Creating Ofelia: Making a Jewel with Masaoms

TeenAngster

Story by TeenAngster

Published on June 03, 2009 in Watch

TeenAngster

As a frequent visitor to masaoms‘ chunky gem jewelry shop, I was amazed and delighted to see that she had posted a video showing the creation of one of her awe-inspiring pieces. (As an owner of one her rings, I’m very curious about how she does it!) I had a virtual sit-downblackring.jpg interview with Marta Sànchez Oms to find out more about this window into her process.

Why did you decide to make this video?
I decided to make this video because I had one about my last collection, and I liked it a lot! Moreover, I wanted to show people the process of making jewelry from the beginning and how I work in my workshop. It makes my job more interesting, and my customers love to see my hands working. I have a jewelry blog where I usually post about jewelers from all over the world, and I used the video to show off my work.

Who made the video?
Oriol Nicolas, my graphic designer and boyfriend, made this fantastic video for me. He loves to work with photos and music, and mixes them to construct beautiful videos.

Why did you decide to call it Ofelia?
I called it Ofelia because it’s inspired in the character Ophelia from William Shakespeare‘s Hamlet. The necklace represents the flowers in the river where Ophelia died. In this excerpt from the play, the Queen explains to Laertes (Ophelia’s brother) how his sister has died.greenring.jpg

“There is a willow grows aslant a brook,
That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream;
There with fantastic garlands did she come
Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples
That liberal shepherds give a grosser name,
But our cold maids do dead men’s fingers call them:
There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds
Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke;
When down her weedy trophies and herself
Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide;
And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up:
Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes;
As one incapable of her own distress,
Or like a creature native and indued
Unto that element: but long it could not be
Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pull’d the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.”

— Hamlet by William Shakespeare, act IV scene VII.

What has the response to the video been?
I’ve noticed more traffic to my shop as a result of the video, mostly because it has been posted on many sites. Also, when people see me working they take more interest in my work.

I think that just as much as I love to share my work, people also love to see it! I had a really good time making this necklace. I had my sister and a friend be my models, and it was thrilling to work with photographer Dario Rumbo; he’s a lovely person, and I love how he works. I think that Oriol has been able to take the essence from our work and show it off in this wonderful video.

 

Looking for more good stuff? Check out these links.

View More Jewelry Posts | Check out Marta’s Shop
View More Process Videos

If you make videos, then enter the Handmade Moment Contest!

Alison is Editor in Chief of the Etsy Blog. When she's not trawling Etsy for pottery, folk art, and vintage oddities, she enjoys exploring New York, historical nonfiction and thrifting. She loves a good cat video.

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