The Nature of Contrast

Looking at the similarities in my jewelry to architecture started me thinking about comparisons in nature....particularly gemstones, a favorite subject of mine. I was reminded of this necklace I made a few years ago. In the locket is a monarch butterfly wing I found on the beach on the Vineyard. I paired it with a heart-shaped piece of "picasso stone" bought from one of the most creative lapidarists I have ever met. I love that the colors and patterns in these two item are almost exactly the same, but one is a stone, the other light as a feather.
From that idea, my minded jumped to a place I love to visit and yet don't get to often enough, the Harvard Museum of Natural History. My first stop will always be the gem and mineral rooms. I snapped some photos last time I was there and in reviewing them, was reminded of other photos I had taken this past year.
I especially like the contrast between something so light you could just pffff blow it away and a solid, unyielding stone.
When I was teaching art, I talked to my students a lot about the concept of contrast and how it could made their work more interesting. Something to keep in mind for future designs....