design statement

My approach to designing and cooking are similar: I prefer to make things from scratch. About a year after I started selling to stores I decided to prioritize sourcing raw materials rather than buying components from manufacturers. I design nearly everything used in my line, the only exception being small findings like clasps, which allows me to create pieces that are uniquely mine. I am also fascinated by the stone manufacturing process, so we buy our stones in rough and have them cut to order either in house or with a specialized lapidary. My favorite cut is the rose cut, which was originally used for diamonds. The cut is brilliant, delicate, and transforms the rough stones into luminous gemstones. Manufacturing from raw materials gives me more control over quality and enables me to employ artisans that specialize in specific techniques.

After selling to stores for about a year, I began designing collections of jewelry rather than a group of standalone pieces. Collections begin with a key design concept, metalwork technique, or an aesthetic feeling that is then communicated across a number of designs. I develop signature metal textures and stone cuts for each collection which both helps build my brand recognition and allows my line to be easily merchandized. My signature metal finish is the matte 22K gold vermeil which took me about a year to develop. My goal has always been to offer fine jewelry quality designs that are affordable, and I think the high karat finish makes the pieces feel more precious than traditional 14K gold.

When traveling or living abroad I visit museums, cathedrals, and learn about local jewelry techniques and aesthetic preferences. I am fascinated by ancient Egyptian and Etruscan jewelry, you really get the sense that ancient gold jewelry was rare, precious, and revered. While I respect the advances we have made in modern jewelry fabrication, my preference is handmade work both because it feels strongly tied to the earliest jewelry making techniques and each piece is slightly different and thus one of kind. I also enjoy studying art history and tend to draw on architecture and antiquities for inspiration.

I often draw inspiration from the natural world and from my own garden. Our flora collection started with my fascination with the butterfly bushes I planted when I bought my first house. Six years later, the bushes where more like trees; they overflowed with bright clusters of flowers and dark green leaves. To pay homage to the prolific bush, I designed clusters of leaves into the shape of a butterfly and set cushion shaped stones with metal butterfly bush leaves. My annual trips to the small beach town of Neskowin inspired a collection which features cast sea shells set with delicate stones. Leaves, flowers, and the natural world are common themes for my work; living in the Northwest is a great source of inspiration due to the combination of lush urban gardens and some of the world’s most bio-diverse outdoor spaces. The Pacifica collection centers on wood textured metal inspired by the bark of to local forests.

I develop about five theme based collections per year. They all start with an experience (e.g. harvesting honey on a friends farm), a trip (my favorite Etruscan museum in Tuscany), or my fascination with a newly found raw material. Once I have the core concept, I design rings, earring, bracelets, and necklaces around the theme. Each of the collections tell a story both in the text we write for each collection and in the way the items can be merchandised together. When I first started out I made metal or clay based models for each new style. I now do most design work digitally.