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20 years after his Million Man March pin, Demetrius Ball makes a ‘Hands Up’ pendant

Author: Kenya Vaughn ComeFrom:stlamerican.com Date:2014/11/6 23:53:44 Hits:2154
“This is something that had been fueling in me for months,” said jeweler Demetrius Ball. “I felt compelled to create this piece.”
Although he’s been an acclaimed local jeweler for nearly 30 years, Ball’s name has gained recognition and popularity with a new generation thanks to his “Hands Up” pendant.
The silver pendant garnered exposure in the wake of Michael Brown Jr.’s death at the hands of Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. But Ball had the blueprint formed in his head because of a previous fatal officer-involved shooting. Ball’s nephew Cary Ball Jr. was shot 25 times by St. Louis police officers last April.
The circumstances of the shootings were different, but there was one striking similarity – witnesses reported Ball raising his hands in surrender before officers shot and killed him.
“That’s what really fueled me to make this piece,” Demetrius Ball said.
Ball said even as a child he wore a ring.
“I’ve always enjoyed fashion, and I would wear what I wanted to wear – well, at least what I could afford,” he said. “Even if it meant me going to the thrift store and putting it together; I was that kid.”
While Ball feels jewelry is an extension of fashion, finding his life’s work was something he stumbled upon. His mother wanted him to learn a trade, so he transferred from Sumner to O’Fallon Technical High School, where he took up auto mechanics.
The summer after his sophomore year, his mother gave him a reality check. “She was like, ‘Auto mechanic – who are you fooling? You don’t even like getting your hands dirty,’” Ball said.
Set on proving her wrong, he went into the garage to find something to do and he stumbled across some jewelry books left there by a cousin who went to school for it in Texas. He started reading.
“It said, ‘The number one tool that will make a great jeweler is trust and loyalty,’” Ball said. “I thought, ‘I am trustworthy and I am loyal. I can do this.’”
When he was finished with his class projects, he would take leftover scraps of brass and glass and use the most intricate detail in carefully shaping them into jewelry pieces.
“I had a physics teacher say, ‘You should be an engineer,’” Ball said. “He and I didn’t have that understanding at the time, but being a jeweler is engineering. Technically, I am an engineer.”
Ball was still a teen when he sold employers of Vincent’s Jewelers (then located in the now demolished River Roads Mall) on the idea of him working as an apprentice and salesperson. His career as a designer began at the tender age of 17. At the time, the store had clients from the St. Louis Cardinals football and baseball teams and was looking to woo Ozzie Smith.
The store manager had a particular piece of jewelry that they thought may be to Smith’s liking, but Ball disagreed.
“I said, ‘Ozzie’s not going to like this,’” Ball said. “It was crazy. I was 17 years old talking like that to the boss.”
Terry Pendleton and his wife Kathy were faithful customers. Ball showed them the piece and asked that a sketch of his signature design be passed along to Smith.
“He ended up showing it to Denise Smith – Ozzie’s wife at the time – and she loved it,” Ball said. “Nikko was a baby back then, and she brought him in the store with her. When I got that sale, I was like the big dog on campus.”
It’s been more than 25 years since Ball was the boy wonder of Vincent’s Jewelers River Roads location. He left there in 1988 and started working out of his aunt’s basement before opening his own establishment in Jennings at 6815 W. Florissant Ave.
He designs, repairs and services jewelry, working for Jared, Zales, Helzberg “and some of the mom and pop stores.” He also has a host of customers throughout the area.
“People always point out their celebrity clients, but my 9-5 folks are my famous clients,” Ball said. “My A-list are my everyday hardworking clients – they are my stars, and I treat them as such.”
He also launched his own Aieche line of jewelry.
“It includes watches, bridal and everyday jewelry,” Ball said. “Aieche is all about where fashion and jewelry meet.”
His latest creation is his “Hands Up” pendant, but making a statement on behalf of the community through his jewelry is nothing new to Ball.
Ball was inspired to make the Million Man March lapel pin almost 20 years ago.
“It’s the only lapel pin Minister Farrakhan has ever worn on his suits,” Ball said. “It was featured on the cover of Essence magazine.”
Through his craft, Ball hopes to speak to the next generation – those currently marching for justice and an end to what he calls “blue on black crimes.”
“There have been other kids, my nephew, Mike Brown and others who have fallen victim to police brutality,” Ball said. “That really made me say, ‘I need to make something that’s going to last forever and people will not forget’ – and pray and hope that the right movement comes out of it.”
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