ANNIE VAN HARLINGEN, VAN H. jewelry
ANNIE VAN HARLINGEN, VAN H. jewelry After creating the look of Ringly wearable tech rings, the fashion-turned-jewelry designer has returned to her roots, crafting her Van H. line of bold, contemporary cocktail rings in 18K gold. From the large oval “Bamboo” ring (shown at center with labradorite) to the “Tortuga” (above with turquoise and below right with a pink sapphire), each design offers one-of-a-kind semi-precious gems that Van Harlingen handpicks. Look for Van H. Jewelry to grow with a new collection of delicately handcrafted gold and black rhodium pieces with rose-cut diamond-pave detail. Find Van H. Jewelry in boutiques, such as The Spa at Charleston Place, and online at vanhjewelry.com.
Jenny thompson, Theodosia Jewelry
Jenny Thompson, Theodosia Jewelry: Armed with a love for vintage jewelry, the Columbia native and art history grad moved to Charleston in 2000 and began hunting down special vintage pieces and refashioning them with a modern edge. Boutique owners and buyers responded to her eclectic sensibility, and Theodosia was born. Over the years, the collections have evolved, and the young mother of three now sketches her own designs. Vintage flair shines through in the details, such as intricate pave diamond clasps. “Layers are important to me,” she explains. “I love mixing materials to create interesting textures.” Theodosia Jewelry is sold at boutiques across the country, including Hampden Clothing. See more at theodosiajewelry.com.
Sarah Amos
Sarah Amos: Fine jewelry collectors know a Sarah Amos piece when they see one; it’s all in the painstaking, handcrafted details, such as the individually placed gold granulation on her “Amethyst Acorn Pendant” (at right). The master goldsmith, who studied at Kulicke-Stark Academy of Jewelry, uses ancient techniques to transform 22K gold and precious and semiprecious stones into gorgeous, one-of-a-kind pendants, earrings, rings, and more. “My jewelry is informed by classical techniques, but the results must be wearable and have a contemporary aesthetic,” says the artist, whose work is available at Helena Fox Fine Art, helenafoxfineart.com.
Kate Rothra Fleming
Kate Rothra Fleming: Inspired by natural elements, such as the flotsam she encounters while walking local beaches or seed pods littering the Central American rainforest, where she and her husband live part of the year, the artist re-envisions these forms in glass. Primarily self-taught, the art teacher-turned-jewelry designer uses flame to shape glass—whether shiny, frosted, or iridescent—and connect metals, creating wearable art resembling urchins, calyxes, mollusks, and more. “Many of my pieces come from a lifelong fascination with natural history and the unusual forms found there,” she says. Kate’s work is sold in galleries and at shows across the country, such as Atlanta’s American Craft Show, as well as katerothrafleming.com. But locals can peruse them, in season, at our very own Charleston Farmers Market.
Angela Hall, Angela Hall Designs
Angela Hall, Angela Hall Designs: Intriguing gemstones often drive the clean-lined designs of the College of Charleston grad, who continued her arts education at Savannah College of Art and Design, The Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Haystack School in Maine and launched her eponymous custom jewelry line in Charleston in 2000. Whether starting with Australian boulder opal, Brazilian piranha agate, sapphire, or watermelon tourmaline, she incorporates techniques in fine metals—forming, soldering, filing, piercing, reticulation, and casting—to create each piece. “My work embodies simplicity and a respect for the fundamental principles of design,” she explains. See her jewelry at Charleston Farmers Market, as well as at angelahall.net and angelahall1.etsy.com.
Christina Jervey Handcrafted Jewelry
Christina Jervey Handcrafted Jewelry: After several years managing a jewelry store in Vail, Colorado, the Virginia native yearned to create her own works. She studied metalsmithing and advanced jewelry techniques at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina and later stone-setting at New Approach School for Jewelers in Tennessee. In 2008, Jervey launched her handcrafted jewelry line, wowing the press and the public with her wax-sculpted organic designs in sterling silver, 14K gold, brass, and 14K gold plate. “My work is full of texture, organic lines, and imperfections,” she explains. “I love the idea of imperfect beauty and want my work to embody that philosophy.” Find her jewelry at select boutiques throughout the Southeast, such as Gwynn’s of Mount Pleasant and The Resort Shops at Belmond Charleston Place and Kiawah, as well as christinajervey.com.
