Origins of The Market

For years now, summer on Block Island has carried its own rhythm in the studio. The days stretch longer, pieces move more quickly from bench to body, and every other week, new work finds its way to The Market — an ongoing cadence of one-of-a-kind stones, evolving forms, and objects gathered through the season.

Long before our online Market, Mary spent summers selling jewelry at the Block Island Farmers Market — the same one we continue to return to year after year. What began as a small table of handmade work slowly evolved into an ongoing seasonal practice rooted in community, repetition, and the sharing of new pieces as they emerge.

During the 2020 shutdown, that tradition expanded. Alongside the physical farmers market, we introduced The Market online — a way to continue releasing one-of-a-kind work throughout the summer, regardless of where people were. What started as a practical shift quickly became an extension of the spirit that had always defined the market itself: immediacy, experimentation, and a close connection between making and collecting.

Every other week through the season, new pieces emerge — unusual stones sourced earlier in the year, evolving forms, and small collections that reflect what we’re drawn to in the moment. Informed by salt air, long walks, and shifting light, The Market is our dedicated time for deeply inspired pieces, a ritual in play.

Over time, these summer shoots have evolved into their own kind of ritual — exploring the island alongside longtime collaborators Susan Paulsen and Em McCann Zauder, gathering inspiration from the epic landscapes and the spontaneity of the day itself. Looking back through photographs from summers past, we’re reminded how much these collections are shaped not only by the jewelry itself, but by the atmosphere surrounding it. Wind-tangled hair after the beach. Jewelry layered instinctively after a swim. Callused hands from sorting through beach stones late in the afternoon. Friends stopping by the studio. We think of these pieces the way we think about objects gathered from the island — beach stones kept in pockets, worn shells, small reminders carried home.

The Market was never intended to feel overly polished or fixed. Instead, it reflects the way we actually live with jewelry — pieces added slowly, worn daily, exchanged, rediscovered. There’s beauty in allowing the season to guide the process.

As we prepare for another season on Block Island, we find ourselves returning to these images and the spirit behind them — a way of working that values intuition, community, and the quiet evolution of practice over time.

The Market opens again soon, with new pieces arriving throughout the summer. A season shaped by instinct, gathering, and some of our most inspired work yet. Stay tuned.