Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Carved stone, metal jewelry is duo’s specialty



Carved stone and metal jewelry is the specialty
of a mother-daughter duo who live in rural Winsted.

Maggie Schmidt, 13, and her mother Mary use
all kinds of natural elements, such as jasper, hematite, and
semi-precious stones to create contemporary earrings, necklaces,
and bracelets.

What makes this jewelry different is that
Maggie has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

The same hands that bring her pain, also work
carefully to make delicate Christmas presents this time of year.

The disease causes pain in her ankles, feet,
wrists, hands, and knees, Mary said.

Mary has been making this kind of jewelry
for several years and has been teaching Maggie how to do it over
the past year.

“It’s the kind of pain that only older
people would know,” she commented.

Looking at Maggie, one would never know this
because of her smiling eyes and bouncy demeanor.

Maggie ends up staying home extended periods
of time because of her illness, and started making jewelry with
her mother this year to pass the time away.

She was kept in a wheelchair during third
grade because of her disease, and spent up to three months at
home during kindergarten.

This year, as a seventh grader at Lester Prairie,
she’s been kept home for about one month due to her illness,
Mary said.

She fights the boredom by using her creative
skills to make the jewelry, Maggie said. “It’s fun to see
what you can put together,” she added.

Each piece of jewelry made by the Schmidts
exhibits its own character, with the stones showing distinctive
features from each kind of rock, Mary said.

For example, one stone called lapis lazuli,
is a deep cobalt blue with gold flecks. This stone is known for
its use by royalty, and is her personal favorite, Mary said.

Other stones, such as hematite – Maggie’s
favorite – are a glossy dark grey, with a shiny luster.

They can make custom jewelry to match the
color of certain outfits, such as for weddings, Mary said.

The Schmidts have attended about four craft
shows so far this year.

Their creativity comes from a long line of
artists, poets and painters, Mary said.

Maggie’s older sister, Katie, 17, is a photographer.

In fact, Maggie’s grandfather, the late Christian
Schmidt, was renowned in jewelry circles across the nation for
his work. He produced a text “Encounter with Art,”
which is used as a college textbook.

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