For my Artist Interview feature I search for those jewelry artisans/designers whose creations I feel represent jewelry as a powerful art form. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to introduce Molly Magdalain and her incredible jewelry. This 27-year-old dynamo is a jewelry artisan/designer, musician, painter, writer, poet, philosopher, and entrepreneur. She does indeed re-define herself again and again through her many creative pursuits.

StarStrings, her jewelry design company based in New York City, has been receiving rave reviews from clients who are amazed that all the jewelry was designed by just one person, so diverse and original the designs. Ms. Magdalain magically transforms random elements such as recycled instrument strings, brass coins, and keys into one-of-a-kind designs, lending a funky, vintage appeal to her exquisite wearable art. The StarStrings Collection is full of energy and movement. It is hip, high fashion with definite rock-urban appeal, and it’s elegant and graceful, too! Timeless, ageless designs that don’t fit into neat parameters of what jewelry is supposed to be. The StarStrings Collection is jewelry without boundaries, featuring designs that appeal to all different kinds of people with individual tastes in life, and jewelry.

I spend a lot of time reviewing jewelry artist’s web sites and visiting jewelry shops, because I believe it is important for jewelry collectors to get a sense of the person behind the collection. Yes, I like to reveal the very soul of the artist, in their own words. I believe that an understanding of the essence of the jewelry artisan/designer as a person is an important element in collecting jewelry. Knowing something of the way they think and feel—what they believe—makes their designs come alive, the jewels and stones become more beautiful the more you understand why the artist may have chosen to use those particular elements and their symbolism in their designs, in various combinations and configurations.

I asked Molly Magdalain for an interview for many reasons. First and foremost I think her jewelry is simply awesome. By way of visiting her web site I heard her beautiful music, and was even more intrigued (press LAUNCH on her home page to hear a selection of her songs). And, very importantly for Bella Online and our women’s community, I felt that Molly Magdalain was a perfect example of a woman living her dream, fulfilling her strong need to grow, and to be a Creator. All women, whether they be jewelry designers, painters, writers, poets, bankers, doctors, teachers, pilots, secretaries, truck drivers, actresses, or stay at home moms, have a desire to live their dream. The truth of our existence is to define our selves—contribute something to the world—touch others, people and animals in some significant way in the course of our journey. Molly Magdalain does this with her jewelry. She makes artistic communication special—her jewelry literally reaches out and touches you with its originality.

SD: When did you start designing jewelry?

Molly Magdalain: I’ve always had an awareness of jewelry and stones but I first started making jewelry with guitar strings in college during a summer break. I was living in a rustic cabin in Colorado and it was a very earthy place. I was doing a lot of energy healing work with stones and then I’d incorporate the stones into my jewelry. My friend taught me some things and I made a huge mess with beads (this often ends up being part of the process!) and eventually stumbled onto the idea that guitar string works well for jewelry. I was playing a little guitar at the time and when I changed the strings I thought—I could use these for something else.

SD: What inspires your jewelry design?

Molly Magdalain: Everything—I feel like I’m really affected by all of the things I do, see, hear and say. I notice jewelry other people wear—the shapes of buildings and furniture—the beauty of people and animals. I recently fell in love with the documentary film, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill—it’s about a flock of wild birds that has developed in San Francisco and a man who interacts with these birds on a very intimate level. I kept watching this parrot movie and thinking—they’re so beautiful, so naturally beautiful! These birds in particular have bright green mixed with bright orange-red—it’s great. So I go to the studio after seeing a movie like that and I make jewelry with that kind of color contrast.

I’ve always had a sense of style and even trends, and for some reason my senses often fall in line or even precede the trends I see happening around me. I was home in Kansas City during college—6 years ago or so―and I was shopping for a fake leopard print coat. I literally checked out every store in town. I looked at the coats whether they were expensive or not and they were all pretty much terrible! I finally bought one but I still felt weird about it and I declared " where the hell is all of the leopard print?" at that time. I came back 6 months later and that town was literally covered in leopard print. Now I can go to Target and buy a leopard print notebook, etc. So this is how a lot of the trends and changes happen to me—I feel them coming like an urge or a craving.

SD: You are a painter, a musician, and a jewelry designer. Which is your favorite to express yourself?

