Mining for Art
CAROL DAMERON TURNS COAL INTO JEWELRY
By Audrey Stanton-Smith , West Virginia South Contributor Photos by Rick Barbero
Legend has it that children on Santa ’ s naughty list were given lumps of coal — a convenient insult from the jolly old elf who could easily grab a few pieces from the pile of coal commonly burned to heat homes in the 19th and 20th centuries and place them in the stockings of children undeserving of presents .
But unlike those unwanted shiny black lumps , Carol Dameron ’ s coal is a gift .
“ This time of year , this is the coal you want in your stocking ,” the Beckley resident said .
Dameron ’ s West Virginia Coal Jewelry — available online at wvcoaljewelry . com and at tourism retailers and fairs and festivals around the region — isn ’ t just jewelry , it ’ s heritage .
“ Coal ’ s always been in my family ,” said Dameron , whose father and father-in-law were both coal miners . “ This is Appalachia . It ’ s in everyone ’ s history .”
But turning it into jewelry was something that never occurred to her until just over a decade ago . Dameron had been sewing and selling quilts and purses in a small boutique inside what used to be the Little Brick House gift shop on Harper Road , now The Chocolate Moose . The owner , Kevin Traube , recognized Carol ’ s creativity and attention to detail , so he made a suggestion : Make jewelry out of coal . Dameron didn ’ t think much of the idea at first . After all , she ’ d never made jewelry and certainly none from coal . But then , just a short time after Traube ’ s suggestion , she and her husband uncovered an old coal pile while doing some home landscaping . “ I took that as a sign ,” she said . Of course , the art of turning coal into jewelry took some practice . “ I played around with it ,” she said , “ but my first attempt looked like a vacuum cleaner belt .”
It wasn ’ t long , though , before Dameron studied the craft and had mastered a technique she declined to share in detail . She did explain , however , that she grinds up West Virginia coal , crafts it into jewelry , and seals it in a way that allows the mineral ’ s natural properties to become part of the art .
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER ' 22 ❖ SOUTH ❖ 45