About the Artist

I've always loved arts and crafts, having done everything from origami to counted cross-stitch to illuminated calligraphy throughout the years. When I discovered jewelry making it was different.

Jewelry has infinite variations. So many beautiful metals—gleaming silver, the incomparable richness of gold, even the unusual tones of rose and other colors of gold. And the beads…. Ah, the beads…. The gemstones, each with its own depth of color and luminescence no words or picture can capture. Glass, blown into every shape, color, and decorative pattern. Little sparkly beads and big bumpy beads and shimmery beads and faceted beads that glitter like diamonds.

As a child I loved rock collecting, and I always had to have one of every color in things. Every color marker, every color crayon, every color sweater…. It's easy to understand how an innocent trip into a bead store became an obsession.

When I needed to replace my ring and couldn't find anything I liked, I signed up for a class to learn to make wire rings to match the beaded jewelry I was making. I didn't expect wire to be something I'd want to work in. I learned two things from that class (other than how to make rings): I learned that forming metals into beautiful patterns just with your fingers is one of the most incredible experiences, and I learned that "tarnish-resistant" wire isn't always - not for everyone. Actually, that I learned the next day, when I made a ring with wonderful stones to match my outfit, and by the end of the day the wire was tarnished and my finger was green. It made me self conscious, when instead I should have been proud to show off my work. Thus began my love affair with precious metals—silver and gold. I decided that if I was going to make something, love something, and show something off it was going to be the best quality and most beautiful something I could make. A jewelry obsession was begun.

I have taken a number of classes, most recently a fantastic weekend learning to solder silver with a torch, but I learn new techniques best from reading good books and magazine articles on technique and design liberally interspersed with practice.

I started making jewelry for myself. Before important meetings and trips I always spent the days before frantically making jewelry so I'd have the perfect piece for every outfit I wanted to wear. Then, I made a few pieces for gifts, and the recipients started commissioning me to make items for them to give to others, and a co-worker asked when I was going to start to make pieces to sell. Before I realized it, I had a business.

I still design each piece as if it were going into my own collection. One of the biggest problems I have with making jewelry to sell is that I often don't want to part with the finished pieces. However, my jewelry armoire is full, I've started to have multiple pieces of jewelry for some of my favorite outfits, and I've noticed that I'm starting the mornings knowing what jewelry I want to wear and looking through the closet for what best to go with it. I hope my pieces go to good homes—to people who will enjoy them—but there isn't a one of them I wouldn't be happy to adopt and keep for myself.

I don't sell my jewelry on eBay, but as a reference you can view my feedback there as a seller.

Copyright 2005-2007, Kallisté — www.kallistedesigns.com