“Elements” was carved from a Northern California Jade found by the artist’s grandfather, Jeff “Jade” Spangler. This carving also features a matching hand carved accent bead and two matching hand carved “slider” beads to adjust the length of the durable black nylon cord.

“My interpretation on life and death. I believe understanding both are important for a balanced existence. My thoughts percolated on death as I was creating this piece of art. I was curious about how our society here in the States, fears and denies the thought of passing. I guess designing this piece allowed me to tap into my fear of the unknown and collaborate with the thought of my death and the death of loved ones.”

Note from the Artist: This design was my interpretation of the two essential elements of life: birth and death. This design captures the essence of balance and reincarnation with its unending movement. This carving was conceived at a time when I was trying to learn and understand that both life and death are beautiful and should be celebrated, rather than feared. My intentions for creating this carving was to remember that we are not here forever and to cherish the time and relationships we have here now.

This jade is a Northern California nephrite that was found in the river by my grandfather.. This jade carries a lot of intimate meaning for me because my grandfather was the one to steer me down the path of collecting and carving jade. I dedicate this design to him and my grandmother, Donna.

Pendant approximately L 1 7/16" x W 1 13/16“ x D 7/16“

Carved in 2019.