Celebrating Women Artisan Jewelry Designers for International Women's Month

With March nominated as the month to celebrate women and their achievements (yes I know shouldn’t it be half the year at least, women are Half the Sky) The Local Artisan Guide has decided every week this month to highlight some women artisans in different categories starting with jewelry designers from around the world that you might not know about but are worth knowing. 

We chose ten women jewelry designers who work in a range from a new twist on the traditional to contemporary to spiritual to cultural pride. There is a plethora of raw materials, stones, crystals, metals, price points and traditions explored by all these jewelers. The spectacular talent these female artisans have in their art form and imagination when it comes to jewelry is worth highlighting in a category where most of the product is worn by women.  More so as many of the jewelers below also explore ways to make their work sustainable, ethical and give back to their communities.

Polly Wales

Polly Wales

Madeira Skull Ring, $15,400

Encrusted skull with purple, blue, and black sapphires and brown diamonds on a large face skull.

Kindly Note: Each piece is unique, one-of-a-kind and unpredictable -- the product of a specialized manufacturing process that we've developed over many years. It is the heart and soul of the Cast-Not-Set process and the Polly Wales style. Stone colors may vary slightly. Metal: 18K Yellow Gold, Stones: Sapphires & Diamonds.

Polly Wales is the Creative Director and Founder of her eponymous brand of fine jewelry. Polly was born in London and gravitated towards the arts from a very young age. She studied sculpture in University and later taught art to juvenile offenders. However, she discovered her real passion when she began to design jewelry, making intimate wearable sculptures. She went back to school to study Jewelry Design at the Royal College of Art, where her naturally anarchic spirit combined with classical training to inspire the creation her signature “cast-not-set” process.

Casting gemstones directly into molten gold has enabled her to push the boundaries of traditional fine jewelry and produce unique collections year after year. In 2016, Polly moved the company from the rolling hills of the English countryside to the sunny grit of Downtown Los Angeles where the company is now based. She currently lives in a treasure trove of curiosities in the hills of East Los Angeles

Anna Sheffield

Anna Sheffield

HAZELINE SOLITAIRE RING

14k Gold & Blackened Rutilated Quartz, $2,850

8mm blackened rutilated quartz center with 0.03ctw small black diamond accents set in 14k recycled yellow, rose, or white gold.

Please note that gemstones are natural materials and therefore each stone is unique. The Hazeline is a cornerstone of the Anna Sheffield ceremonial jewelry collection. A classic style with a delicate silhouette, this timeless design is based on a ring belonging to Anna’s grandmother. Envisioned here in a solitaire style with the same detailed basket and slender shank, the Hazeline is the perfect ‘heirloom-to-be.

Anna Sheffield’s childhood in the Southwest has had an enduring influence on her work, setting the stage for a lifelong interest in natural beauty, spirituality, and all forms of art and design—from architecture to indigenous crafts. These diverse interests led her to pursue a degree in sculpture. After moving to New York City, Anna shifted her attention to jewelry, drawing upon her Fine Art fundamentals to create a singular style—elegant, irreverent, and truly original.

Claudia Desideri - Desideri Designs

Claudia Desideri

Crown Hook Earrings $175

Inspired by Classical jewelry  Crown hook earrings are a true beauty. All Swarovski crystal beads are individually hand-stitched. Try pairing  with our crown studs for an edgier look . Material Finishing. Emerald green and Metallic rose gold Swarovski crystals beads. 14K gold filled , 4 cm long.

Desideri design is NYC based jewelry brand founded by Roman born Claudia Desideri. Since her early age, she’s always been interested in Art and Drama and had an affinity for artistic design. After graduating at the Istituto Nazionale D'arte in Rome she moved to New York, where she attended the Lee Strasberg film and theatre institute. Her passionate creativity and love for Art and Nature finally converge in 2004, when she founded Desideri Design. Since then, she has been creating luxurious, classy but still wearable pieces of jewelry which combine both “hard” and “soft” elements, organic and futuristic materials, geometrical Minimalism and sparkling Baroque. Her collection of rings, necklaces and earrings are all unique pieces made using Swarovski crystals, natural stones and fresh water pearls.

Judith Haas

Judith Haas

Persian Necklace, $275.00

Fine Silver (.99)  partially oxidized, with 24k gold leaf pendant. 15 inch fine gold filled chain with 2.5 inch extension chain ( 17.5 inch total) Ask for costume made length. Pendant is 2x1 1/4 inch. One of a kind

Dutch artist Judith Haas creates jewelry and fine art using gold, silver, bronze and semi precious stones. Her work is characterized by finely crafted textures and unfinished surfaces in contrast with colorful patinas that reflect her passion for art and design history and the industrial environment surrounding her Williamsburg Brooklyn studio.

