how it began

I knew at a young age what I wanted to do when I grew up, I wanted to be a jeweler. I found my calling when I was in fifth grade. My next door neighbor came over one day and I noticed her earrings. When I asked her where she got them her response was that she made them herself. The earrings were simple but after I learned to make them I wanted to learn more. Over the years, I’ve learned a few wire designs and techniques.

progress & business

My mom has owned her own nail salon for almost thirty years and its inspired me to want to own a business myself. So to help support my dream of being a jeweler she started to sell my pieces to her costumers. Surprisingly, business started to get good and people began to ask for custom orders.

One of the designs I came upon was a tree of life pendant. After I learned the basic design I made a few changes to make it my own. A lot of people asked me to use colored beads that represented family members’ birthstones. Another big order hat I was asked to do was for a wedding. Each bridesmaid needed a pair of earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet. I was really excited about making them because it was part of someone’s special day.

future plans

I chose sculpture as my major because of the jewelry course. The idea of making wearable art is really one of my passions. Wire wrapping is fun but I really want to make more advanced pieces of jewelry. This up coming semester I get to take a jewelry and metals class which will be a whole new experience for me. My mom is one of my biggest supporters and she suggested that I also minor in marketing so that I would know how to run a business. I think it was a smart choice and I know that it will help me out in the long run.