A New Perspective to Glass

     Jewelry companies such as Pandora and Chamlia have changed the way in which most people look at glass artifacts. The demand for these unique, colorful charms is as high as ever, as glass beads make the perfect gift for any jewelry wearer. Purchasing these beads can be as easy as a drive to the mall and a swipe of a credit card but the process of making one is so much more demanding. The use of glass has been an essential form of art dating all the way back to the Phoecian rituals in 50 BC. Though the process then was probably a great deal more extensive, the principles have been carried on.

     Corning, Ny is known for their rise in production during the glass industry that earned them the name of the “Crystal City”. In honor of the notorious Corning Glass Works company’s 100^th anniversary, the city opened the Corning Museum of Glass. According to the CMOG website, “The story of glass is a story about art, history, culture, technology, science, craft and design. And we tell that story at The Corning Museum of Glass.” Whether you are a history buff or just a casual tourist, the Corning Museum is a unique experience of art appreciation through many different forms. With galleries of ancient glass artifacts and contemporary pieces, live artist demonstrations, and a workshop offer a variety of do it yourself creations, this museum is a must-see.
     For the creative visitors, there are about a dozen different craft options that feature a hands-on experience at the museum. They range from $12 - $29 depending on what you would like to do. To sandblast a bowl ($12) you are given the glass bowl and then you sandblast the design on it. This is the only project that can be taken home immediately after completion. All other projects must be annealed overnight. This is a process of slowly cooling a completed object in a furnace. This is an integral part of glass- making because if a hot glass object is allowed to cool too quickly, it will be highly strained by the time it reaches room temperature and may break, either as it cools or at some later date. Denise, a recent visitor and amateur participator, describes the experience, “Because of this process, Corning must send your creation home to you at a later time. The sun catcher, clock and picture frames seem to be projects that are assembled with materials already made. Glass blowing an ornament, sculpture, vase, bead or pendants are all projects where a glass blower is by your side the entire time.”

Q: Describe your impression of the Corning Museum using the point of view of someone not talented in art.

A: I would describe the art museum as having amazing creations done in glass that makes the mind wonder how do they do it? The large pieces are so delicate that you almost want to hold your breath when walking by.  It is three-dimensional art with color and texture that is very beautiful. Unlike usual art museums all of the showcases are made entirely of glass, some of which are so incredible you doubt their credibility.

Q: So, would you consider the full experience to be much worth the cost?

A: I think that it is a wonderful experience to create your own souvenir so to speak. How many of us have purchased a shot glass or spoon as a memento from a place on vacation? This is a piece of art that you create and is yours to cherish and remind you of the experience. The prices vary enough so you don’t have to invest a lot of money to have a special keepsake. The experience was unlike something I have ever done, or expected to do before, so the small donation that is required was not even a burden.

Q: Why did you make a bead as opposed to other glass art options?

A: I chose a bead for a couple of reasons. I didn’t really want another item that would sit on a shelf along side of seashells and cachkies from my past trips. I thought making something that I could wear would be a good way to have a reminder of my trip to Corning and I get to wear something that is fashionable. The glass beads found on bracelets, earrings, and necklaces in the style of Pandora and other companies are similar to the bead I made at Corning.

Q: Do you remember the safety precautions? And would you be able to describe the craft/stove environment?

A: There is a definite nervousness that comes over you as they hand out the "safety wear” which includes goggles, gloves, and an asbestos apron. You listen intently to the instructor talk about the intense heat of the flame and how hot the glass pipette will get as you are actively working with the glass. In the mean time, you’re sitting next to this fired up kiln that adds a little danger to the whole environment. 

Q: Do you remember the whole process?

A: I remember being in a work area with 3 other prospective glass blowers. We all got to choose what colors we wanted in our bead as well as the affect we wanted for a design. The options were clear, cloudy, solid, or marbled choices to decide upon before starting. Once we had an idea in mind it was time to fire up the heat source. I held a tool in one hand that held the bead as it was being created. It had to constantly be rotating between your fingers while you controlled the glass pipette in your other hand, melting the glass and smoothing it into shape.  I had a blend of 2 different blues marbling over clear. You work each color separately as to layer them into a large lifesaver candy shape.

Q: Was it difficult, enjoyable, tedious, or a mixture of all?

A: It was a little nerve racking because you feel the intensity of the flame as you work. You need to coordinate turning the bead and applying the melting glass. The instructor was very patient and calm as she guided me through the steps to create the piece I wanted. Knowing she was there was enough to make me relax enough to enjoy the ride. Bottom line, I thought the experience was just a lot of fun and so different from any other crafting I have done.

Q: Who would you recommend this activity to?

