Photograph courtesy of Hireth Jewelry
This time of year, the sheer volume of Halloween goods can make the macabre feel mundane. And yet, for those whose spooky sensibilities know no season, it can be difficult to find quality items more in the tradition of a memento mori than a winking “witch’s brew” wineglass. Enter Nic Morgan of Hireth Jewelry, a talented metalsmith creating wearable works of art primarily in silver and polished stone. Hireth’s motifs revolve around the natural world—living and dead—with a touch of the supernatural.
Morgan creates permanent homages to impermanence, with heavy emphasis on skulls, the cycle of life, and an otherworldly essence. (Whether that includes her popular Ouija planchettes is in the eye of the summoner.) While she does take commissions, most of Morgan’s pieces are inspired by her personal inklings and “goth-lite” tastes. “I tend to make things that I would want to wear,” she says. “If I’m not interested in it, it’s hard for me to do.”
Hireth pieces feel like the kind of items that probably aren’t possessed, but if a soul were looking for something to inhabit, they’d be a great option. After all, the name “Hireth” is derived from hiraeth, a Welsh word based in the longing for what has been lost. And what is a haunting if not a yearning for what once was?
Photograph courtesy of Hireth Jewelry
Photograph courtesy of Hireth Jewelry
Yet it’s the permanence of the Hireth collection that truly stands out. The hefty pieces have the literal mark of their creator—each piece is handmade in Morgan’s East Atlanta studio, and no two are exactly the same. Morgan’s experience in sculpture and drawing visibly influences her jewelry, resulting in unique rings and necklaces with discernible depth. “I like things to look like they have a secret to them,” she says. It’s the kind of pendant you feel thumping against your sternum as you walk, keeping beat like a telltale heart, or a ring that imbues every gesture with weight.
But, like the costume parties that define spooky season, there’s levity to Morgan’s output, and she delights in witnessing the connection patrons feel with her work. Morgan’s customers are often investing in their first piece of art-as-jewelry, and she enjoys seeing them welcome a side of themselves that has been quietly lurking. “I am so thrilled I get to be the person who just pushed [them] over the edge,” she says of those who go from hesitant and unadorned to absolute converts. (Skull rings are the most common entry point.) Morgan’s customers are often repeat buyers, her pieces serving as mini billboards for the attuned. They find their way to her via her online shop or at local artisan pop-ups, including EAV’s Argosy Market.
Though Morgan knows her work isn’t for everyone, when it connects, it really connects. “I made something weird that is going to go on for a very long time, hopefully,” says Morgan. “Your grandkids will be like, ‘What do you think Granddad was into?’”
This article appears in our October 2024 issue.
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