About twenty years ago, fine artist Melissa Abercrombie began collecting medals. Today, she works them into her vintage jewelry business, Blue Ribbon Salvage.
Melissa says her creations play on an interest she developed during her growing-up years. “My grandmothers were both Catholic, and they would give me medals for different occasions,” she recalls. “I would wear (the medals) on chains, and it wasn’t a big leap to start doing a more ornate version of that.”
In her Blue Ribbon Salvage creations, Melissa specializes in pieces made with personal-merit medals–such as those awarded in athletic events. “I’m a cyclist, so I get a lot of bicycle-race ones.” Then, she can group related pieces together, add gemstones that match the hues of the medals, or pair them with a sterling or brass chain that matches the patina.
Melissa’s heirloom jewelry includes a fascinating look into the past.
“I have French motherhood medals, given post-World War I, to celebrate the patriotism of childbearing,” she explains. “You would have to have five children surviving past the age of five to be awarded a bronze medal, eight or more for a silver one and ten or more for a gold one.”
“Perhaps the most interesting part of my job is that I do my best to become familiar with the existing narrative,” Melissa says. “And I find people that link to it, I tell the stories and they hear the stories. It’s a nice exchange beyond monetary worth. I enjoy that very much.”