{Featured} StudioMetals : Handmade Jewelery Designer

Being a Jewelry Lover , I cannot stop my eyes from wandering to the sight of any jewelery piece, no matter where I am. My most favorite piece of jewelry is a ring. I cannot resist rings, I am really surprised and inspired by craftsmanship done in the rings, some twisted, some wrapped, oh and the celtic ones are absolute beauty! don’t you think?

So I stumbled across these gorgeous rings at ETSY and I had to visit this shop, and I was absolutely joyous when I found out that this shop is run by a talented couple Travis & Elizabeth , I was intrigued to find out more about their work and philosophy, so here is the interview I am sure you will also love reading about them. Enjoy!

WMP: When and how did you become interested in your field of work?

Travis & Elizabeth: We were both exposed to the techniques of goldsmithing in art school seventeen years ago. We were hooked immediately. There was so much to learn and discover. Our passion for making jewelry was fostered very early on. Goldsmithing combines a demanding technical skill set that requires years of dedication to master, as well as an innate artistic talent. We enjoy the challenge that this field of work requires.

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WMP: How long have you been in this business?

Travis & Elizabeth: From the moment we started our education in 1996, we have been constantly learning new techniques and skills. Even while still in school, we were working for local jewelry stores and selling our jewelry at craft fairs. We’ve been in this business for seventeen years, working in many different facets, because it’s important to expose yourself to all aspects of this industry. Our goal has always been to be complete goldsmiths, which takes decades to accomplish.

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WMP: What 3 words describe your work?

Travis & Elizabeth: Often the jewelry we make is for significant moments in our clients lives. With that in mind, three words that we often hear from our clients to describe our jewelry and designs are sophisticated and elegant with excellent craftsmanship.

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WMP: What are some sources of inspiration or influences on your work?

Travis & Elizabeth: Our inspiration comes from all sorts of places. Experience and environment often play key roles. We’ve worked for several luxury jewelry stores, and those experiences continue to influence our jewelry. We hold ourselves to high standards, in both design and execution. The high end jewelry market demands a high level of refinement. This caliber of goldsmithing is a challenge and inspiration in itself.

Our environment also influences our ideas. Especially in the summer, when there’s a myriad of flowers to be in awe of. We always find inspiration in our garden. Nature exhibits perfect balance and beautiful line quality.

Also, architecture is a surprising source of inspiration. Jewelry is a body referential art, like architecture, but on a small scale. The relationship between these two disciplines influences our designs.

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Another endless source of inspiration and influence is the rich history of goldsmithing. The craftsmen of the past were extremely skilled and talented. Many of their techniques have been lost due to the advance of technology. We pride ourselves in creating our jewelry by hand, trying to keep those techniques alive.

Our favorite inspiration is the people we build jewelry for. In this day and age of mass production, it’s inspiring to build a piece of jewelry by hand, specifically for one person or one couple. Often our clients bring ideas to the table and it’s always an honor to be chosen to bring these ideas to life.

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WMP: How large, or established, is the business you currently govern? Are you looking to grow?

Travis & Elizabeth: We’re small, it’s just the two of us, Travis Connors and Elizabeth Hamakawa. We work together in most aspects of the business. We do everything the business requires of us, from designing, marketing, bookkeeping to the actual building of the jewelry. We help each other problem solve in the studio.

We’ve recently opened ourselves to a broader client base through our website Studio Metals and through our Etsy shop, Studiometals. It’s exciting to be able to reach people all over, from Texas to Australia.

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WMP: Tell us about your most recent project? What was the most difficult and/or relaxed aspect of it?

Travis & Elizabeth: Travis recently completed a beautiful wedding set for a couple from Texas. This was a very important project with a total diamond weight of over 2.0 carats. The couple chose one of our designs and we had to source a conflict free cushion cut center diamond of exceptional quality. With a time constraint and the long distance involved, the trusting relationship we developed with this exceptionally nice couple made this project go very smoothly. The rings were completed and delivered within three weeks.

Engagement Rings

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WMP: What sets your business apart from others of an identical nature?

Travis & Elizabeth: We build everything entirely by hand. There has been a huge shift in this industry toward computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing.

We care very much about every piece, they are not just another job. Even when we were working as repair goldsmiths, each piece of jewelry we worked on was treated as if it was our Grandmother’s, respecting the deep, intrinsic value every client has for their jewelry. This love for jewelry is apparent in every piece that we build to this day.

The detail and the craftsmanship sets us apart. We have dedicated many years of total focus to our craft.

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WMP: What do you enjoy most about what you do?

Travis & Elizabeth: When a client comes to us it’s usually for a very important jewelry need. We are asked to build a piece of jewelry as a symbol that represents the most important moment of a person’s life. It is such a special feeling that we get as goldsmiths to be the ones to meet that need, and to be able to make people happy.

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WMP: What are common misconceptions about your services?

Travis & Elizabeth: One misconception with handmade jewelry is that it somehow looks handmade. We try to create absolute precision in our jewelry.

Another misconception is that because we work with expensive materials we are wealthy. We actually make a modest income from our work and live quite a humble lifestyle.

Even we had a misconception about purchasing jewelry online, that you don’t know what you’re getting. Often that is the case, however we strive to provide our internet clients with a very honest, pleasant experience, and deliver the highest standards.

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WMP: If you could have any superpower on the job, what would it be?

Travis & Elizabeth: We already feel like superheroes when we’re creating jewelry. It’s like a mission to save the universe one engagement ring at a time! We have this very specialized skill and when someone calls upon it to have a custom piece of jewelry made, it’s wonderful, we get to jump into action.

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WMP: Are you a home based business? Or have you established your own office space?

Travis & Elizabeth: We work out of our private studio, by appointment only.

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WMP: Where do you see yourself in next 3-5 years?

Travis & Elizabeth: We have recently expanded to internet sales and that has been very exciting. This is new to us and we look forward to meeting many new people this way. The people we have dealt with online and our experiences with them have been wonderful and we look forward to the future.

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WMP: Your most successful / bestselling product ?

Travis & Elizabeth: A lot of our work is one of a kind, because we are people based, rather than product based. These one of a kind items are then in our portfolio, and can inspire another client who may want something similar, but not exactly like the original.

Thank You Travis & Elizabeth for sharing your ideas and philosophy with us , it was such a pleasure knowing about your work and your talent. We wish you all the success in your field!

Here are some of their beautiful designs! which one is your favorite? Let us know!