I collected six weeks' worth of used syringes from my HRT shots and set them with a used single-dose vial of testosterone in hand-carved bronze settings. Just like how we saw, file, solder, and sand metal into precious new shapes, medical gender transition has sculpted my physical form into a beautiful new body. For example, although I haven't had top surgery and wasn't binding my chest, my chest is still completely flat in these images thanks to the power of testosterone in reshaping every cell in my body. Thus HRT is more valuable than any diamond to me.

Using the instruments of my transition as the found objects of this piece blurs the line between "maker" and "made". I further blended the two into a shared body-jewelry object by gilding my face with gold leaf, making my own body explicitly "jewelry" as well.

Ancient bronze chain components with crushed green agate, garnet, and cubic zirconia cast in place. Medical syringes and HRT vial (still filled with oil). Freshwater pearls, jade, and quartz.