Tag yourself! John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark, 1778. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 

Estuarine is the first volume of Tarnish Fine, inspired by the estuary: a place where river meets sea, where fresh and salt water mingle, and where boundaries shift. It is a landscape defined by transition rather than permanence — a place where different forces meet and something new emerges.

The collection follows this idea through three currents: Riverine, Estuarine, and Marine. Riverine is grounded, thoughtful, and steadfast. Estuarine exists in the in-between — curious, changeable, and full of contradiction. Marine is expansive, luminous, and untethered, drawn toward possibility and open water.

You may find yourself entirely at home in one, or recognize pieces of yourself in all three.

Answer the questions below, keeping track of whether you choose A, B, or C most often. At the end, you'll find out which ecosystem you belong to.

1. You discover an old cemetery on a hike. What do you do?

A. Respectfully read the headstones and take a photograph or two.

B. Mentally catalogue interesting names for your future children and pets.

C. Keep walking. There is probably something more interesting down the trail.

2. Your town is forecasted to get receive a glancing blow from a tropical storm. Power is likely flicker on and off for the evening. How do you prepare?

A. Fill the bathtub, charge everything, make a pot of something warm, and find the candles. If the power goes out, at least you’ll be cozy.

B. Move the potted plants inside and make sure there’s wine in the refrigerator. Then you wait and see what the storm decides to do.

C. Charge your phone, buys snacks and liquor, and start texting friends: "Hurricane party?"

3. You are walking along a beach and pick up something interesting from the wrack line. It is:

A. A perfectly intact Scotch Bonnet shell.

B. Something you can't identify but suspect is from an old shipwreck.

C. You don't pick it up; you get a stick and poke it to see if it moves.

4. You discover a door in your apartment that you've never noticed before. It is unlocked. What's your first instinct?

A. Call the landlord and ask about it. 

B. Go down an internet rabbit hole about the history of your building to find an explanation, preferably a supernatural one. 

C. Grab a knife to defend yourself, just in case, and go in.

5. You are told you can become exceptionally good at one completely unnecessary skill. You choose:

A. Identifying birds by their calls.

B. Training your cat to do tricks on command.

C. Climbing any tree. 

Your Results

Mostly A — Riverine

Steady / Intentional / Disciplined

You like a plan. You notice everything. You find comfort in ritual. You keep moving forward, even when no one else can see where you're headed, like a river.

Your Tarnish:

Antique jewelry that are faithful representatives of their era and have a clear provenance. You take one glance at a delicate, pearl studded gold pendant with organic, flowing lines — a classic Art Nouveau lavalier — and it goes in your cart.

Mostly B — Estuarine 

Dynamic / Vibrant / Transformative

You don't fit nearly into categories. You share qualities with the river and ocean but are something completely your own, like an estuary. You collect strange things, change your mind, and embrace contradiction. You run toward the world's wicked problems with no silver bullet solution, ready to sink your teeth into the messy, overlapping intersections.

Your Tarnish:

Anything piece with a unique twist or a killer story. Think unusual stones, transitional eras, mixed materials, unexpected forms, interesting repairs, or wearing something in way that was not quite as originally intended. You'd wear a bright blue Art Deco enamel compact as a locket over a basic, dainty gold one any day. 

Mostly C — Marine

Boundless / Powerful / Adventurous

You need freedom and expansiveness of the ocean. You'd rather follow your instincts than being told what to do. You want to know what's beyond the horizon and will take the risks needed to get there.

Your Tarnish:

You're less concerned with provenance and pedigree than whether a piece is faithful to your self expression or not. Trends and wearability are not a top priority. Instead, you look for the bold silhouettes, the statement-making stones, and the sparkle that reads loud and clear from across the room, like a massive vintage abalone and bronze ring.

And if you're somewhere in the middle…

These ecosystems don't like hard boundaries anyways, especially now. Rivers overflow and change their path. The heart of an estuary will wander up the river if there hasn't been much rain to balance out the salty sea. The ocean is expanding, knocking on the doors of our cities louder and louder everything day. A part of being resilient is being open and ready for change. Nurture this part of yourself. 

Water is always moving. And so are we.