“We have tomorrow 
Bright before us 
Like a flame”—Langston Hughes, “Youth”

These poignant and inspirational words from the poet Langston Hughes (1901–1967) are stamped on three slender pendants (each 1/4" x 1-1/2") of 14K gold vermeil on this delicate yet modern necklace. The chain is 18" long. This necklace was commissioned by and made exclusively for The Reader’s Catalog. 

According to the Academy of American Poets, “A poet, novelist, fiction writer, and playwright, Langston Hughes is known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of Black life in America from the ’20s through the ’60s, and was important in shaping the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance.” These lines, the opening strophe of his poem “Youth,” personify his remarkable use of language and imagery, and were first published in  The New Negro: An Interpretation in 1925.

The designer handcrafts her jewelry collection in a solar-powered studio in Southern California. Each design is sculpted out of clay, and the clay model is then cast in reclaimed metals using the ancient art of lost wax casting.