Guided Experience Memorial Reliquary Pendant

The Guided Experience  The "Guided Experience Making" custom jewelry (GEM)was born out of a desire to help others experience the catharsis that comes from creating something with your own two hands and heart- imbuing it with love and emotion.  I started making this type of jewelry after the loss of a special dog, Gonzo.   The day came when I couldn't quite remember the texture of his fur, or the way he smelled, or exactly what his bark sounded like. The ache of his absence was already nearly unbearable:  This forgetting of all his "dogness" shattered me.  Creating a piece of jewelry- something tangible- helped me feel a physical connection to him.   It gave me a container:  A way to hold those memories.  A way to touch them.                                                                 And I realized:  Jewelry is powerful.  The first memorial piece I made for someone else was for someone who had lost his dog and admired my reliquary.  He asked me to make one for his wife. The front