Kirsten Muenster, Sustainable Jewelry Designer

I was always intrigued by jewelry. My mother was an antiques dealer and I started collecting vintage jewelry at a very early age. I have always been fascinated by the idea that throughout history, people have felt compelled to adorn their bodies with metal, stones, fiber and found objects. For me, choosing the materials is the most exciting part of the process. I'm drawn in by the color, pattern, shape and story behind them. I try to create wearable abstract landscapes.

My philosophy as well as my politics are definitely reflected in my work. I choose materials that have the least devastating impact on the environment and its inhabitants. I don't use diamonds, tanzanite or other questionable gem stones because it is virtually impossible to assess whether the Kimberley Process is preventing conflict diamonds from entering international trade and the sale of these stones has been proven to aid terrorist organizations. I only work with stones whose cultivation does not promote unfair labor practices. Most of the stones I use are found in the United States and acquired from rock hounds and dealers I've come to know and trust. The agates and jaspers are found in gravel pits, along lake shores and riverbeds. I do a lot of my own stone cutting from rock found in the 40's, 50's and 60's. I also recycle many stones from vintage pieces and the fossils in my work are only acquired from privately owned land.

I'm always exploring more conscious and sustainable options for my jewelry materials. I'm currently designing pieces that feature recycled "Fordite". This bizarre material is the end-result of the automotive assembly paint plant process. It's made up of dozens of layers of automotive paint, baked over and over as each car went through the assembly line and was spray-painted. Automakers began tearing out the paint booths in the late 1950s and 60s because of the way the paint had caked on the walls of the booths over the years. These booths were destined for the landfill, but some enterprising employees decided that there was some value in the walls of the old booths and began taking them home for themselves. Clever lapidarists saw the potential in big chunks of this multi-layered "slag" and started cutting it. The pieces have an additional meaning in that they are a part of American and British industrial history. It's really amazing to be able to wear that in a piece of jewelry!

Another material I'm currently using is copper fire brick; a byproduct of the copper smelting process. The copper fire brick comes from closed smelters in Michigan. I've heard that some of this stuff actually washes up in bits and pieces on local lakeshores.

Please note: "Fordite" is a nickname given to these pieces by lapidarists because they are made of automotive paint. They are not produced by the Ford Motor Company or its subsidiaries, nor is there any desire or attempt made by the cutters or retailers to represent these items as Ford Motor Company products.

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Kirsten Muenster is a jewelry designer living in San Francisco, CA. You can see more of her products and learn more about her at www.kirstenmuenster.com.