Abstract
The pieces I have made during this thesis project have been about preservation of memory and about mourning through ritual meditation. When I began this project; I was in mourning for the recent death of a loved one. I sought to understand myself and my experience and I realized that I wanted to make jewelry that could be worn and used to help others work through their own grieving processes. I had begun to meditate as a daily ritual, which helped me work through my thoughts, ideas and feelings. I wanted each piece to have an element that would allow the wearer to enter into a meditative state where they could channel their grieving process. I did this by incorporating elements like gemstones and beads into the rings and necklaces that could be rubbed, counted, or chanted to, similarly to the way rosaries or mala beads are used in prayer.