After painstakingly sorting, examining, and dismantling 250 pounds of donated jewelry from across the Hudson Valley and beyond, the Metal program transformed its haul into more than 100 new pieces as part of the Radical Jewelry Makeover project. Their upcycled creations were then displayed and sold at a special exhibition, "Acquired Tastes," at the DRAW Gallery in Kingston Nov. 1-15—named by Chronogram magazine as one of the "Top Hudson Valley Art Exhibitions to See in November 2025."
Radical Jewelry Makeover is an international, multifaceted project established by Ethical Metalsmiths as an exploration of responsible and sustainable jewelry practices. Alongside preparing the pieces for sale and display at "Acquired Tastes," participants researched ethical practices within the field of metal and jewelry and considered the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the industry.
"Back in 2007, the project was designed and developed to solve a problem… how can we make jewelry with a transparent supply chain?" the Radical Jewelry Makeover team states on its website. "At that time, there was no knowledge of where the metals and gems that jewelers purchased were mined, which lands were affected, who mined the materials, and how it impacted their lives. Realizing we could not find this information, we decided to create our own supply chain, mining people’s jewelry collections. Earrings that lost their mate, an old class ring, a dated style necklace, a broken chain, anything languishing at the bottom of jewelry boxes. For us, using post-consumer materials exclusively was the best solution to our problem. RJM has been traveling to institutions around the world ever since."
Over the summer of 2025, the Metal program collected dozens of donations, from both local community members and alumni and enthusiasts who mailed in their unwanted jewelry from out of state. The donations were sorted into a range of categories, including shell & bone, chunky chains, cameos, rings, and "findings."
Students, local alumni, and faculty created a range of works that respond to these materials in sync with sustainability concerns. Students recycled and melted down silver into ingots to process new material, and dismantled and remade components with fresh perspective, while learning about all the materials and techniques used in the jewelry industry.
The Metal program thanks all who donated jewelry and helped make this project possible.
Top photo by Marin Neuhard and Estyn Hulbert. All other photos by Mia Wasniewski-Llompart.
