The Blue Sea Artisans Gallery featured artist for the month of October is chain-maille jeweler Leslie Munger.
Chain maille is an ancient art form of linking tiny metal “jump rings” together to form a fabric mesh. In the 13th century, medieval blacksmiths discovered that using tiny metal rings when meshed together were stab resistant and created armor protection. In the 17th century, chain maille started to be turned into jewelry for the first time. Today, chain maille is still used for protective gear, such as butchers’ gloves and shark diving suits just to name a few, and jewelry.
Chain maille is distinctive because of the hand crafted process and does not lend itself to mass production. Each piece takes many hours to create and can be considered one of a kind.
Munger uses only argentium sterling gilver, gold-filled jump rings and 12K gold filled clasps.
The Blue Sea Artisans gallery is located in the Keauhou Shopping Center, 78-6831 Alii Drive, in Kailua-Kona. It is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday.
Info: Call 329-8000.