Hour Glass
In the hour glass piece, coloured stone is used in an almost painterly way. The large tapered areas of labradorite are like canvases within their circular frame. Around one half of the circle, the colour palette and pattern are both rich and varied (a type of labradorite found on Tabor Island near Nain, Labrador). The other half circle of stone is pure blue with a subtle pattern of thin parallel lines (a crystalline formation called “twinning”). Each quarter circle actually consists of three matched panels of labradorite attached end to end. These are oriented around the curve such that their characteristic play of light literally “rolls” along their length like an iridescent rainbow. The effect is delightful. Particularly as the hour glass piece is handled or turned over, the hidden beauty within the stone lights up with surprisingly vibrant colour.
In terms of design, there is a simplicity and a feeling of timelessness. The sand timer appears to hover within its circular frame. Viewed on edge, part of the frame is as slender as the narrowest part of the glass. From there the sterling circles simply spread wide enough to form a base and a corresponding top edge that becomes a base when the piece is turned over. Centered directly above and below the hour glass are yin yang symbols in 18k. golds and sterling. It is almost as though these symbols connect to form a core down through the center of the glass and to imply that the significance of the yin yang also filters through the sands of time. But, it is the coloured stone that catches the eye. Labradorite — painterly, vibrant, surprisingly beautiful — simply fills the space that results from the functionality of a spreading framework in the design.
