BILLINGS — Sweet Pea Custom Silver hosted a beginner silversmithing class at Mazevo Coffee on 38th Street West on Sunday. Watch:
“Jewelry is very intimate, especially rings," said Meagan Anderson, owner of Sweet Pea. "Our hands are just, probably, the more intimate parts of our bodies.”
One of the students in the class, Sara Champlin, said that jewelry, such as her fiance's birthstone in her wedding band or a ring from her parents for her eighteenth birthday, represent the things that matter most to them.
“Having something precious, it makes you feel special, I think, and cared for or loved," said Champlin.
Originally from Kodiak Island in Alaska, Meagan now calls Judith Basin County her home.
She began silversmithing with her grandmother after following hand-written instructions on how to make a ring left behind by her great-grandfather, who passed away before she was born.
Before working with semi-rare stones and metals, Anderson worked with her hands for most of her life.
“I started working for my dad's construction company at about 12. Then commercial fishing at 16; (I) dropped out of high school a couple times," said Anderson. "It still is funny to me that I’ve gone back and got a college degree.”
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She said she finds more value in the sentiment behind jewelry, than a piece's monetary value.
“You can’t tell the difference between a diamond and piece of glass unless you’re a professional," she noted, adding that she likely could not tell the difference between the two.
Meagan said she appreciates the personal value on display when others dress themselves in jewelry.
“They’re taking time out of their day to adorn themself, probably not for other people’s enjoyment, but for their own, and I think that that’s super precious," said Anderson.
Meagan hosts classes for individuals and for groups (including one on November 16 in Great Falls), and also sells her jewelry at craft shows around Montana.
For upcoming classes and to learn more, click here to visit her website; click here for her Facebook page.