Ms. Haas received a Masters degree in Physiology from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). She has devoted herself to her art career since 2003 and has exhibited at galleries and boutiques widely including Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, Hankyu, Tokyo.

Yanina Faour - Oleana Jewelry

Yanina Faour

Citric Sun Mandala Pendant $218.80

In sterling silver, with yellow gold plating, enamel and crystals. Representing the union between the sacred and the earthly world, mandalas are deeply meditative symbols that harmonize chakras and have a positive effect on those who wear them.

Oleana jewelry is handcrafted in Buenos Aires and designed by Yanina Faour, fourth generation of jewelers, inspired in the architecture and fine arts that identify the magic of her hometown, Buenos Aires.

Yanina Faour launched her own brand, Oleana in 2003, combining the high quality craftsmanship of her ancestors with a fresh and modern aesthetic. What sets Oleana apart its is fine jewelry collections in silver and 18K gold, with influences ranging from architecture to spirituality, to be worn at different times of the day. Ind addition to being a young businesswoman and mother, Yanina is a mentor and has an affinity and interest in the development of the female entrepreneur at all levels. She herself is a fellow of the Vital Voices Organization and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women In Business program.

Marielise Lachapelle

Marielise Lachapelle

Malachite Necklace. This necklace featuring a malachite stone, is quite versatile as those three genuine rose leaves coated in gold, are designed to slide through the center of the stone so you can adjust the length. The stone is approximately 2” long but the shape will vary slightly with each piece. Many other stones available. Price upon request.

New York based artist Marie-Lise Lachapelle grew up in the green suburbs of Montreal. Her love of nature, fashion, and the influence of her entrepreneurial parents have culminated into a successful career designing stunning jewelry. She creates custom high impact jewelry and a variety of collections using organic elements and shapes. Her unique combinations of flowers, precious metals, and stones, have garnered her international attention and is a favorite for editorials, celebrities and fans of her jewelry around the world

Jane D’Arensbourg

Jane D’Arensbourg

BLACK BUBBLE NECKLACE $1,500

Jet black glass bubble, sculptural bib necklace. This is a big show stopping unique statement necklace. One of a kind. Chain length 24” x 3/8”. Sculptural bubble bib size 7”x6”. Sterling silver clasp.

Brooklyn based designer Jane D'Arensbourg began working with glass early in her career as an artist and became greatly inspired by the unique properties of the medium, particularly as a vehicle to capture light, energy and fragility. .Jane D’Arensbourg launched her glass jewelry designs in 2002 in New York City. 

In her studio, D’Arensbourg's process starts with raw, durable, borosilicate glass rods that are transformed with a torch free form. Using heat and gravity to shape the glass, the designer handcrafts one-of-a-kind sculptural jewelry. With each piece, D'Arensbourg honors the fragility and inherent elegance of the material, creating timeless and unique jewelry. Borosilicate glass is one of the most shock resistant glass available which results in it being a surprisingly wearable material. Jane D’Arensbourg views her jewelry as functional art. A ring can function as a sculptural object sitting in your home waiting to be worn and experienced in another way. 

Jane D'Arensbourg has exhibited her artwork and jewelry in museums and galleries internationally. Her work can be found in esteemed stock lists from New York to Japan as well as in the permanent collection of The Museum of Art Design, New York.

Ilenia Corti Vernissage

Ilenia Corti

Blue Imperial Moth Necklace $1,920

Sleek, sculptural and dynamic, this deftly crafted necklace has a bold, modern aesthetic that will complement a modern and casual outfit. Handcrafted of 925 silver, it has a distinctive princess neckline composed entirely of realistic imperial moth charms of varying dimensions. The moth's slender wings are finished with a midnight-blue enamel, creating a smooth, elegant texture that resembles that of stones. This exceptional necklace will elevate the style and allure of any ensemble and modern jewelry collection. Lobster claw clasp. Available also in brass upon request.

Ilenia Corti grew up in a family of jewelers and worked as a fashion accessories designer for high luxury companies all over the world. She created Vernissage inspired by the world of nature, and the tension between the childlike awe we feel in front of its small and enchanting phenomena and the pragmatism of the adult world. The uniqueness and strong creative identity of her work has earned the enthusiastic response of authoritative magazines. Each piece is handmade by the expert craftsmen of the Santagostino company, leader in this field and owned by the Corti family.

