American artist Michael Jerry’s bracelet is an assured demonstration of technical skill. Within a framework of silver rods that curve and swell to fit the wearer’s wrist, a variety of semi-precious stones are lined up like a valued collection of mementos. These cuffs are often made using a client’s stones, which are usually taken from old, unworn jewelry. While in this particular bracelet the artist has made the choice of what gems are displayed, this ‘memory cuff’ awaits the encounter with its new owner and wearer, who will invest each element with personal meanings and complete the work. Jerry completed his undergraduate study in Jewelry and Metalsmithing at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, and Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, and graduated with an MFA in Jewelry/Metalsmithing from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1963. He was a professor at the School of Art and Design, Syracuse University, retiring in 2000, and in 2010 he received the award of Master Metalsmith from the Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
Michael Jerry
MEMORY CUFF
2018
silver and semi-precious stones
3 x 3 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches