The Magic of Creation

There is something special about creating. I've had opportunities throughout my life to be involved in the arts both professionally and as a hobbyist. From playing music to woodworking to painting to silversmithing and stone faceting, I've explored my creative side. I believe people are better when they tap into their creative side - not just as a maker, but as a collaborative partner. It is equally beneficial to observe and appreciate the creations of others.

I started making jewelry in May of 2025 with my first silversmithing class. After making pieces for my family, I branched into stone work and gem faceting. Each piece is unique and I love to work with others to bring their ideas to life!

Materials I Like

Making jewelry provides an outlet for my creativity and the opportunity to experiment with different kinds of materials. I value sustainability and providing jewelry at affordable prices. I love the idea of taking stones that I find near my home in Central Virginia and turning them into finished pieces. I also love to use reclaimed metal to create beautiful new pieces - an old spoon into a bracelet, an old cup into some earrings. When it comes to gemstones, I have a selection of natural and lab-created stones. I have really enjoyed faceting lab-created stones: the consistency in color and quality is remarkable and the cost is a fraction of natural gemstones. Unless you have a specific preference for a natural stone, I suggest a lab-created stone.

Metals

Precious metals

When it comes to precious metals, I primarily work with sterling silver. I also have experience with argentium which has a slightly higher silver content (94% instead of 92.5% in sterling). Since the price of gold is so high, I lean toward gold-filled wire. This provides a thicker layer of gold than gold-plating and keeps prices down. I am able to use solid gold materials for custom requests.

Other metal options

While learning silversmithing, I had the opportunity to work a little with brass and copper. I like the color options these add to my palette and how workable they both are. I apply a jewelry sealant on these metals to help keep the shine (if desired) and to prevent them from turning your skin green. The green skin is a reaction to the copper in the metals and is not harmful - but I have yet to find someone other than the Statue of Liberty who considers it a benefit!

The newest addition to my toolkit is pewter. I love this as an alternative to silver for certain pieces. It is very workable, taking textures and shaping easily. It polishes well and is much more affordable. Because it is much softer than silver it will show wear more readily. I would use pewter for occasional wear pieces or pieces that don't need to be as durable. For something more solid or an everyday ring, go for sterling or argentium silver.