Noreen Jordan
she/her
Boston, MA. United States
I’m Noreen, the doll-in-residence behind Lettuce Studios and its fine jewelry sister, 14karatdoll. I work primarily in 14k gold and sterling silver, casting pieces that hold memory, kitsch, and tenderness. My practice primarily sits at the intersection of heirloom craft and queer storytelling. Focusing now on charms, and talismans that feel both eternal and fleeting. Each piece I make is meant to be worn, scuffed, loved, and lived in.. an archive of moments you can hold against your skin for always. Based in Boston, I run everything from my teeny apartment -- entirely independently, managing design, fabrication, photography, and storytelling.
“My work explores the intimacy of objects and the way jewelry can carry entire worlds inside of it. I make pieces that feel like fleeting moments. Solid gold reminders of resilience, growth, and tenderness. I’m interested in the way jewelry records touch, time, and memory: scuffs, patina, and wear are marks of a life well-lived. For me, jewelry is less about adornment and more about grounding.. tiny relics that reject rigid categories of gender and instead embrace endless possibility, growth, and play. A reminder of joy, to never let go.”
How does your work relate to the theme of flourish(ing)?
“What is more indicative of growth and resilience than a teeny tiny baby hand? I'm of course biased - but the Baby Hand Charm feels like the perfect emblem of flourishing: it carries the endless possibility of beginnings, of reaching, of holding onto joy. In its tiny grasp is the idea that there’s a future worth moving toward - even if it’s tender, even if it’s fragile, even if it's fucking terrifying.
My work is rooted in flourishing as both a practice and a hope. When I cast a piece of gold into the shape of a hand, I’m also casting intention and future intention; for it to find someone who it resonates with. To flourish is to not only survive but to create and what better way to remember this two-step then with a charm that sits close to your heart.
As a queer artist, flourishing also feels inherently political (even moreso now). My practice is about making space for tenderness and joy, HOPE. These tiny gold hands are, to me, both serious and silly.. they remind us that joy itself is radical. They reject adherence to gender, to fixed meaning, and instead invite openness, a come this way - take my hand.
The work I make is all about capturing fleeting moments of joy and finding ways to hold them forever. Flourishing is not about permanence, but about resilience; the ability to keep reaching, again and again and again and again, like a small hand stretching out into the big bad world."
NYCJW24 @ UrbanGlass, Francely Flores
"HELL BENT", "Champlevé enamel on oxidized copper, brass findings, silver rivets, 4.5” x 3.5”, 2024"How does your creative practice allow you to flourish (grow, thrive, blossom)?
“Growing, thriving, blossoming - the endless pursuit as a trans woman. My creative practice allows me to flourish by giving me roots. Each piece I design and make is a reminder that there is deep meaning to be found in making. And even deeper meaning found in the connection pieces have with my community & beyond.
When someone chooses to wear my work, it’s more than a transaction—it’s resonance, it's new found family. My practice flourishes when that connection sparks; when the stories I've embedded into metal find a home and start new stories with a new body. That cycle lights up my world: the joy of making, the joy of giving, the joy of community, the joy of seeing someone live without fear in something I created.
Jewelry-making for me is grounding yet also propels me. It challenges me to keep learning everyday from design and sketching, to technical skills like setting, casting and finishing, to more abstract lessons in patience. My work is inimitable, playful, and beneath that there is a commitment to honoring memory, joy, and intimacy. That commitment keeps me gpomg, because it reminds me of why I want to be in this space.. to make work that is alive, that grows alongside me, and that holds possibility. And because damn it, I wanna see more trans people flourishing in the fine jewelry world.”
NYCJW24 @ UrbanGlass, Francely Flores
As a queer+ artist, what would you like to see and/or what do you need in order to flourish during this time?
“This charm was made alllll the way back in 2017 as a CAD from some of my handmade vintage baby arm earrings I used to make. Fast forward and here we are getting them made in solid sterling and 14k gold.”
“Queer and trans artists deserve more than token mentions.. we deserve dedicated resources. I want to see tangible support: materials, funding, teaching, and spaces specifically for trans and gnc jewelers to learn, experiment, and grow. It’s time to put resources where our mouths are, because without funds, trans people cannot simply “flourish.” We need support not only to live, but to continue making work that reflects our communities.
The jewelry world has historically been gatekept: materials are expensive, classes and studios inaccessible, and mentorship rare. For queer and trans people, these barriers are doubled by systemic bias and exclusion. To flourish, I need networks that don’t just welcome us.. but are built for us.
My vision is one where trans makers are given tools, materials, and visibility; not as a side note, but as central contributors to the field (and world as a whole). Flourishing means not only surviving as artists but thriving. This means support that allows our work to expand, to touch others, and to grow in scale and impact.”
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
NYCJW24 @ UrbanGlass, Simon Leung
[queerphoria]v4 @ ECU Symposium