Sewit Sium

Sewit Sium

ETERNITY SNAKE CUFF $150

The snake is symbol of transformation and renewal, as it has the ability to shed its own skin when it outgrows it. For thousands of years, the snake has been utilized as a symbol of transformation and renewal, as it has the ability to shed its own skin when it outgrows it. 18K gold plated brass. Snake is 3/16" (4mm) wide. Cuff is adjustable. Availability: Handmade to order in New York.

Jeweler and educator Sewit Sium has been crafting powerful jewelry imbued with living African history for over a decade. Prior to starting her company in 2015 of the same name, she taught Fashion Activism and Design in various NYC High schools. “I used jewelry - the oldest form of decorative arts as an educational tool, as primary document to teach predominantly Black students about their living African lineage, the world and their place in it. The goal is that they view their creations as well as their bodies as sites of knowledge transmission. I want them to internalize that their creations will outlast them, to see themselves as leaders and agents of change who can transform the world of image making authority.” 

Sewit’s mission and approach extends to her design practice that she hopes will be adopted by institutions such as the fashion industry, museums and design colleges alike. “it’s important for me to get as indigenous and specific as possible via symbols and motifs, I know the optimal power of jewelry is unlocked when attached to its origin story and makers - to bodies.”  Sewit's goal is to create initiatives that serve the reclamation and activation of indigenous objects. “Jewelry is a point of departure, but this is about people and ideas and those who lay claim should get to decide how their culture is accurately interpreted and shared.” Sewit is dedicated to decolonizing the way jewelry is engaged with, “together we can restore it to its rightful place - as documentation, a stunning object of desire and daring catalyst for change”. 

Sewit completed her MA at NYU Tisch, where her thesis was entitled Activation: Jewelry and the Body, Sites and Tools for Liberation. 

Sewit's jewelry has been featured in Elle, Vogue, Bazaar, Town & Country, Vanity Fair Magazines. She created various costume design pieces for HBO Insecure as well as feature films such as Coming 2 America. 

Mia Hebib - Oblik Atelier

OBLIK ATELIER MOBIUS EARRINGS $200

Mobius Earrings, brass plated in 14k gold

Mia Hebib started in jewelry at the School for Applied Arts and Design in Zagreb, Croatia. Upon resettling in the United States, she attended the Savannah College of Art and Design where she received a BFA in jewelry and metalsmithing. Besides running Oblik Atelier, Mia has been instrumental in re-launching Robert Lee Morris collection as well as launching multiple high- profile fashion brands like AllSaints and Coach wholesale line. Mia has also mentored at PRATT Institute, 92nd Street Y and SCAD.

Mia creates conversation pieces and her mission is to elevate jewelry from simply existing as an accessory to becoming a wearable sculpture, an objet d'art.

Mia's studio "Oblik" means "shape/form" in Croatian and the name is echoed in each created piece. Oblik Atelier is on a quest to define the most elegant and clean line and thrust that line through a three-dimensional metamorphosis.

Oblik Atelier jewelry marries traditional metalsmithing techniques to timeless designs via fold forming, fabricating and forging techniques. Each piece is hand bend to conform to the body. Surfaces are smooth, architectural, sculptural, sinuous, voluptuous and polished.  Jewelry is made in brass and finished with gold or rhodium plating.

All the above mentioned women jewelers come from around the world yet all find a way to uniquely express their vision of jewelry thus creating wearable art. Women creating for other women, a wearable badge of how a woman can express their aesthetic to the rest of the world through the media of metals and precious stones.

The Local Artisan Guide will feature a blog every week for the month of March on a different category celebrating women artisans and highlighting their contributions to the world.

By Natalie Rivera

Ethical and Affordable Diamonds

A few weeks ago I was attending a lecture at the National Arts Club in New York City as they frequently feature talks on fashion related to a book with a particular topic and the author present to discuss and answer any questions.

This particular week they had Aja Raden, a Beverly Hills gemologist, jewelry designer and author who was discussing her New York Times Best Seller, “Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession and How Desire Shapes the World”.

That evening Ms. Raden displayed her incredible talent for story-telling as she kept her audience captivated while revealing secrets of the jewelry trade. She related true stories and amazing facts about jewelry throughout the ages. I highly recommend the book, it is a fascinating read for both men and women especially if you enjoy history, politics and stories of scandals.

Aja Raden, author of "Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession and How Desire Shapes the World”.

After the lecture I knew I had a blog topic for The Local Artisan Guide as she discussed in detail the diamond trade and all the myths and marketing secrets we have come to accept from this controversial industry.

