My favorite story to tell people is that of my name. I came into this world under the name: Aliyah Poor. When I was four years old, my parents came upon the idea that they could perhaps influence their financial status by changing our last name to “Gold.”  However, I prefer to think the reason was because they knew I was destined to become a great jeweler. Who else but a jeweler should have the last name Gold and the initials that are the symbol for silver? 

As a jeweler, I am interested in how traditional styles of jewelry fit into our modern culture. I find cameos most appealing due to their historical background as well as their figurative character.  While traditional cameos are known to depict a specific person of prestige or beauty, I enjoy exploring the ambiguities of age, class, gender, and race in my portrait brooches. Although I admire and strive for the same high quality of craftsmanship, I am not interested in recreating cameos of the past. My aim is to create work that depicts an emotion rather than a specific person. It is important to me that others can relate to my work whether my inspiration comes from something entirely personal or not.

People have referred to my obsession with the human body as “disturbing” or “creepy.”  In reality, I am captivated by the bone structures and intrigued by the ability of the skin to contain the unseen. I think of jewelry as a second skin; it is another way for its wearer to show others what is really going on within. I am fascinated with how some muscular bodies are compared to steel, and yet their fragility is revealed when the life within is extinguished in a heartbeat.  I find it appropriate to use natural materials, as impermanence has been a major issue within my life. By combining natural materials such as wood, leather, and ivory substitutes with my metalwork, I strive to create work that demonstrates both the fortitude and the vulnerability of the human body.

-Aliyah Gold