Archimedes the Eastern Screech Owl has a pair of hypnotizing eyes. His handlers have a stack of shiny bracelets from Owen Jewelry Design, which feature lab diamonds set in 14-karat white gold.
Writer: Hailey Evans
Photographer: Joelle Blanchard
Whenever Joelle Blanchard pitches us an idea for dsm, the answer is almost always “yes.” She has photographed some of our most memorable images over the years, including several covers.
Even so, nothing could have prepared us (or Joelle herself) for the absolute adventure her latest idea turned out to be. The initial concept involved animals and jewelry and quickly escalated into a citywide, multi-species casting call with an up-close-and-personal photo shoot at Blank Park Zoo.
In the new era of artificial intelligence, let’s be clear: These are real animals, photographed by a real — and really talented — human being. These portraits are beautiful in their own right but also a testament to the power of living, breathing creativity and collaboration.
Georgia the Great Dane is wearing a crystal choker necklace with silk ties from Stansberry Design.
Obi, a Mexican black kingsnake, may live up to 20 years and grow up to 4.5 feet long — all the better to display more bull-ring bangles adapted from livestock hardware by Megan Evans of As Seen On M.E.
Queen B is a Blizzard boa constrictor, a specially bred beauty with the white skin and red eyes she inherited from the recessive genes of her albino and anerythristic ancestors. Here she cuddles up with a handmade bracelet from Sheena Thomas, a metalsmith and jewelry artist at Mainframe Studios. The copper spiculum, a hollow tapered tube, features black coral, oxidized silver and a ball of boulder opal.
Eurydice the Maine Coon was the purr-fect choice to model this hand-knotted turquoise bead necklace from AdornDSM, a custom jewelry designer in Beaverdale. Cats can detect blue-violet and yellow-green light especially well, thanks to their dichromatic vision, so the turquoise may be extra vibrant to Eurydice. To pose for this portrait, she was lured with treats — not music, like her mythological namesake.
This terrier mix named Pete models a handmade pearl and shell necklace made by Codye Lazear for her brand Hot Puppy Shop, a fitting collaboration.
Jakobi, a reticulated giraffe, is a fixture at the Blank Park Zoo. You may have even fed him during your latest visit. He generally prefers lettuce to carats, even if they’re ethical lab diamonds set in white gold bracelets from Owen Jewelry Design. The diamond and sapphire rings are from AdornDSM.
Sula, a mini Australian shepherd, channels her herding instincts in this cowboy-chic bolo tie necklace from Mother Sierra. The handcrafted jewelry line comes from Wixárika and Otomí artisans in Mexico and Mayan artisans in Guatemala, who preserve centuries-old beadmaking traditions. You can find their jewelry online or at KIN DSM in the East Village.
Step aside, youngsters: Barnaby, an Aldabra giant tortoise, turns 100 years old this year and is still voguing with the best of them. He was the most fidgety of all the models but still managed to strike a pose with two helping hands. On the left: a rose gold cuff from Owen Jewelry Design and a white gold ring with a yellow beryl from 2AU. On the right: a brass and jasper ring and a gold and black diamond rosary-style bracelet from AdornDSM, plus a Tahitian “blister” pearl ring in yellow gold from Sheena Thomas Metalsmith.
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