I was seventeen when I spied a necklace through a shop window in Venice, Italy and fell in love with jewelry. I knew then that I would make jewelry for a living. I went on to receive a Bachelor of Fine Art in Metalsmithing from the University of Oregon and a Master of Fine Art in Metal from the State University of New York New Paltz. I am proud to come from a lineage of inventors, artists, rocket scientists, engineers and tool enthusiasts. My great-grandfather’s wood level hangs above my workbench as a reminder of my roots and the science of material craft. To me, jewelry is adornment, a declaration of personal expression, and a universal conversation starter. It is the best and most personal, public exchange of art, design, fashion and taste. It’s this power of jewelry that keeps me excited from the first cut of my jeweler’s saw, through the reticulation and development of a texture, to a finished piece worn by a customer. I make jewelry because I am happier when in the studio. AU Jewelry exists because my 17-year-old conviction never wavered. I make jewelry for myself and for others who seek the place between art and fashion and have a desire for intrigue and luster in their every day.