Molly Magdalain: I’d probably say music since I’ve always felt it will eventually be my real job, but I love all of the work I do and I consider that to be a real gift. Songwriting is an incredible craft and something I do on a very regular basis. I do a lot of self-expressing because I think it’s a healthy thing to do. The jewelry has been good because it’s just such a wonderful business―I’m selling things that make people feel more beautiful―these are great gifts so it ends up being a very positive exchange. In general, I’m not limiting myself to one career. One of the biggest themes of my life is the fact that the skills I learn carry over from one thing to another. As a painter I taught myself to see the world, the objects around me, in a totally different light. I let go of the common definitions of things for a while, and I think it has affected other areas of my thinking.

SD: What is your background—where were you born—when did you come to New York City?

Molly Magdalain: I was born in Kansas City in 1978. I studied philosophy and art at The Colorado College in Colorado Springs and then lived in several different cities after college. I moved to Nashville for a few years and then finally to New York in 2004.

SD: What are your other interests and hobbies?

Molly Magdalain: I was lucky to grow up riding and showing Paint horses competitively. I won several world championships and other awards at a young age in my youth career, and then quit riding after that to pursue music. I’ve been involved in choirs and music groups since high school. In college, I was a member of Room 46—a student-run a capella group—it was the most popular group on campus. After college, I had a brief stint in a bluegrass band called ‘Stayin’ Home’ with Barclay Martin, Lisa Donald, and Kerry Stanley. We sort of released a record called ‘First Takes’ and then I moved to Nashville to pursue my own writing.

I do all kinds of art things like painting and other crafts. I weave things—I’m interested in making and designing furniture. Making jewelry isn’t that different than making a wall hanging—it’s just bigger blocks. I’m writing a few books right now. I also practice and teach Reiki. I’ve studied shamanism and other forms of energy healing.

SD: Were you creative as a child?

Molly Magdalain: I’ve never really done art because I’ve thought it was ‘good’. I’ve just done it because I wanted to do it—I needed to do it. I played the piano first—it’s like my first language. I think I wrote my first song when I was around 8 years old. From a young age I’ve thought about writing operas and musicals and songs and all kinds of things... I’m sure that someday I will have time to do all of these things.

SD: Why have you chosen jewelry design as one means to express your creativity?

Molly Magdalain: The jewelry work is very grounding to me. It’s very satisfying to produce things that are beautiful and that people love to wear. Almost all of my clients say that people really notice the jewelry when they wear it. I guess this is part of the reasoning behind the jewelry—it’s supposed to make you feel like a unique individual. I feel lucky that I get to wear my work all of the time—I try to wear something new that I’ve made almost every day.

SD: Has any jewelry designer influenced your work?

Molly Magdalain: I haven’t necessarily studied the world of jewelry that much, to be honest. But I think I’m always influenced by the designs I see people wearing on the street. One of the most interesting things to me is the way we go through trends and how this manifests in the world of jewelry. I’m trying to do some things that I think are ‘way out there’, that have never been done before. If I see jewelry like this then it’s in usually in some nice magazine—not on the person walking down the street. However, lately I’ve noticed that bigger and brighter jewelry is part of the new trend. It’s exciting to think I might be a part of this new trend since some of the jewelry I make is big and sometimes it’s ridiculous—totally different from other things you see. In the end, we all inspire each other.

SD: Tell us about how your jewelry is being accepted in New York City.

Molly Magdalain: I think the shop is just amazing and I’m very lucky to have it. We’re located in an incredible area called Nolita, on Mott Street just south of Houston. It’s a beautiful street. I honestly can’t think of a better location in the city for this kind of store. The street is calm yet full of energy—really cool people hang out and shop in this area. As far as the reaction of New Yorkers—I would say it has been very positive! Many people like it. They are generally amazed that it’s the work of just one designer because I do so many different things.

I have learned, by being in the shop and interacting with clients, that there are so many different types of people and styles and, of course, I’d like to have something for everyone. There are always things I’m still working on—for example; I always want to make more jewelry for men. I always say that I’m working on it and most of it turns out to be more feminine, but it’s going to happen—I’m telling you. More women shop for jewelry but I love it when men wear jewelry and they seem to be sort of naturally attracted to the idea of wearing guitar strings.

SD: Do you have a following—collectors of Molly Magdalain jewelry?

Molly Magdalain: Yes, many different types of people buy StarStrings and that’s fun for me. I have a lot of celebrity clients and that’s a big compliment since they are normally inclined towards good fashion sense. These pieces really do make great gifts. One of my favorite parts of our presentation is the fact that we include printed information about the properties of the stone or metal of the gift. You might say to a friend—I’m giving you ruby earrings because I encourage you to follow your bliss. Or here’s some carnelian—I hope you can start awakening your inherent talents.