Years ago a friend of mine who specializes in high end commodities had related to me in passing that diamonds were actually very common and not at all rare. He told me diamonds are hoarded by monopolies and that in reality they really are worth in the area of $300 a carat. He warned me not to waste my money on them should I ever be in market for a diamond. I believed him as he is at the top of his field, however I had no interest in buying high end jewelry for myself and was not looking to become engaged anytime soon so I never really thought about the topic again.

Ms. Raden confirmed my friend’s statement about the false myth of diamonds being a rarity and explained how giant monopolies such as De Beers not only horde diamonds, but through the art of advertising portray to the world a narrative that diamonds are rare stones and hard to find. 

Diamond engagement rings designed by Aja Raden.

De Beers used marketing to create and manipulate demand for diamonds from nothing. Many in advertising and marketing point to De Beers as the original creators of modern day marketing and advertising because of this very feat. It all began in 1870 when huge sources of diamonds deposits were found in the mines of South Africa. Before 1870 diamonds were a rare stone that usually found its way only to the aristocracy and the moneyed classes. British financiers purposely made up a plan in 1888 to make sure the diamond market would not be saturated and this included, 1.) creating De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd. to stockpile diamonds and control the price per carat and 2.) create demand for diamonds though advertising and marketing.

Eventually due to both World War I and World War II many fortunes of European family dynasties and monarchies were lost forever, which meant no demand and no one to sell diamonds to. De Beers decided that they would create a marketing campaign in which every family should want and desire a diamond, thus the creation of the diamond engagement ring was born. Although the concept of an engagement ring had been around since Medieval times, diamonds were rarely used as the stone of choice for the ring. Since the United States was one of the few countries during both world wars that did not lose a vast majority of their wealth De Beers focused on the US as their audience and main source of consumers.

Queen Elizabeth II's  Diamond Diadem. Diamonds were used for royal jewelry, crowns and tiaras before large sources were located in South Africa.

Before the world wars the US had little interest in diamonds especially regarding to as an engagement ring. De Beers hired Philadelphia ad agency N.W. Ayer in 1938 to research using marketing and find out what Americans thought about diamonds. They found Americans thought back then diamonds were only for the very rich. N.W. Ayer had to figure out how to convince an American, especially in tough economic times that they needed to have a diamond. What they found was that if the diamond was tied to a emotional purchase such as love and marriage, the diamond would not only be purchased but never resold (another important goal for the diamond industry). That is how the diamond engagement ring was created in the United States.

Creator of modern marketing and advertising N.W. Ayers.

N.W. Ayers cleverly instituted a marketing scheme that involved using that relativity new industry, Hollywood. At the time they had big celebrities of the day wearing diamonds and showing off their diamond engagement rings. The agency had the narrative of diamonds and diamond engagement rings written into movie scripts, radio, the press and fashion magazines. They never mentioned De Beers, they just mentioned the idea of the diamond engagement ring (it didn’t matter to De Beers since in the end they would be supplying the stone).

Hollywood was an important medium in spreading the word that diamonds are a girls's best friend. Here are four major Hollywood stars that are synonymous with diamonds. Clockwise Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe.

N.W. Ayers then started instructing how to buy a diamond making sure the general public was aware of cut, clarity and color but most importantly N.W. Ayers instituted how much a young man should spend on a diamond and gave a formula to the consumers; the diamond industry advised you should spend at least three months of your salary for the diamond engagement ring to give to your intended.

The end result of N.W. Ayer's ad campaign, the diamond engagement ring.

Then the slogan to end all slogans was created for the diamond industry, “A diamond is forever” and since then Americans and now countries around the world have bought into De Beers very successful and long running ad campaign on how every marriage proposal should include a diamond engagement ring. By developing this concept which is just about only 80 years old, De Beers managed to created value over nothing.

One of the best known advertising slogans, "A Diamond is Forever".

When Ms. Raden explained this to us, I could hear some of the gentlemen in the audience start to rumble. The man sitting behind me mumbled to his wife, “Well that is 80k down the drain.” as she tried to shush him. Today when you purchase your diamond, as soon as you exit the store it loses immediately half of its value, then it only goes down from there. So if you are spending 80k on a diamond, you lose 40k as soon as you leave the shop. Most people pride themselves in being financially savvy in their investments, in any other circumstance we would step away from such a lost of income, however the audience for a diamond seems to be unaware of their hard earned money lost forever.

Ms. Raden then displayed slides of the chemical compound that makes up diamonds. The chemical compound of a diamond is C which stands for carbon. Graphite and soot also share this chemical compound. What makes a diamond different from graphite and soot? Its called an “allotrope” which means it is a form of an element that has different physical properties (eg. color, crystal shape, hardness, melting points,  boiling points, etc.) due to different arrangements of atoms or molecules within the structure. So though diamonds share the same chemical compound, the only difference between diamonds, graphite and soot is how the C is arranged. While diamonds are one of the hardest substances on earth, graphite and soot are of course a much softer substance. 

