The Art of... feature
Story by Ashley Elvington • Photography by Michelle Springs
sarah BROWN
STONED BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY
SARAH BROWN IS AN AVID BELIEVER IN THE OLD SAYING, “Everything happens for a
reason.” While she didn’t make her entrance into the world of jewelry making by choice,
she’s discovered that while upon this journey, a passion has developed. Leaving home and
marrying at 17 to a silversmith and jeweler, Sarah tried her hand at creating beaded jewelry to accompany her fiancé’s work, which consisted of natural ston e pendants and rings.
“Jewelry is an expression of one’s personality and individuality. Through jewelry, we can
embrace special people and times in our lives as a token of remembrance that can be
passed on and shared with others.”
Throughout their 19 years of marriage, Sarah and her husband had two beautiful children
and traveled throughout the United States exhibiting their work. While things looked great
on the outside, Sarah knew that something wasn’t quite right. “Four years into this relationship, I knew in my heart that it wasn’t normal and that it was damaging to my self-esteem
and mental health. Like many young people who fall into mature consequences too soon,
I stayed to try and make the best of the situation, when in reality, my marriage worsened
every day.” In 2010, Sarah was at the lowest point in her life. “Something had to change.”
With unwavering faith and constant prayer, Sarah filed for divorce. While that decision
set her free, she knew the road before her wasn’t going to be easy quite yet. “I would
have to work very hard to support myself and my children. I had no education outside of
high school and no work history that could be proven on an application. What I did have,
though, was my freedom, my life, my faith, my family, and the strength and determination
to make it work.”
For the next six years, Sarah would work in the service industry, using her jewelry skills to
Sarah Brown resides in Florence, South Carolina. She is the daughter of Peggy
and Frank Brown, mother to Rosemary and Isaac Jones, and fiancée to local
singer/songwriter James Scott Bullard. To view more of Sarah’s pieces, visit
Stoned Beautiful Jewelry on Facebook and Etsy.com/shop/StonedBeautiful, or
stop by her parents’ business, The Clay Pot, in Florence.
help make ends meet. Extra money made was saved to purchase supplies for her jewelry.
Sales were steadily improving, and Sarah soon realized her work was providing a reliable
source of income. Often, she was making more profit at an art show than a week’s worth of
work at her job. “It was at this time that I knew the skills that I had learned in my marriage
had grown and developed into my craft, my talent. A new passion and inspiration for jewelry making had begun.” Last year, Sarah couldn’t stop dreaming about pursuing jewelry as a
full-time career. “When I thought back on my life, and what I did know, it was jewelry, and it
has been jewelry for over 20 years. I have exceptional experience in booking art shows and
events, I have extensive knowledge of gems and minerals, and I am confident in my work
ethic and determination. The decision had been made by the end of the year.”
While Stoned Beautiful Jewelry will have its official kick-off this month at an event in
Tennessee, Sarah had chosen the name long before in 2011. “Working with only natural
stones, I was trying to come up with something clever, interesting, eye catching. My first
goal for Stoned Beautiful Jewelry is to gain clientele regionally by exhibiting at music and
art festivals that will bring business and recognition to my Etsy store. I’m currently booking
at least three events per month that have an attendance of at least 2,000 or more.”
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APRIL 2016
SHEMAGAZINE.COM