New jewels for Lovely Bridal Salon

Preview for spring jewelry at Lovely Bridal Salon in NYC!

Pearl sea urchin necklace and earrings

Today's order was from my bridal line using freshwater pearls and sterling silver. It's made with 3 different sizes of sterling silver wire that is all hand wire wrapped, hammered and beaded. The tiny little silver beads are from Thailand and are 99% solid silver. The first thing I do is look up my formula on my computer. Most of my "sea urchin" line has been mapped out for precise measurements. I start by making the frame work, curling it around a mandrel to make a perfect circle. Next I add the silver bead and fresh water pearls. Tools are super important and can't be made properly with out them. My only tools are my flat nose, round nose, cutters, files, two mandrels, a hammer, a steel block for hammering and of course my nimble fingers (:

New jewelry blog by Rebecca Shepherd

Hello and welcome to the first blog entry for my jewelry design. This is the first of many entries to come about how I come up with designs, where you can purchase my jewelry, and how to go about custom orders for that special lady. As some of you may know, I am venturing into floral design, which has proven to be an exciting addition to my years and years of jewelry design. It's been so interesting to see how seamless the two can be in that it's all about understanding what my client wants and finding that special combination of color, texture, symmetry and asymmetry.

In addition to talking about my jewelry, I also want to turn you all on to some of my FAVORITE jewelry designs that I have come across over the years. Many I have met at markets in NYC, Boston, and DC. Being that I had a store in Park Slope for the last 2.5 years, (Urban Alchemist) it's been exciting to really get inside peoples studios to see what they create, what they are inspired by and what business avenue they choose. I'll also let you know about the big upcoming shows like Renagade, Crafty Bastards and featured artists at our local pop ups like the Brooklyn Flea and the Brooklyn General.

Thank you for joining me and stay tuned!