Drop I: Ribbon Studies

There are moments in the studio when a form keeps reappearing--it shows up in Mary Frances's sketches, in wax scraps, in lively conversations and Instagram or Pinterest saves. Drop I: Ribbon studies began this way right at the start of the year.

For Mary Frances, ribbon has always been about both decoration and movement. We use them in the studio to wrap client gifts, decorate for Christmas, etc. A ribbon is loved for what it’s doing oh so naturally: folding, twisting, falling, catching light, pausing mid-gesture. It’s soft, but it holds tension. It can feel celebratory or quiet, resolved or undone.

This drop is an exploration of that in-between state, and a challenge to recreate it out of wax at the bench.

This drop grew out of the desire to make objects that feel caught in motion—pieces that look as though they’ve been paused at a specific moment rather than fully resolved. Each form began as a flat strip of wax or a truly hunky chunk of wax, worked by hand and tool until it became exactly what Mary Frances envisioned. Small, meaningful decisions—where to pinch, where to soften an edge, where to let a twist happen—became the entire point.

In true MFM fashion, nothing here is meant to feel perfect. Tool marks remain. Curves aren't identical. No two pieces behave exactly the same when they hang or move. That irregularity is intentional (& truth be told, inevitable)—it’s where the energy lives.

Unlike our evergreen collections, Drops are never designed to be repeatable. These are one-of-one studio pieces made to be collected. 

Brass felt like the right material for this moment. It carries warmth, weight, and presence, while allowing the surface to evolve over time.

Moving forward, our drops are not an MFM departure from fine jewelry, but a counterpoint to it. Our core collections online and custom process remain our bread and butter, while drops allow Mary Frances to experiment, play and create and entry level price point. 

These pieces won’t be remade. Once they leave the studio, they’ve been collected.

This is Drop I, launching exclusively to email subscribers on Tuesday, February 17th.