Melange II Earrings

brown and grey sapphire, golden and copper/black rutile quartz, antique cameo, found pebble, silver pearls, oxidized sterling silver, sterling silver twisted ear wires

2 5/8 in L x 9/16 in W

My work explores the idea of assigned value and the ways we decide what is precious, beautiful, worthy, or worth keeping. I’m drawn to materials that are imperfect, overlooked, weathered, or ordinary, and to placing them alongside materials we traditionally consider valuable.

In this body of work, rusted metal found at a local gas station and pebbles gathered from my yard sit alongside semi-precious stones, pearls, and objects gathered over time. I cut both the rust and the pebbles into simple gemstone-like forms, allowing them to occupy the same visual space as more traditionally precious materials. I’m interested in that moment when you have to look a little closer, and the distinction between what is ordinary and what is valuable becomes less certain.

I want these unusual combinations to remain wearable, not simply observed. The earrings are mismatched but balanced, with consideration given to weight, movement, and how they interact with the body. I’m interested in making art jewelry that is unexpected and individual, but still something a person wants to reach for again and again.

Artist Bio:
Christine Mighion is a self-taught jewelry artist based in South Bend, Indiana, where she has been creating jewelry in her studio for more than 23 years. Her early work focused on fine and fashion jewelry and received national press placement in publications including Lucky, Shape, SELF, and The Knot. In recent years, her practice has evolved toward art jewelry, with a growing focus on imperfection, value perception, and the ways we decide what is beautiful or worthy of attention. Her work combines traditional metalsmithing techniques with an intuitive approach to stones, found materials, and asymmetrical composition. Christine is also the host of the Slowmade Podcast, where she speaks with artists and makers about craft, creativity, and building a life around meaningful work.