SD: What is the StarStrings Project?

Molly Magdalain: The StarStrings Project is about consciousness. It’s an attempt to unite artists and people—earth and fashion—music and meaning. Working in conjunction with StarStrings and Molly Magdalain we will sponsor events, donate to charities and circulate valuable information about recycling and other subjects.

SD: Tell us about the guitar strings used in your jewelry designs.

Molly Magdalain: I’m passionate about not just beauty but the beauty in all things—recycling—re-using—re-inventing the things that you already have. All of the strings that I sell are donated and recycled. We’re getting strings from all over the world and they’ve been played by all sorts of random people—that’s pretty exciting!

SD: Explain how you give life to old things.

Molly Magdalain: I think recycling is a great and necessary concept, kind of like karma. Someday I’d actually like to film a documentary on trash and how the concept of ‘trash’ and ‘disposability’ affects the American psyche. For example, indigenous societies have no equivalent for these words. I think there is a direct relationship between how we appreciate our ‘things’ and how we appreciate ourselves. If you can see beauty in the earth in all forms (including yourself) and the things around you, then you can live in a harmonious way.

SD: Tell us about the power of crystals and stones— how they impact jewelry design.

Molly Magdalain: I often quote the work of Melody—she’s an incredible scientist and energy healer who studies and catalogues the properties of gemstones. This woman has studied the vibrations of stones both scientifically and intuitively. She gives detailed information about how the stones have been known to affect people—it’s ancient wisdom mixed with modern technology. Sometimes I put certain stones at certain chakras because I know that they help to open the heart or increase the truth in ones voice or whatever—but other times I just follow my intuition. My experience so far has taught me that people LOVE to get the information about the meanings of the stones…so I include it with gifts whenever I can. These stones and materials are precious not just because of how they look but how they feel—how they make you feel—this is the real value in my opinion.

I expect that my client’s lives will be changed by the pieces they buy and, of course, I’m delighted when this is really the case. Kind of like Melody, I’m doing research with friends and clients. I’ll give someone who has migraines a necklace with a stone that’s supposed to help with headaches and get their feedback.

SD: What is your favorite jewelry material to work with and why? Do you have a favorite gemstone or precious metal?

Molly Magdalain: It’s all about trends for me. Sometimes I’m craving gold—sometimes orange—sometimes pyrite—sometimes lightness—sometimes motion—it’s always changing. I like the idea of having designs in many different stones and colors so people can choose what really speaks to them. I love it when clients fall for a piece because it’s perfect for them—that is why my job is so great.

SD: Describe for us on of your favorite pieces of jewelry.

Molly Magdalain: My favorite piece within my collection right now is the Venus Guitar String Necklace—this is one of most unique designs. Instead of having a clasp, the necklace fits over your head and can hang in both the front and back or it can be draped in the front. It’s a beautiful design because it’s so natural and you get so many stones on your body. I love the idea of having stones hanging down your back—this is really beautiful and also feels good. I sold a silver Venus to Alanis Morissette—she was hanging out in the shop looking at all of the stuff and I put it on and said, "This should be onstage." so keep an eye out—you might see her in it.

I also really like the tribal bone and horn pieces like the Trinity Bone Guitar String Bracelet. This design is so funky and yet simple—it’s really fun to wear.

My favorite earrings right now are the Funky Guitar String Earrings. They’re made from the ends of the guitar string that are curled around the tuning pegs so they have this natural, random curl to them that I really love. We can put all kinds of different stones on them and they’re priced very reasonably between $39 to $59.

SD: Your Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) Turquoise Bracelet is fantastic. What was the inspiration to choose turquoise for his piece?

Molly Magdalain: When I see people—whether they’re famous or not—I often see them as colors or animals or moods… In my opinion, Peter Yarrow has kind of an earthy—greenish—brownish vibe. The strings that he gave me are copper and it all fits together to make a very warm combination.

SD: Do you do custom work?

SD: Upon placing an order, how long before delivery?

I tell all of my clients that they should bring the piece back to me or contact me if they have any problems with it. For the most part, people love it and wear it all of the time, but if someone has a problem with it, I’m always interested in figuring out how to make the products better.

Molly Magdalain: You can view a partial version of the StarStrings Collection online at www.starstrings.com or visit the store in Soho/Nolita at 279 Mott Street—Telephone 212.334.699