I love color! So, my jewelry is ablaze with color in cloisonné, enamel or semiprecious stones.
My jewelry making journey began with colorful beads and resin. I learned silver smithing and lapidary work, so I added colorful semiprecious stones. I studied the lacy filigree of Edwardian jewelry, the scrolls and whorls of Victorian and Art Deco wrought iron work and incorporated these flourishes in my settings for stones.
Then, I took my work to the third dimension in Metal Clay. Silver clay is silver in a polymer that is moldable, sculptable silver, and after it is kiln-fired, it becomes fine silver (.999) or .960 silver. I fashion one of a kind pieces that compliment pictures I see in the stones I cut. Generally, my Metal Clay work consists of sculptured, realistic flowers, vines and trees, but I sometimes incorporate dragons, fairies and stars.
Then, I learned Cloisonné! The brilliant colors available in leaded enamel gave me new inspiration. I capture the fleeting beauty of the flowers in my floral cloisonné. Landscapes, birds, butterflies and fish have also inspired colorful pieces. I set my cloisonné in sterling silver filigree or complimentary Silver Clay settings.