JANET STERLING SILVER DESIGN

The "American" Spirit Necklace
*****I LOVE NEW YORK!*****

Click HERE to go to the Donor List!
Click HERE to go directly to the Necklace!
Click HERE to go to my new "My 9-11" page
NYC skyline photo
Addendum, Oct., 2001. My husband took this photo on July 31, 2001. I contemplated taking it off my site because some people might find it upsetting or offensive (or have found it upsetting or offensive), but after much thought, I feel that I'm not ready to give up completely on the memory of this landscape that I've called my home for the past 6 years. I live and work downtown, I love this city, and this tragedy has been devastating for me for so many reasons, as I'm sure it has been for most Americans. When I look down the street, I still see smoke where the buildings once stood, and I still can't believe what has happened. I wake up every morning wishing that this didn't happen, that my friend's brother is okay, that we are all safe here in America. The reality of the situation--the magnitude of the tragedy--is just so unbearably sad. I'm sorry if this sounds selfish, and I'm sorry if you find this photo upsetting, but this memory of the buildings, of life in NYC before 9-11, lets me grieve in a way that I need to at the moment. Thank you for your understanding.

Why I decided to make this necklace: New York is an amazing city, and will continue to be one of the greatest cities in the world. After the tragedy that hit our city and the Pentagon on 9-11, I shut down my website because I couldn't bring myself to "make anything pretty" amidst so much chaos and destruction. A week has now passed, and I still can't watch the news without crying. However, like many Americans, I began to feel that if we changed our way of life to live in fear and darkness, we would be losing more--we would lose our American Spirit, too.

I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be American, how much I love this city, about who I am and how I got to where I am, as well as why my grandparents left their homeland in order to come here to pursue their dreams. Rather than shutting myself away from my craft, I decided to make something out of it that expressed these feelings--not just for myself, but something symbolic and meaningful that others could also wear--both in defiance and in memory of this tragic event.

One of my strongest emotions since last week (besides the obvious, i.e. shock, depression, anxiety, etc.), was a sense of helplessness--we can't all be there to help with the rescue effort, we don't all meet the weight requirement to give blood, it could have been any one of us in those planes or buildings. As individuals, we are small in the grand scheme of things, but together, I think that we could all do something to make a difference. With this idea in mind, I poured my heart into this design, and I want to dedicate this pendant design to all the souls we lost and to their families and friends, and I would like to use this design as a fund raiser, which is described in detail below, to raise money for the Uniformed Firefighter's Association of Greater New York Widows' & Children's Fund.

What is this design? (see below the photo for the explanation)
ebay Mock Logo
What is this design? (Top left, detail of the pendant; other 3 are the same pendants with different necklace lengths, 14.5," 16," and 18.") I designed this pendant with several layers of meanings and symbols in mind. First and foremost, it is a solomn, solid piece of sterling silver that spells out "American" (minus the "cap" symbol) in what I call "reverse Braille." I used the 6 point alphabet symbols of the Braille system, but rather than it bumping out as usual, I drilled holes instead. I did that for two reasons: 1) to represent our loss as Americans; 2) when you wear it, it is the wearer who literally show through the pendant to spell, "American." That is the part that I am particularly fond of, because I am very grateful and proud to be an American. Secondly, in memory of the WTC, I decided to hang the pendant vertically as a visual memorial. Rather than using one bail in the middle, I put two bails at the top to represent the two towers that we lost.

My intent for the design of the necklace, as mentioned earlier, is for it to be both a tribute in the memory of the lives that were taken from us, and yet be a symbol of our resilience and perseverence as Americans. My hope is also that the pendant is unusual enough for it to serve as a conversational piece, so that people can use it as, perhaps, a means or starting point in which to communicate with each other what it means to to them or how they feel, since this tragedy has hit us all in so many different ways. I feel that it is through communication, understanding, and compassion, that we can all grieve and overcome something so horrendous.

How the fund raising will be done: The fund raising will be done in two stages. As of October 15, 2001, we are DONE with Phase ONE! We are now in Phase TWO!

PHASE ONE: My hope is to first raise as much as possible as soon as possible, to help the UFA Widows' & Children's Fund. We lost hundreds of fire fighters here in NYC, over half the force. Their heroism is beyond words, and I wanted to do something to help their families. In order to do that, the first 200 necklaces will be numbered on the back, and this number will correspond to our "janetjewelry UFA Widows' & Children's Fund Donor List" on our website, which I will keep up for as long as I have this business(!). Only the first 200 will be listed (you have the option to remain anonymous, too, but the numbers will not be duplicated). The first 200 necklaces will be $50 each, and 50% of each necklace sale will go to the UFA Greater New York Widows' & Children Fund. In this way (200 x $25 each), I hope to raise $5,000 as soon as possible. When I told my parents that I was going to do this, they said that if this is what I felt strongly about, they wanted to help me by matching my goal, so they will be donating $5000, too, so we will be able to raise a total of $10,000 for the UFA Widows' & Children's Fund.

