ABOUT ME

Thank you so much for taking a few moments to visit my site and learn a little about me. I’m a slightly crazy, ex-pat Kiwi/Aussie, now a fully legit and proud American. I was born in New Zealand, where many beaches were covered in empty Paua (cousin of Abalone) shells. Those beautiful shells started an obsession as a child that has led me many years later to becoming a silver smith/artisan. I use a lot of Paua in my work along with every other gemstone that catches my eye.  Turquoise, opal, larimar, and moonstone are some of my favorites among many, but I also love working with sea-glass and broken china.  The metal of my choice right now is solid .925 sterling silver with 14kt gold coming soon. I do NOT use plated or filled metals.

When I’m not in my NYC studio making silver jewelry (it’s my basement trying to be fancy lol), I'm finishing raising our five kids...having only two still at home has allowed me the time needed to learn silver smithing. I also work with a non-profit animal rescue organization called "Victory For The Voiceless", taming feral kittens, and spend time maintaining my Monarch Butterfly Weigh Station. It gets chaotic here, so I can occasionally be spotted driving very very very slowly and carefully...in my green Mustang!!!!

I am very proud to be an “American Made” designer/creator. Now more than ever, local artisans are competing with cheap, mass-produced and often silver-plated jewelry imported fast fashion. For me, "Made In USA" is not just a logo…it is a promise of quality.

 

Stones and Gems

Many years ago, before taking metal smithing classes, I did a lot of wire wrapping and found a ready supply of stones through that well known, huge online bidding/listing site.  They appeared to be of good quality and were relatively inexpensive.  We are now living in different times.  Sadly, I find that particular source to be flooded with low grade stones, and man-made fakes.  Each piece I create now takes infinitely more time to design and build, not to mention the amount of solid silver used, so I quickly stopped purchasing from that site. Now I buy all my stones from “trade only” dealers, actual mine owners, and one awesome estate dealer. This allows me the hands-on opportunity to examine each and every stone personally. I pick them up to feel the weight, look at every angle, and feel the stone talk to me.  Like most, I'm a little crazy, but I do not believe crystals and stones have power to cure ills or clear minds. I do however, believe the natural organic beauty of each stone has the power to brighten your day.  Whether it’s the color that catches your eye, the shape, or the pattern within the stone, when one attracts your gaze, you know its talking to you.

 

 

Sea Glass

Since moving to the US from Australia, I’ve been walking the beaches of the north eastern coast collecting surf tumbled sea glass and antique pottery shards. From the moment I picked up my first piece of sea glass I’ve been in love. They are stunningly pretty with their soft colors and frosted finish, but are also a part of history as it takes a minimum of 50yrs for the tides and surf to toss and tumble them into little gems. Of course, fake sea glass is being “cultivated” overseas now, and whilst the bright colors and uniform shapes are attractive to some, it is fake and I don’t use it. Its value is zero, much like a lab created diamond. About 90% of the sea glass in my jewelry has been collected by me personally over years. I do buy a small amount of genuine sea glass from collectors in places like Hawaii because my local surf does not produce the rounded gem shapes found in those locations. I will always let you know the geographical origin of the sea glass in items I create. Unlike “cultivated” glass, real sea glass is shaped organically by the surf and tides so they are uniquely uneven, and present a real challenge when creating their bezels. They also often display tiny “C” shapes on the surface of the frosting. I do not remove these as they are the signature of genuine sea glass, like the inclusions in an emerald. Where I collect, I find more white pieces than any other color. Brown is next, followed by Kelly Green. Very rare are the seafoam greens, and soft blues, with cobalt blue being the rarest color of all. Sadly, only about 10% of my finds are jewelry quality and the rest is chipped and used for craft. I hope you too come to fall in love with genuine sea glass.