“I don’t like doing things simple. I like a challenge. I like to be pushed.” Wendy Toman Oestreicher is one of those folks who like to be intrigued by something they’ve seen or thought of, then just dive right into trying it . . .
Shortly after I was first hired here at Rio, I experienced my first Rio Associate Arts and Crafts Fair. I was so excited to see what kind of jewelry my creative colleagues were making and selling and was amazed by the beautiful craftsmanship and uniqueness of it all. But, there w[...]
Patricia Rogers is accustomed to re-purposing a variety of found objects to create accessories for the costumes she dreams up. She isn’t, however, accustomed to the kind of stir she created when she showed up at the Santa Fe Recycled Art Show wearing her latest piece...[...]
Sessin Durgham joined Rio’s Technical Support team in 2006. Prior to that, he worked five years as a retail bench jeweler making custom designs and altogether has spent 27 years attending juried outdoor art shows, teaching forging workshops and selling his wares (or taking home[...]
The hobo nickel, a unique American folk-art form, gets its name from Depression-era hobos, who used a pocket knife to alter the image on Indian-head nickels. Often the Indian was altered to depict a bearded hobo wearing a derby, but religious and political figures, animals, celeb[...]
Eva Martin is a storyteller. But rather than using words on a page, she embeds them in her jewelry designs. She gets to know her clients very well, through emails and conversations. And she gets to the heart of their stories to design pieces that will come to life with such de[...]
Back in 1995 I became the precious materials product manager at Rio Grande. As a new manager, I began reading National Jeweler magazine, and one day, I came across an article about a new jewelry-making material from Japan, Precious Metal Plasticene. It was invented by Dr. Morika[...]
We love that we get to play a role in the creative and productive process of so many jewelers, and we honor the contributions jewelers share with the world. On occasion, however, we learn about a customer who uses their creative skill in a particularly generous way. In the spirit[...]
Ok, confession time. My name is Yvonne, and I’m a jewelry hussy. By that I mean I love jewelry - ALL jewelry, and the shinier, the better. I wear jewelry all day, every day. If you are wearing jewelry, no matter what kind, be warned, I will ask to touch, feel, and admire it. At[...]
Welcome to The Studio—it’s a busy place, but there’s always room for one more. Come on in! This is our place to share stories, insights, questions and ideas with all our friends in the jewelry world.
In the previous three parts of my series on Designing a Jewelry Collection, I've talked about what a collection is, design principles, designing for your customer and the … [Read More...] about Designing a Collection part 4
Manhattan jewelry designer and entrepreneur Sandy Baker is the owner and creative force behind Sandy Baker Art Collection. She claims she has been in the business for … [Read More...] about Influencers in Jewelry Design: Sandy Baker
