After spending the past few months on the road at weekend “Art” shows and a couple days a week at the local market, I am inspired to share some thoughts about the craft of making spoon jewelry. I say craft but it could be said that this is an art form, the medium being flatware, the vision shaped by the artist’s experiences and the perspective in which they see the world. I suppose there are two categories of spoon jewelry makers, the crafter, someone who needs something to fill the hours in the evening after work and before bed. Fill the time, reduce the stress. Feel human. And then the artists, those who create spoon jewelry as a way of expressing themselves. Showing the world the inner workings of their mind, how they perceive their own reality. Their presentation of the relationship between what is natural, the body, and what is unnatural, the adornment. Hopefully bringing the two together as one in a fluid movement like that of a great classical composition or the slow transition from night to day.

I started this as “Tips on buying spoon jewelry” and it remains that, but it is my approach that may differ from most tips lists. I wish to point out the finer things that make fork and spoon jewelry, when done right, an outstanding product either as casual jewelry or something for a more refined occasion.

There are many different types of spoon jewelry available. With each passing day there are more and more people who are attempting to make spoon jewelry and now more than ever it is important for the consumer to know the finer points of spoon jewelry. Below you will find a few highlighted attributes of spoon jewelry, defined and examined, that may help you with your next spoon jewelry purchase.

Shine and Shape. Shine and shape are the important when looking for quality spoon jewelry and fork jewelry. High quality spoon jewelry, whether silverplate or sterling, will have a mirror finish. Like any other jewelry, spoon jewelry should be clean and bright with no major flaws to the finish. Sometimes an occasional mark from age might be present but nothing that detracts from the appearance.

The overall shape of the piece should be subtle and smooth. The curve of a spoon bracelet or fork bracelet should gently compliment the shape of ones wrist. The tines of a fork bracelet should not be kinked or contain rough edges. A spoon ring should be round and contain no kinks or flat edges. Shape and shine are essential requirements for high quality fork and spoon jewelry. Spoon jewelry that does not meet the aforementioned standards should be avoided.

Attention to Detail. This is what separates the best from the rest in everything from writing a book to building a house. It is no different when making fork and spoon jewelry. Attention to the quality of all materials and findings used to make fork and spoon jewelry is what separates the top 5% from the other 95% of mediocre jewelry produced. Mediocre is being generous. In many cases, the jewelry aspect of spoon “jewelry” or fork “jewelry” has been lost. Jewelry is something to decorate or adorn someone. Can this be achieved with something that looks like it came from the salvage bin at the local thrift store? I think not.

The point of this post is not to bash the quality of spoon jewelry available but to make the consumer aware of what is available. In most cases the consumer is being sold low quality jewelry under the guise that it is old and antique and should look this way. Not true. The concept of using something old to make something new, or “repurposing” as I have read before, does not excuse shoddy workmanship. Anyone can bend a spoon around a pipe and put it on a wrist, but true artistic craftsmanship turns something ordinary into something extraordinary.