A: Although many of the projects at Corning are supposed to be for all ages, this particular one is for 10 years old and up. Personally, I don’t think I’d let a small child do this one since there are much more appropriate projects for kids. It’s not surprising that there were only women signed up to make a bead, but many boys and girls of different ages were completing other easier activities.

Q: Were you/are you satisfied with the outcome considering the difficulty that it actually takes?

A: Yes, I was very satisfied with my finished work. It came out as I had imagined it and I would do it again. I remember liking the bead and then they asked us to fill out an address label. I realized I wasn’t taking it home with me because it had to be annealed. But then receiving in the mail a few weeks late was like a little surprise present.

Q: Do you or does someone else wear this bead?

A: I proudly wear my bead, which arrived safely through the mail on a long string. At some point I would like to get a chain to hang it on my neck or wrist. I have a Pandora bracelet but the center of the bead is not quite big enough to fit onto the bracelet.

Q: Why is the process so much more meaningful than just buying a glass bead from a popular jewelry store?

A: It is so much more personal having it be your own creation. You choose the colors and the design making it a one of a kind bead. The jewelry companies cannot proclaim a one-of-a-kind bead because they mass-produce these glass beads everyday. It also solidifies a memorable event that was fun and something you would want to do again.  Incidentally, there is a whole gift store for those who just want to shop and not take the time to make a personalized piece of glass.

Allen: The Watch Extraordinaire

      Staring back at me from the other side of the wooden dining room table was a face unlike any I had seen before. I do not mean the face of the gentleman, but the face of his shiny antique gold watch. Allen, the 23 year old proprietor of the beautiful watch, sits fidgeting with the bracelets on his wrist, almost as if he is organizing them in preparation of our interview.

     After graduating high school in 2008, Allen was not interested in taking on the average schooling for a business degree or a teaching degree, instead he want to learn something interesting. This unique topic he focused on is called horology, the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, and sundials are just a few examples of instruments familiar to this unique area of expertise. “You know every single day you look at a clock at least 50 times and you probably never take a second to wonder why it’s that time,” says Allen. “I always wondered though. Maybe I am just stubborn but I could never just accept it, I always questioned it.”

      As a close member of the family, I can remember a time when I needed to use Allen’s expertise to buy a present for my mom. It was just about one year ago that I arrived at the front entrance to Precision Time hoping to find the perfect watch that my mom would cherish and love as a memory of myself. With the slightest ease Allen lined up an array of watches that exemplified the essence I was imagining. Needless to say, the watch he sold to me that day can be found every single day on the wrist of my mother (but that’s a different story).

     Throughout his high school years Allen worked part time at Teavanna, a chain of urban teashops specializing in various kinds of loose teas and the products necessary to prepare a cup. The specific store that he worked at is located in Trumbull, Connecticut, coincidentally right next to Precision Time, his current employer. Each day he would leave work and wander past the window filled with an assortment of men's and women’s watches. As a young watch aficionado, he would take the time to stop in every so often. Occasionally he would actually purchase a watch, but most of the time he would just strike up a conversation with the manager about certain aspects of the watches. By the summer after his graduation, Allen was offered a position as an employee at Precision Time. Without hesitation he accepted the proposal determined to finally put his knowledge of watches to good use. He remained working at Teavanna for some time, but then left in order to dedicate more hours to what he really loved to do: sell and fix all different kinds of watches.

     Precision Time, the chain of jewelry stores that Allen finds himself at each day, prides its work staff on the motto “The Watch Experts”. “The history of Precision Time is actually pretty damn interesting. I learned all about it at my training and I haven’t forgotten it yet. I don’t want to bore you but it is definitely a story that you could look into, it explains our devotion to the business,” Allen says as a precursor to our interview. This background that he referred to is quite a unique story. An Argentinian man and his sons were fascinated by the mechanics of watches so, after migrating to the United States, they opened a small family watch shop. Years later, the Fraga family realized there was a high demand for trusty watch repair and they decided to expand, creating the first Precision Time. Today there are nearly 100 stores across the entire country and the late family still prides itself on the compassionate watch expertise that they began with. Though the pioneers of Precision Time are not Allen’s real family, he feels as though he is at home each time he walks into work. After reading this history, I could see how Allen fits right in as an experienced employee.

     The combination of experience in the men’s jewelry industry and his own style preference makes Allen the perfect candidate to share personal stories of his and other shoppers’ attachment to their jewelry. From necklaces to bracelets to watches to rings, Allen has quite a collection that means a lot to him. Each piece of jewelry seems to have a story or a reason. “Everyone has heard the saying that some people wear their hearts on their sleeves, I just wear my grandpa’s heart on my wrist” Allen says thoughtfully in remembrance of his deceased loved one.

