BMF Jewelry came first, I’ve made a lot of things under this name, it’s all about the twirlylines and little dots. I began by tracing, going through books of illuminated manuscripts, architecture, posters, plates-literally anything with decorative lines around the edges from any part of the world. Eventually I didn’t need to trace anymore, I like to think I’d combined elements from all these styles and turned them into something new. I sawed the designs out of silver sheet and twisted wires with a similar balance and rhythm.

“I am drawn to forms and shapes arising from both the natural and man-made worlds and I seem to store them as an internal inventory,” explains the artist. “My work is about transforming these visual impressions into objects of beauty in gold, silver and precious gemstones.

My process is essentially intuitive and I fabricate directly in the metals without sketches.

Then I work responsively to form pieces from an array of the metals and stones. Much like ancient jewelry artists, many of my pieces are made by using a mouth torch to fuse heavy layers of gold and sterling silver. One piece informs the next. Invariably, the pieces evolve into greater complexity from the original idea.

My artistic satisfaction lies in the capture of often-contradictory relationships combined with my love of hand-making and the manipulation of materials. The pieces, in turn, take on lives of their own as I name them and speak about them to my clients and those who inquire about my work. Of great significance is the collaboration between maker and wearer; I don’t consider my work finished until it finds its home with the wearer.”

Large Mum Pin, 24K gold, sterling

Jasmine Branch on Shagreen collar, 24k gold, sterling, Shagreen/Stingray leather

Gold Lichen Branch pin, 24k gold, 22k gold, sterling

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Subtle meets edgy: EC Design is a hand-crafted, playful mix of simple shapes and iconic imagery. My current collection focuses on richly textured compositions in blackened silver and pink gold. But the classics, anatomical hearts and life-size wishbones, will always remain my favorites. I received my BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a focus on sculpture and I continually draw from my fine art background to create unique and sculptural pieces of jewelry.

I see my work from two sides. One is the exploration of materials; the other is the content of my ideas. The functional forms in nature and science, put together, are those we find familiar. I see these most primal forms as road maps for everything we think and feel. The smallest can be a visual representation of the larger complexity. What is underneath the surface is what I choose to explore.

I try to question ideas about where beauty and comfort are found. The objects that I make are my expressions of a new narrative. 

I am an artist whose work and life are inextricably interwoven, as I have lived for close to 20 years in the SoHo loft that originally served as my atelier. Beneath multiple skylights and surrounded by plants, my worktable is still a focal point and it is there I conceive my designs. Two hammocks are slung across the living room, brought back from one of my many surfing trips to Mexico. My love of sun and sea is one reason my jewelry is strung on the durable Tenara thread that resists UV rays and salt water.

After receiving her BFA in jewelry and metalwork at the Massachusetts College of Art, Hannah Keefe went on to study jewelry design in Mexico and the Netherlands, before making her way to Los Angeles where she now lives and works. Under the heat of the soldering torch, the vintage brass and copper chains change color dramatically and give the work its distinctive antique quality. The experimental nature of the process yields results that are impossible to anticipate, and guarantees that each piece is one of a kind.

As an architect and artist, I’m always looking for the large-and small-scale interrelationships of natural and man-made forms and structures. Out of mostly sterling silver,I make small, wearable sculptures based on the dynamic geometric and architectural shapes that surround me. The hoppers, chutes, bins and their supporting structures create vessels and conduits for the seasonal cycles of fuel, water and food –industrial extensions of the natural systems of streams, soils and plants that define the Minnesota rural environment in which I live.

An integration of sculpture and accessory hand-crafted in Portland, Oregon by Emily Bixler, BOET is a collection of textures that test the collaboration of fiber and metal. Inspired by a youth of sailing and hot-air ballooning, the BOET line explores drape and composition; balancing hand-crocheted fiber with vintage brass chains to create shapes that feel at once familiar and fresh. The line has expanded beyond the jewelry line to include a wide array of wood and fiber sculptures and installations.

In 2008 I received my BFA from the Massachusetts College of art and design with a focus in Metalsmithing and Jewelry.

I think of jewelry as sculpture for the body. I tap into my love of the traditional adornment of Africa and Eurasia. Using sterling silver that adds impact without much weight. The feel, sound, and movement of these multipart necklaces, bracelets, and rings allow a flexibility that responds to how they are worn. I want to create dynamic, contemporary forms that feel uniquely powerful and inspiring to the individual wearer. Combining traditional metalsmithing techniques in precious metals, my completed pieces create an alchemy of pattern, texture, and fragments of memory and call to mind the transformation of nature over time.

Intricate groups of repeated elements that shift in size create an overall organic composition, with detailed textures. These repeated forms build up to a larger scale and a more dramatic impact to establish an urban, contemporary edge.

I enjoy creating these pieces in my studio/gallery at Lincoln Studios in Waltham, Massachusetts

For the past few years I have been using sterling silver tubing to make my work. I am inspired by the industrial aesthetic of the material, finding endless design possibilities. With the addition of 22k bimetal, the work becomes more elegant. With change of scale and repetition of form, my goal is to create timeless work that is modern and wearable. 

