BEHIND THE SCENES: 25TH ANNIVERSARY SUZAN ANCIENT COIN COLLECTION


25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION COLLECTION:
EDITION 1 ANCIENT COINS
I LOVE ANCIENT COINS...25 years ago, an old roman coin
was placed in my hand and I was captivated. I loved the irregular
edge and the patina that can only come from being touched
and worn over ages of time...After I designed my first piece
of ancient coin jewelry, I went to NY and found a coin dealer
and have been getting coins from him ever since! When I
get the coins they are covered in dirt and you can barely see
the etchings. We take each one and polish them ever so
gently so that the design is revealed and the patina is
glimmering. There is something so inspiring to me about pairing
something old with new precious metals and pearls--the
delight of unexpected detail and textures. I always design
with the edges of the coins showing, I like the the
distressed markings. Byzantine and 2-300 AD Roman coins
are my favorite, and I choose the ones that are worn and
imperfect. So unlike being a coin collector,
I am a coin treasure maker--giving them a new life and a new story!

This is what most of the coIns look like when we get them!
It is so hard to see the detail and they are gritty and dirty.
Then we use a green silicone wheel on our sanding machine
and lift out just certain details of the coins so that you see the
beautiful patina of the bronze. It is truly so exciting to see the
coin come to life. Making the patina glimmer like this brings the
coins to a more modern look which plays off
my silver and gold metal pieces.

These cupped 600 AD Byzantine coins are my
favorite!!