     The end of this month will mark Allen’s fourth year as an employee at Precision Time in Trumbull, Ct. His position as a watch salesman and repair man has educated him a lot in the field of men and women’s wrist adornments. He has the talent to find people the special gift that could leave lasting memories for their loved ones.

     Today Allen remains the educated watch salesman, though he claims he is unsure of what his future will hold. “I don’t think there is a direct correlation between the fact that I work in a jewelry selling environment and that I always have my jewelry on, but I would call it more of an overlap. In other words, I have always loved to wear watches, so if I ever stopped working in the watch industry I would still love to wear watches.” Not only is Allen quite an expert on “arm candy” but he also takes pride in the jewelry that he chooses to wear each day. Together these aspects make him the perfect candidate for the question, “What’s On Your Wrist?”

Q: Ok, let’s begin. What do you usually wear for jewelry? Do you wear any special necklaces, bracelets, or rings?

A: I wear this necklace that I haven’t taken off in 7 years that has a Celtic charm on it.  I have a 250-cord bracelet that’s army green. I have on a leather cuff band that is 2 years old. I also wear a stainless steel medical ID bracelet from 1944 that my grandfather left to me after he passed away. And I’m not wearing it right now but I almost always have on my high school class ring. It holds a lot of memories.

Q: What is the significance of the Celtic sign on the necklace that you mentioned you haven’t taken off in 7 years?

A: It’s a symbol of St. Sebastian who was a Celtic saint, prophet, and hermit. He spent much of his time alone and this is the Celtic knot in remembrance of him. St. Sebastian was supposed to be killed by arrows for sticking with what he believed in but he just wouldn’t die. Eventually they moved on to some sort of clubbing but that’s another story. Anyway to me that is the type of courage that deserves some serious honor, so that’s why I leave it on.

Q: So Allen, if I may ask what is that, the watch on your wrist?

A: Oh yes. [Pauses for reflection] Right now I’m actually wearing a Hamilton wind-up solid gold wristwatch that my grandfather also left for me. It really is a beautiful piece.

Q: What’s the significance of that watch? Tell me its story.

A: Well, he got it for working 25 years at Handy Harmon which is an old company that is no longer around but was located in Fairfield, Connecticut. They specialized in precious metals for making coins. He got that watch for many trusty years of service with that company. I’ve collected a pretty decent amount of watches over the years, as gifts or from bonuses at work but this one is definitely the most important one.

Q: Can you remember the day that you got it?

A: [Smiles] Surprisingly like it was yesterday. It was 2003, if I’m not mistaken, when my grandpa brought me into his back bedroom claiming to have a gift to give me. It was always an adventure when my papa had a gift for me. I always knew that meant I was about to hear another crazy life story. I think we all experience that feeling a few times in our life. Anyway he brought out the watch and said that it was no longer ticking but with a little t.l.c. it would be back to business. That’s kind of what got me thinking about time for the first time (no pun intended).

Q: What do you mean by an interest in time?

A: Well horology is pretty much my thing, or major as a college student would say. It’s an ancient study but working at the Precision keeps it fresh for me. I wouldn’t say I’m any kind of fanatic but I just don’t see how we all look at clocks everyday and don’t question why the heck we believe it.

Q:  You may be the most educated watch salesman I know. Speaking of salesman, let’s say I came to the store looking for a memorable gift to give a friend, what would you suggest?

A: I would recommend a Hurlingham because they’ve been made since 1920 in London, England and they are sturdy dress watches that look good. I would say these watches become the perfect gift to pass down to generations because they can always be resized to fit, and then the legacy of the previous wearer lives on.

Q: How did you get started at Precision Time?

A: During high school I worked at Teavanna and I always spent my breaks walking around Precision asking questions and talking to the employees. The manager and I became friends and he actually offered me a job after one of the guys got transferred to another store. I was so excited to start; I think I actually started training by the end of the same week. [Chuckles] I remember they even gave me a watch to fix during training. I think I did a pretty awesome job with repairs, even as a newbie.

Q: Since you fix watches at work do customers ever tell you stories behind the jewelry they are giving you?

A: Yes of course people like to give the background of the watch they bring in for repair. [Smiles] This one woman came in with a Timex watch that originally belonged to her mother. She accidentally put it the washer and dryer so she brought it in hopelessly asking if I could get it up and running again.

Q: So were you able to help her?

A: Yes I thought it might be a lost cause but when I took it apart I gave it a full watch clean up, put it back together again with working parts and it ran perfectly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so happy over an inexpensive watch. People really grow attached to the jewelry of a loved one, you know sometimes it’s the only thing left as a memory.