PHASE TWO--We have changed Phase Two: After the first 200 necklaces, I will reduce the price of the necklace to $40, and in the spirit of this necklace design, I wanted to keep donating a portion of each necklace in memory of the people who lost their lives to this tragedy. 10% of the sale of each necklace will be donated to the Ladder 12 Fund (Ladder Company 12 pictured below). After we raised $10,000 I went to my local firestation to thank them for taking care of our neighborhood, and found that they lost 5 firefighters there. After much thought, I've decided that I prefer donating the money to a smaller Fund that is more specific, especially since Phase Two isn't as large a fund raiser as Phase One. Also, rather than sending a small check every month, I have decided to send a lump check every 50 necklaces that we sell (10%=$200 donation).

NYC skyline photo

Prices are due to change depending on the silver market, but I will do my best to keep it at this price. I will keep a fund raiser count on this site.

I would like to personally thank RONI CASTING of New York, the company that is casting this pendant. When they heard that this pendant was designed to raise money for the UFA Widows' & Children's Fund and the September 11th Fund, they graciously reduced their casting fee.

Thanks also to my parents, for their strength, encouragement, compassion and generosity.

Each cast pendant will be finished and polished at the janetjewelry studio here in downtown Manhattan, New York City.

Thank you so much for your help in raising $10,000 for the families of the fallen New York Firefighters, who gave their lives so that others may live, and from mid October, 2001, for the September 11th Fund.

The money will be donated in memory of my two schoolmates from Punahou, Richard Lee and Heather Ho, and all the other souls who were tragically taken from their families and friends on 9-11.

Click here to go directly to this necklace
Click here to go to Donor List

Click here to go to www.helping.org--information on legitimate non-profit disaster relief organizations; you can donate directly to them using their secure online site.

Here, every month, we will list the "American" Spirit Necklace count. 10% of every sale of this necklace will be donated to the Ladder 12 Fund, every 50 necklaces (50x10%=$200 donation!).

Phase 2: $200 donation made May 2003!
New Count:
May 2003--1
June 2003--1
July 2003--1
August 2003--1
October 2003--1
December 2003--1
March 2004--1
April 2004--1
June 2004--1
May 2005--1
June 2005--1
August 2005--2
September 2005--1
November 2005--1
December 2005--1

***Due to the increase in the price of silver, the price of the necklace was changed to $84 each***

March 2006--1
November 2006--1
July 2007--1
March 2008--1

Home | About Us | Testimonials | Ads & Press | FAQs | Return & Exchange Policy | Contact | Privacy Policy
Copyright © Janet Sterling Silver Design, 2008. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

