This quilt is a miniature of a traditional Amish pattern, roughly a 1 to 4 ratio. The 2-inch blocks are called "Diamond in a Square," and are usually 8" to 12" in a bed-size quilt. Often, one square alone may comprise a full size quilt.
The blocks are set in a 1/2-inch red sashing with 1/2-inch black corner squares. The frame is a 1/4-inch black border, a 1/2-inch red border and then a 3- to 4-inch black border, to bring the dimensions to 23" by 25". The top is unquilted, because of the small size of the pieces. They are simply too small to quilt in any meaningful way. A full size quilt would most likely have been quilted "in the ditch," (along the sewing lines), with a decorative stitch, or repeat geometric pattern, on the border. The larger the basic square, the more opportunity for creative quilting there would be.
The blocks are constructed using a paper foundation. 
This is a common piecing technique for many blocks that start at a central point and build outward. Log cabin and pineapple are other examples of blocks often made with foundations. In miniature work, the foundation is critical for accurate piecing of the tiny patches. Handling patches that measure 1/4" by 2/9" by 2/9" would be difficult if not impossible without foundation piecing. There are 42 2-inch blocks containing 25 pieces each, the smallest of which is described above. There are a total of 1,230 pieces in this quilt top. The top is stretched on a simple art stretcher frame over a layer of batting to soften the edges.
The colors are chosen from the Amish palette of solids. Each square is unique and care has been taken to create a vibrancy in each one balancing pure colors with grayed and pastel shades. The overall composition strives for an effect of liveliness, spirit or buoyancy without succumbing to chaos. Over 400 different colors have been used.
You can appreciate the quilt from a strictly abstract, geometric, and/or color viewpoint, or you can indulge in philosophical musings based on the title of the block and the choices made in creating it. My own interpretations of the block name create echoes of our cultural and spiritual values: that all are created equal and yet all are unique individuals; that oftentimes within a plain exterior we may find treasure; that our spirits glow within us like gems; that by sharing our vibrancy and strength we can collaborate on a thing of beauty and warmth...(One can also get completely carried away!) The point being that the viewer can create as simple or complex a level as desired for interpretation.
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