A lot of the color inspiration is from my 90’s childhood which was influenced by the Memphis design movement- graphic, geometric shapes in black and white with pops of color, especially pastel pink, mint green and yellow. I especially remember my favorite jewelry piece from this time (approximately 1987) - a yellow, seafoam and hot pink geometric triangle bolo tie on black leather with a hidden tinted lipgloss compartment. This was the first piece I had picked out for myself and BEGGED my mother to get me for xmas. I styled that piece in fun ways all throughout second grade with tons of bright collared shirts.

The use of crochet and knit chain textiles is an approximation of the weavings I did at this time as well. I would weave on a lap loom that my mum built me and would create small tableaus with multiple textured fibers. These metal wall structures serve as my modern looms to stretch the canvas of my knits into 3D wall pieces.

The objects I make are inspired by architecture, by nature as architect, and by my desire to build. I am struck by the process of building, how decisions are made, items are organized, and how a structure grows from nothing. I strive to find a balance aesthetically between the industrial and natural worlds, with a focus on functionality. 

My structures are fabricated, cast, cold-connected, soldered, etched, and die formed. I primarily work with oxidized sterling silver, copper, brass, and 14k gold to create my pieces. Since 2008, I have been using recycled, conflict-free, and SCS certified gold and sterling silver when fabricating my jewelry and sculpture, also using repurposed brass and copper when possible.

OROPOPO is a husband and wife duo. In our Albuquerque studio we combine new techniques with traditional materials to create objects inspired by Native American, classic Western, and New Mexican culture that breathe new life into American history.

We have our own relationship to the land and culture and those indefinable qualities that are New Mexico and the Southwest. If we share anything with the creative work done in this region for thousands of years it would be the tradition of artists trying to make beautiful things that convey a sense of the time and place we inhabit.

I can’t say I always know ahead of time what the goal of my design is; but I know I am motivated by constructivism, abstract geometry, and negative space in architecture, and everyday imagination. Through my use of layering and texturing the flat surface of the metals I mix organic embellishment with arches, angles, and bridges. I strive for my work to be contemporary, individual, and inspiring.

The jewelry that you love is timeless because it speaks to who you are; it is a very personal thing. Rhus typhina seeks to make pieces that you miss when you take them off. A design may come from our minds and hands, but the moment you choose a piece, it becomes distinctly yours.

Julie Nelson has been a goldsmith for 20 years and, in that time, has explored many processes and techniques. She started Rhus typhina with her friend and former apprentice Trina Uttley. The company is named Rhus typhina because of their love of the Staghorn Sumac plant; no matter the season, it is a thing of beauty. Rhus typhina features hand-fabricated and forged fine jewelry, inspired by the perennial charm of their favorite tree.

This work is drawn from the need to create volume out of flatness. By using almost exclusively steel sheet, I aim to manipulate the material to have a dimension it did not previously have. The forms are inspired by botanical elements, abstracted and simplified to their most basic shape. I design much of my work on a 3-D rendering computer program called Rhino. I am interested in scale, volume and repetition and how the computer can help me explore these ideas.

I seek to communicate ingrained notions of desire through my work, a longing both insatiable and unguided. Corresponding with this urge, I intend to sway and turn with this feeling, responding through the act of making. By recontextualizing and elevating the mundane, I hope to portray notions of influence and fervor through jewelry and sculptural forms.

Mastering the understated statement is the goal of Jen Leddy Studios' design. Jewelry inspired by minimalism and delicacy in its modern form but that pays homage to its inception in history and vintage aesthetics through old-world, traditional techniques. Jen utilizes asymmetrical balance to create a subtle play that is eye-catching without being distracting. That balance appears in composition, texture, and color. Simplicity in design allows for the jewelry to be timeless, speaking to multiple generations. Jen Leddy Studios jewelry is entirely hand-fabricated using traditional goldsmithing techniques from recycled precious metals with dedication to excellence in craftsmanship. Each piece receives individual attention and care, each beautifully unique, and often one-of-a-kind. All gemstones are natural and responsibly sourced (mine-to-market when possible), and all diamonds are conflict-free, recycled, or post-consumer. Building relationships with ethically empowered vendors and suppliers to support sustainable practices is paramount in Jen’s business and studio.

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Moonstone Earrings, 14K, moonstone, $448

Rings left to right: Diamond, 14K, $516 Quartz, 14k, sterling, $356 Opal, 14K, $1188 Smoky Quartz, 14K, sterling, $372 Green Beryl, 14k, $648

Emerald Earrings, emerald, 14k, $582

Born and raised in Japan, she studied textile and fashion design in Tokyo. Eventually, she had her own lines of clothing - mostly women's casual wear.
After moving to USA, she began studying jewelry design, and for the last fifteen years, she has been making and showing her work in the United States, England, and Japan. She likes to create unique pieces which flatter and adorn the body. She gets inspiration from her observation of life and nature around her.