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Artsfish Design Studio artisan jewelry; the designer's perspective
(for more about the designer, click here)
The true beauty of artisan jewelry is that each piece is handcrafted, not factory assembled. Most pieces are distinctly one-of-a-kind. I strive to impart a bit of eclectic personality within each necklace, bracelet, anklet or pair of earrings I create.
I use a wide range of precious and exotic materials of the highest quality. My jewelry designs are influenced by my love for the fine, classical and performing arts as well as my passion for world travel. You won't find jewelry anywhere else like this. I've traveled extensively and sourced unique and hard to find materials from all over the world.
A few of the materials used in our artisan jewelry
Precious gemstones
Ruby and sapphire, as well as tourmaline, emerald, kyanite, and even diamond are just a few of the precious gems that I use in my jewelry designs.
Semiprecious gemstones
Many of the jewelry designs use semiprecious stones such as amethyst, peridot, garnet, citrine, chalcedony, carnelian, flourite, lapis, moonstone and turquoise.
Precious metal beads and findings;
18 karat gold
Since ancient times the purity of gold has been defined by the term karat, which is 1/24 part of pure gold by weight. Pure gold is equivalent to 24K. Gold purity may also be described by its fineness, which is the amount of pure gold in parts per 1000. With the exception of the crimp covers (there seemingly are no high karat gold crimp covers manufactured, I've looked!) I use only 18K gold or higher because it has a much warmer color than lower karats.18KT gold is 750 parts per 1000, or 75% pure gold. Gold has recently surged to the highest price in over 20 years.
Hilltribe silver
The Hill Tribe people are actually composed of several tribal groups, including the Lahu, the Lisu, the Akha, the Hmong, and the Karen. Thai silver is often distinguished by the decorative details stamped into the silver. Hill Tribe silver is .999% pure and has the highest silver content available. The tiniest Hill Tribe beads are the most difficult to create and often require two artists to manufacture; the master for his or her skill, and the apprentice, for their sharp eyesight when working with very small beads.
Balinese silver
Balinese silversmiths are famous for a tradition and skill with silver that is passed down from generation to generation. Beads are generally cast in two parts then joined to make a solid core that is then carefully decorated with intricate detail. Bali silver is .925% sterling silver.
Ancient materials
I use ancient stones and glass excavated from exotic regions such as Cambodia, and Roman glass excavated from areas that were once part of the Roman Empire. These ancient regions that were once Rome now range from Afghanistan and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa to many regions throughout Europe. I love not only the beauty that these artifacts give to the jewelry, but also the rich history that is imparted to each finished piece.
Pearls;
It is commonly known that the least expensive cultured pearl product in the market today rivals the quality of the most expensive natural pearls ever found in the pre-cultured pearl era. Most cultured freshwater pearls are composed entirely of nacre, just like their natural freshwater and saltwater counterparts. Thicker nacre makes for a more lustrous pearl with a richer depth of color. We select only top grade pearls for our jewelry
Tribal and Ethnic materials
One of my passions is the quest for unique materials from cultures with distinct artistic personalities.
Tibet
Tibetan artisans are masters of repoussé, which is a highly specialized craft of stamping and carving patterns into semiprecious metals. The Tibetans also produce many varieties of beads made from materials such as Tibetan “coral”, amber, horn and turquoise.
Africa
The various regions of Africa throughout history have used beads as a substitute for currency. There are many, many, different types of antique and vintage beads that can be found in Africa in a wide range of sizes and colors. Africa is also well known for their bronze beads.
The Middle East
Nomadic Turkoman tribes have a long history of creating beads and pendants made from melted coins, nickel and brass. This metal is called “pot metal” or “gillit” Often the pendants are set with colorful stones such as lapis or glass. Turkoman tribal areas cover the contemporary areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Thailand
As mentioned above we often use Hilltribe silver materials created by the Lahu, the Lisu, the Akha, the Hmong, and the Karen peoples of Thailand.
Bali and Indonesia
Gold and silverwork have a long history in Indonesia. Baliniese jewelry is usually intricately handworked and rarely involves casting except to form the core shape of a bead.
Responsible business practice
I believe that as residents of this planet that it is our responsibility to take care in every way that we can.
Fair Trade
When purchasing our materials all over the world, I buy as close to the source as possible in order to support Fair Trade practices.
Environmental conservation
I use recycled packaging materials whenever possible, and all of the packaging is recyclable. The packing “peanuts” are made of a lightweight biodegradable cornstarch material. I encourage our customers to recycle or reuse our gift boxes and packaging. I use a minimum of print advertising and do not print a catalog.
We're a family run business
After many years working as a professional artist and as a designer in the theater, I'm now a stay at home artist and stay at home mom. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to visit. If we can't serve you today, I hope you'll remember us in the future.
