how is a piece of soul armor made?

using the lost wax casting method, I carve my original wax models by hand from either a tube of ring wax or a wax sheet. I use tools like a wax pen, wax files, dental instruments, old stockings, and an alcohol lamp to refine my models and prepare them for casting.

I then use sticky wax to build sprue trees so I can cast multiple models at once. I invest my sprue trees in flasks to dry overnight before the waxes are burned out in a kiln, leaving a channel for molten metal to flow through. these rough silver forms are the outcome immediately after melting the casting grain, quenching the flask, pressure-washing the model to remove investment, and pickling the piece to remove oxidation.

each piece must then be finished to commercial quality. first, I use a jeweler’s saw to cut off the sprues and separate each piece from the sprue tree; then I hand-file away the rough edges where the sprue was connected, making sure to collect the silver dust. next, I use both traditional sandpaper and a micromotor with an abrasive drill bit to smooth away texture transferred from the original wax carvings or any new texture gained in the casting process. for pieces with relatively flat surfaces I then use a buffing wheel and polishing compound to attain the final finish, but the majority of my designs are irregular shapes that can only be polished with a tumbler. after tumbling for a few hours, each piece is then ready to be stone-set; any last marks formed during the setting process are then removed by hand.

  • currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Jewelry from the Savannah College of Art and Design with an expected graduation date of May 2025. serving as Treasurer of the SCAD Jewelry Graduate Association.

    graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University with University Honors. served as the Student Body Vice President of CMU from 2022 - 2023. dual concentration in marketing and business analytics with a minor in poetry.

    graduated in 2019 as valedictorian and National Merit Scholar from Summit High School. first graduate in the school district to attain a Seal of Biliteracy.

  • JEWL 502 Contemporary Processes in Studio Practice: hand fabrication skills

    JEWL 504 Materials Study in Jewelry Practice: various casting methods, mold-making, wax-carving

    JEWL 702 Historical and Critical Perspectives for Jewelry: research on historical jewelry design and analysis of contemporary influences

    SFAS 720 3D Visual/Digital Fabrication: Rhino and 3D-modeling skills

    PRO 580 SCADPro Collaboration with Movado: design a new jewelry collection and watch for Movado targeting Gen Z consumers

  • exhibitor at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show, 2023.

    primary jeweler for the short film Golden Garden Takeout, 2023.

    primary jeweler for the short film DON’T, 2022.

    founder of Koreana Collective, which generated $100k+ in revenue and 1600+ sales between 2020 - 2023. was a vendor at multiple pop-up markets and juried art shows such as the Salt Fork Arts & Craft Festival 2022 and WaterFire Festival 2022.

    was accepted to the Swartz Center of Entrepreneurship and later awarded an individual startup garage based on financial performance and business development, 2022 - 2023.

    consulting intern for CVS Health at Accenture, 2022.

    commercial management intern in Laboratory Products for Thermo Fisher Scientific, 2021.

    summer analyst in healthcare group at 7 Mile Advisors, 2020.

about the artist

originally named after Saint Joan of Arc, I legally changed my name to Jonah Song as part of my gender transition in January 2024. Saint Joan was an enduring presence in my childhood due to my Catholic upbringing; she was both my patron saint and my confirmation saint, and though we no longer share a name I am still endlessly inspired by her courage and intuition. I even have a tattoo of her holy sword on my sternum, sheathed in flowing water to remind myself to soften my soul and never turn the blade of my energy against others.

through SAINT JOAN JEWELRY I create organic metal adornment I call soul armor to complement my interpretation of the holy sword as passion, confidence, and direction. soul armor lends itself instead to clarity, balance, and communion with yourself and others through the expression of what is usually hidden.

the inversion of wearing your internal moods as external adornment is physically mirrored in the cellular structure of my designs, which transform our ever-mutating internal anatomy into static silver exoskeletons. I am particularly inspired by my experiences on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and the fact that we are infinitely capable of change, even at the cellular level. every day we replace over 300 billion cells: as my own voice, face, and body changes with each cycle of cell division, I am increasingly drawn to organic forms and fleshy, fluid shapes in jewelry as well.