Although her primary focus was painting and drawing, at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Suellen Rocca decided to minor in printmaking, taking courses with Vera Berdich, who taught etching. While still a student Rocca married a jeweler and became fascinated with gems and settings. In this etching inspired by jewelers’ catalogs, she transformed rows of gemstones and miniature figures into an ordered script reminiscent of ancient pictograms.