trunk show: esqueleto, oakland

Esqueleto in Oakland is holding a trunk show for me this Friday and Saturday.  If you've never visited, please do!  It is the most dreamy of spaces and is designer jewelry/home decor heaven.  Below is an interview featured on Esqueleto's blog.

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This month the lovely Sarah Greenberg of Sarah Swell Jewelry shares the processes and rituals behind the creation of her raw, handcrafted treasures.

Sarah with her pup, her uber-popular Fishbone Earrings

“I’ve always been an artist and have been painting since I was little. I’ve also always known that I wanted to have my own business. While at art school, I took a jewelry making class on a whim and something clicked. I immediately felt like I had found ‘my thing.’”

Sarah at the bench, custom engagement ring, tools of the trade

“It usually takes a while for a design come full circle. Often I will sketch or collect something that will turn into an idea for a piece months or even years later. Sometimes I wish I could expedite the design process, but that just doesn’t work for me!”

Sarah and her adorable Husky, her clean and bright studio

So what is a typical day in the life of Sarah? “I try to wake up around 6:30 and have breakfast and tea while answering emails. Most mornings I go for a run or hike with my energetic Husky pup before heading to the studio. Generally days are production filled, followed by more emails. I’ve been trying really hard lately to make it home by 6:30 to have some down time and a nice dinner with my husband.”

“Nothing makes my day more than receiving a sweet email from a satisfied customer, it makes me feel like I’ve made a small impact in someones life. The worst part of my day is generally when I burn/cut/grind part of my hand. You’d think by now that I would have learned not to touch hot metal…but I haven’t!”

Sarah’s 1924 bunglaow, Sri Lanka, the California coast

“Currently I’m obsessed with the shrimp ceviche from the Sinaloa taco truck on International in Oakland, fixing up my 1924 bungalow a little bit at a time, collecting vintage tools for the studio, and trying to fit in as much travel as possible (I just returned from an amazing adventure in Sri Lanka).”

Sarah finds much of her inspiration in the natural world. “Nature never ceases to amaze me. The wild California landscape has stolen my heart.”

Sarah will be showing some stunning new work at her trunk show next week!

“I’m looking forward to expanding my bridal collection and creating more one of a kind pieces. Production work can be quite tedious, so working on special jewels will help me stay inspired and keep my designs fresh. I’ve also been really interested lately in textiles and somehow combining my background in painting and drawing into a new project. Stay tuned on this one…right now I have my hands full!”

Sarah will be in the shop for a trunk show with her entire collection next week. Please come meet her and check out her beautiful organic pieces in person!

Sarah Swell Trunk Show
Friday June 7th, 2013 1-9pm
&
Saturday June 8th, 11-6pm

ESQUELETO
482 A 49th Street Oakland, CA 94609

always

I recently created this sweet understated take on a mother's necklace.  The twins initials are stamped onto a silver disk with a gold bezel and pretty diamond.  I hope she will never take it off!

Oakland Open Studio

Visit us for our first open studio this Saturday.

Get a behind the scenes look at the where the jewelry is made & shop the current collection as well as discounted samples.

Hope to see you there!

hong kong: part 2

Next up in Hong Kong was the tiny stilted fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island.  It was an odd mix of old China and tourist destination, but once we got past the main group of touts trying to take us on white dolphin sightseeing tours and sell us dried sea critters, there were plenty of nooks and crannies to explore.  We snacked on egg waffles and drank some sort of smokey tasting ice tea made from beautiful red flowers.

 

Afterwards we hopped on a bus to the sky tram that would take us to the giant bronze Tian Tan Buddha.  The ride up was breathtaking and a bit unnerving.  We noticed below the tram that there was also a hiking path that goes the entire way up which looked amazing.  

 No trip to Hong Kong is complete without a ride on the star ferry.  We chose to go at after dark when the city is perhaps at her best.  We roamed the night markets in Kowloon for trinkets and ate the best late night fried chicken.

Off to Sri Lanka!

beauty

I adore this version of the twig ring in 18k yellow gold with diamonds nested on either side of the center stone.  Congratulations to the lucky lady that received this beauty!

hong kong: part 1

My husband and I recently returned from our honeymoon to Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.  With my business being busy as ever, we had to wait about 6 months after we were married to set out on our adventure. Turns out it was a good thing, because after the stress of getting married, I'm not sure I would have been able to enjoy a trip to the other side of the world.  

I really loved Hong Kong.  Navigating the city was so simple, easier than San Francisco!  We were able to escape so easily as well, hopping on the MTR, bus or ferry will get you out of the hustle and bustle and into the pretty environs in a snap.

We literally walked until our feet were swollen.  There was so much to see around every corner, we couldn't stop.  There's nothing I love more than wandering a new city with no particular place to go.

Street food is the way to go here.  It's the best way to sample different things and save money in an expensive city like Hong Kong.  I had the best pork bun of my life at Tim Ho Wan and some pretty amazing late night fried chicken.

We took the MTR to Shau Kei Wan and traveled up through a cemetary built into the side of a hill to find the dragon's back trail.  Unfortunately, the fog was so thick that we couldn't see the magnificent views, but the hike was interesting in its own way.  We had the trail to ourselves and it was quite eerie knowing that we were at the top of a craggly windy cliff all alone but unable to see the treacherous drop below.



We ended up in the small beach town of Shek O which was also quite deserted due to the weather.  They are known for their thai food, so we indulged in a lunch of fresh curries covered with dried shrimp, which I love.

 next up: Hong Kong part 2, then off to Sri Lanka.

how sweet it is

This ring has the most darling story behind it.  The client approached me because he knew his girlfriend would love my twig ring.  He then had the wonderful idea to make her a custom ring cast from a branch he sourced from the backyard of her childhood home.  I thought this was the sweetest idea and loved being in on the secret.  In fact, he snuck all the way down to Southern California to the house she grew up in to pull it off!  He wanted a dainty vintage feel, so we went with a beautiful princess cut diamond.  She was wonderfully surprised and he can now call her his fiancé.  I want to start offering this customization service to others as well.  Have a favorite place that you can pluck a small branch from?  Turn it into a gorgeous custom ring that she'll never forget.  Contact me if you're interested in making your very own special ring.