creates conversation, sportsmanship, and banter for 20 minutes or hours of fun. I myself learned the game from an old friend and though he moved away, I carry his torch and teach others so more and more people can play and connect. Pool is a catalyst that can bring people from all different walks of life together and it’s a pastime I hope to get better at and continue to meet new friends through.

I love working with found materials in my sculpture practice, so sourcing and setting each element was both fun and challenging. I salvaged a red number 7 ball from a Berkeley frat house and had to painstakingly handsaw the cabochons from it. Finding pool cues was easier than expected—I simply asked at a pool hall, and the guy at the front desk, excited by my idea, handed over two broken cues with a grin and said, “Go make art.” That moment fueled my commitment to incorporating every authentic detail I could.

The necklace is made entirely of sterling and fine silver, with prong and bezel settings securing the found objects. I cut down the pool cues using a bandsaw and crafted chunky chain links from 16-gauge wire to balance the bold settings. While I probably won’t wear the full necklace out on the town, I designed the pool ball settings to be detachable, allowing them to be worn on a simpler chain.

This was my first deep dive into conceptual art jewelry and setting found materials, and I’m excited to keep exploring this direction in my work.

Featured in Queerphoria Vol 4 on the Queer Metalsmiths website.