				The "American" Spirit Necklace ***I LOVE NEW YORK!* Click HERE to go to the Donor List! Click HERE to go directly to the Necklace! Click HERE to go to my new "My 9-11" page Addendum, Oct., 2001. My husband took this photo on July 31, 2001. I contemplated taking it off my site because some people might find it upsetting or offensive (or have found it upsetting or offensive), but after much thought, I feel that I'm not ready to give up completely on the memory of this landscape that I've called my home for the past 6 years. I live and work downtown, I love this city, and this tragedy has been devastating for me for so many reasons, as I'm sure it has been for most Americans. When I look down the street, I still see smoke where the buildings once stood, and I still can't believe what has happened. I wake up every morning wishing that this didn't happen, that my friend's brother is okay, that we are all safe here in America. The reality of the situation--the magnitude of the tragedy--is just so unbearably sad. I'm sorry if this sounds selfish, and I'm sorry if you find this photo upsetting, but this memory of the buildings, of life in NYC before 9-11, lets me grieve in a way that I need to at the moment. Thank you for your understanding. Why I decided to make this necklace: New York is an amazing city, and will continue to be one of the greatest cities in the world. After the tragedy that hit our city and the Pentagon on 9-11, I shut down my website because I couldn't bring myself to "make anything pretty" amidst so much chaos and destruction. A week has now passed, and I still can't watch the news without crying. However, like many Americans, I began to feel that if we changed our way of life to live in fear and darkness, we would be losing more--we would lose our American Spirit, too. I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be American, how much I love this city, about who I am and how I got to where I am, as well as why my grandparents left their homeland in order to come here to pursue their dreams. Rather than shutting myself away from my craft, I decided to make something out of it that expressed these feelings--not just for myself, but something symbolic and meaningful that others could also wear--both in defiance and in memory of this tragic event. One of my strongest emotions since last week (besides the obvious, i.e. shock, depression, anxiety, etc.), was a sense of helplessness--we can't all be there to help with the rescue effort, we don't all meet the weight requirement to give blood, it could have been any one of us in those planes or buildings. As individuals, we are small in the grand scheme of things, but together, I think that we could all do something to make a difference. With this idea in mind, I poured my heart into this design, and I want to dedicate this pendant design to all the souls we lost and to their families and friends, and I would like to use this design as a fund raiser, which is described in detail below, to raise money for the Uniformed Firefighter's Association of Greater New York Widows' & Children's Fund. What is this design? (see below the photo for the explanation) What is this design? (Top left, detail of the pendant; other 3 are the same pendants with different necklace lengths, 14.5," 16," and 18.") I designed this pendant with several layers of meanings and symbols in mind. First and foremost, it is a solomn, solid piece of sterling silver that spells out "American" (minus the "cap" symbol) in what I call "reverse Braille." I used the 6 point alphabet symbols of the Braille system, but rather than it bumping out as usual, I drilled holes instead. I did that for two reasons: 1) to represent our loss as Americans; 2) when you wear it, it is the wearer who literally show through the pendant to spell, "American." That is the part that I am particularly fond of, because I am very grateful and proud to be an American. Secondly, in memory of the WTC, I decided to hang the pendant vertically as a visual memorial. Rather than using one bail in the middle, I put two bails at the top to represent the two towers that we lost. My intent for the design of the necklace, as mentioned earlier, is for it to be both a tribute in the memory of the lives that were taken from us, and yet be a symbol of our resilience and perseverence as Americans. My hope is also that the pendant is unusual enough for it to serve as a conversational piece, so that people can use it as, perhaps, a means or starting point in which to communicate with each other what it means to to them or how they feel, since this tragedy has hit us all in so many different ways. I feel that it is through communication, understanding, and compassion, that we can all grieve and overcome something so horrendous. How the fund raising will be done: The fund raising will be done in two stages. As of October 15, 2001, we are DONE with Phase ONE! We are now in Phase TWO! PHASE ONE: My hope is to first raise as much as possible as soon as possible, to help the UFA Widows' & Children's Fund. We lost hundreds of fire fighters here in NYC, over half the force. Their heroism is beyond words, and I wanted to do something to help their families. In order to do that, the first 200 necklaces will be numbered on the back, and this number will correspond to our "janetjewelry UFA Widows' & Children's Fund Donor List" on our website, which I will keep up for as long as I have this business(!). Only the first 200 will be listed (you have the option to remain anonymous, too, but the numbers will not be duplicated). The first 200 necklaces will be $50 each, and 50% of each necklace sale will go to the UFA Greater New York Widows' & Children Fund. In this way (200 x $25 each), I hope to raise $5,000 as soon as possible. When I told my parents that I was going to do this, they said that if this is what I felt strongly about, they wanted to help me by matching my goal, so they will be donating $5000, too, so we will be able to raise a total of $10,000 for the UFA Widows' & Children's Fund. PHASE TWO--We have changed Phase Two: After the first 200 necklaces, I will reduce the price of the necklace to $40, and in the spirit of this necklace design, I wanted to keep donating a portion of each necklace in memory of the people who lost their lives to this tragedy. 10% of the sale of each necklace will be donated to the Ladder 12 Fund (Ladder Company 12 pictured below). After we raised $10,000 I went to my local firestation to thank them for taking care of our neighborhood, and found that they lost 5 firefighters there. After much thought, I've decided that I prefer donating the money to a smaller Fund that is more specific, especially since Phase Two isn't as large a fund raiser as Phase One. Also, rather than sending a small check every month, I have decided to send a lump check every 50 necklaces that we sell (10%=$200 donation). Prices are due to change depending on the silver market, but I will do my best to keep it at this price. I will keep a fund raiser count on this site. I would like to personally thank RONI CASTING of New York, the company that is casting this pendant. When they heard that this pendant was designed to raise money for the UFA Widows' & Children's Fund and the September 11th Fund, they graciously reduced their casting fee. Thanks also to my parents, for their strength, encouragement, compassion and generosity. Each cast pendant will be finished and polished at the janetjewelry studio here in downtown Manhattan, New York City. Thank you so much for your help in raising $10,000 for the families of the fallen New York Firefighters, who gave their lives so that others may live, and from mid October, 2001, for the September 11th Fund. The money will be donated in memory of my two schoolmates from Punahou, Richard Lee and Heather Ho, and all the other souls who were tragically taken from their families and friends on 9-11. Click here to go directly to this necklace Click here to go to Donor List Click here to go to www.helping.org--information on legitimate non-profit disaster relief organizations; you can donate directly to them using their secure online site. Here, every month, we will list the "American" Spirit Necklace count. 10% of every sale of this necklace will be donated to the Ladder 12 Fund, every 50 necklaces (50x10%=$200 donation!). Phase 2: $200 donation made May 2003! New Count: May 2003--1 June 2003--1 July 2003--1 August 2003--1 October 2003--1 December 2003--1 March 2004--1 April 2004--1 June 2004--1 May 2005--1 June 2005--1 August 2005--2 September 2005--1 November 2005--1 December 2005--1 Due to the increase in the price of silver, the price of the necklace was changed to $84 each** March 2006--1 November 2006--1 July 2007--1 March 2008--1
Home \| About Us \| Testimonials \| Ads & Press \| FAQs \| Return & Exchange Policy \| Contact \| Privacy Policy Copyright © Janet Sterling Silver Design, 2008. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.