Nameplates come in many shapes, styles, and sizes—from simple scripted pendants to bejeweled rings, belts, and bracelets wrought in gold, silver, and acrylic, each piece of nameplate jewelry is uniquely and purposefully embellished, etched, and accentuated. There is no doubt that nameplates are coveted and precious objects—but what if they are also something more? In this talk, the creators of “The Nameplate: Jewelry, Culture, and Identity” (Penguin Random House, 2023) will speak to years of research through which they explored the multifaceted history and often-overlooked significance of nameplate jewelry, delving into how nameplates tell stories about identity, community, and the memories and legacies we seek to preserve.
Featured Guests
Marcel Rosa-Salas
Rosa-Salas is a cultural anthropologist, documentarian, and speaker who hails from Brooklyn, New York. She is cohost of the Top Rank podcast, coauthor of The Nameplate: Jewelry, Culture and Identity (Penguin Random House, 2023), and author of Total Market American: Race, Data and Advertising (forthcoming October 2025, Duke University Press).
Isabel Attyah Flower
Flower is a writer and editor based in New York City. She is executive editor of Deem Journal, editorial director of Foundwork, and leads the Public Discourse Program at re:arc institute. She is cohost of the Top Rank podcast and coauthor of The Nameplate: Jewelry, Culture, and Identity (Penguin Random House, 2023).