The only difference molecular wise between diamonds and graphite is the molecular structure.

Ms. Raden also informed us that once a diamond is mined it starts to “soften up.” Of course this takes many decades but eventually you can expect your diamond to start chipping away, perhaps not in your life time but don’t expect your great, great grandchildren to inherit a diamond that cannot be damaged. 

Ms. Raden advised the audience if they were seeking to purchase a diamond that she would recommend that they either 1.) get it from a pawn shop as there are many diamonds in good condition available for a small fraction of the price they were originally purchased at. 2.) purchase a diamond grown in a lab.

A great place to find recycled jewelry at a great price is in a pawn shop.

Ms. Raden as I mentioned earlier is a gemologist. She related that not only is the lab grown diamond equal to a mined diamond, a seasoned jeweler cannot tell the difference between a lab grown diamond and a mined diamond. They would need special tools in which to determine the light ranges in each particular diamond (using these tools requires a hefty price in the first place). Most lab grown diamonds have “lab grown” lasered on in the bottom. They are not of the family of cubic zirconia they are the same chemical compounds and chemical arrangement as mined diamonds. They are not fake.

Lab grown diamonds obviously jeopardize the diamond industry and the sense of rarity they have worked hard for the general public to believe. De Beers, diamond jewelers and others that rely on mined diamonds will try their best to dissuade the public from purchasing lab grown diamonds by out and out lies and deception. That is to be expected as it is a multi-billion dollar business. They will tell you that mined diamonds are “rare” and lab grown diamonds are “fake” both false statements.

In the last few decades a few jewelry brands have been marketing a “conflict free diamond” meaning that it is not a blood diamond as the diamond trade is one of the most conflict-filled industries in the world with blood, greed, enslavement, corruption and pollution on its hands. In order to distance themselves from this negative press, many brands have stated their diamonds are conflict-free which means they have followed “The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme”. The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme was developed by the UN and outlines the regulations and requirements countries must follow to make sure a diamond is mined and shipped in a humane, legitimate way. Diamonds that meet these regulations are shipped with a Kimberley Process certificate. When you buy a conflict-free diamond, the jeweler should be able to provide this certificate -- if they can't, you should be wary of the stone's origin. Brilliant Earth is a highly recommended brand with high ethical standards for mined diamonds.

The original mine in South Africa where large deposits of diamonds were found and are still mined, Kimberly Mine.

However as you can surmise a conflict-free mined diamond is still a mined diamond. Mining always brings devastation to an environment no matter what the substance being mined for. So the question is if you can buy a diamond that does not harm the environment, is of excellent quality and has a significantly lower price point than a traditionally mined diamond (forgot to tell you that little fact), shouldn’t that be the logical choice?

Instead of spending 10k on a diamond, you can spend 2k for the same stone, save the rest of your money for your honeymoon, new home, children, travel, a rainy day, etc. No one would know the difference. You would just have to release your mind from a sales narrative created 80 somewhat years ago that we all have fallen for.

When I started to research brands that offer lab grown diamonds I was impressed not only by the product and the ridiculous savings in cost, but that they run their businesses in a transparent and ethical manner you see missing from the diamond industry (actually most industries). 

Diamond Nexus is such a company. Diamond Nexus houses their facilities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is proud to offer a product made in American paying their workers fair living wages. They hired old-school master goldsmiths and jewelry-making artisans who believed in quality and make the jewelry right there in their workshops. The company prides itself on its customer service and their customer ratings are quite positive. Best of all they pass on the savings of having a lab grown diamond to you the consumer.

Just one of the many diamond engagement ring designs at Diamond Nexus.

One other benefit of lab grown diamonds is that they can be used in industry for tools in a manner that passes on the low cost of the diamond to the customer. The fact that the environment will not be harmed is a mere bonus as lab grown diamonds have a drastically lower rate of carbon emissions.

Lab grown diamonds.

Ms. Raden will be coming out with two addition books for an overall jewelry trilogy (“Hammered” and “Rocked”). She had the courage to reveal the dirty secrets from her field and to give a ethical, conflict-free solution to purchasing jewelry, especially diamonds. She has given the customer the ability of not only purchasing stones in a knowledgeable, ethical manner but also saving themselves a substantial amount of money by not buying into a false narrative propagated by a corrupt and gluttonous industry.

By Natalie Rivera