Sean Carleton of Carleton Fine Work and KT Hancock of Velvet Nugget Studios initially connected through Instagram in 2014. A collaborative design effort was begun and catalyzed by Hancock and Carleton’s keen eye for craft, art and design. Bringing together a vast skill set, the Emerald City Lantern was realized on the drawing board and brought to light. The piece incorporates hand blown emerald glass elements by Hancock suspended in a framework designed and executed by Carleton. The steel and brass fabricated settings cradle large-scale gemstones that exude illuminated luxury and preciousness to its surroundings. In vivid color the emeralds emit both clear and green light that allude to the place of its conception, The Emerald City and The Evergreen State. The colored light is then refracted off a cube shaped crystal held in the sculpture’s center.  Distortions that occur within the central crystal spread light and color onto the adjacent surfaces.