#11 Mystical Glass Rings
hand-crafted especially for us by Medea's in Brooklyn
I stumbled upon Madeline Burton and her work on Instagram a few months ago and I was immediately transfixed. I felt as though each piece was a little mystical magic spell that could be worn around your finger. I needed one immediately. I reached out, and we ended up meeting IRL, where I had the opportunity to witness her process. Madeline is self-taught—she played around with glass and other mediums until she fell into this gorgeous style of ring sometime around the pandemic years. I’ve lowkey always been curious to get into glass work, so it was super cool to see some of the possibilities this medium offers when you think outside of the box.
Madeline and I schemed up a super special summer collaboration of her water-droplet-like clear rings with a single opal suspended in glass, and I feel so lucky to offer these to our community! I’m super inspired by Madeline, and I hope you will be too.
These rings will be available for pre-order through July 26th. Each ring will be made-to-order and will have slight natural differences per piece.
“I felt reconnected with my younger self, a version of me that wasn’t concerned with the outcome.”
Hi! Tell us about yourself:
This is the hardest question there is, isn’t it? Haha, hmmm how to tell you about myself…
Well, here are 5 things I enjoy, maybe that can give you an inkling
Swimming in natural bodies of water
Cozy dinner & movie nights with friends
Spending time in nature with the people I love
Collaborating on projects that excite me
Getting to the subway station right when the subway pulls up
Where did you grow up? And where are you based now?
I grew up mostly in the Bay Area and had the opportunity to live in Sydney, Australia from the ages of 11-15. I’m currently based in Brooklyn, New York.
Why glass jewelry? What is your inspiration for this medium?
I enjoy how malleable glass is. It feels possible to create endless shapes and colors with the material. Being entirely self-taught has allowed me to approach my craft with a fair amount of freedom. I didn’t have any guidelines, techniques or critiques shaping me. As I experimented with flameworking, I felt reconnected with my younger self, a version of me that wasn’t concerned with the outcome. This journey has been as much about discovering how to work with a new medium as it has been about rediscovering the joy of creating.
What do you hope people will experience when they interact with your art?
What’s surprised me the most about Medea’s, is the way others have so beautifully responded to my work. I didn’t expect it to create such a lovely way to connect with other people. It feels very special to me when someone responds to a piece and shares excitement over my work.
I hope when people come across my jewelry they feel a similar level of expansiveness as I did creating it. It feels like a special way to spread excitement and joy.
What is your favorite way to slow down/live a more intentional life?
This might sound counter-intuitive, but I find that being a part of a soccer league has been really helpful in getting me out of my own head and more present with the people around me. I enjoy having an outlet for playful exercise every week and being a part of a team. Most of my work is solitary, so it feels great to find ways to connect with community.
I’m also a fairly avid meditator and really appreciate it (especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed).
These are gorgeous!! 😍