I design jewelry with quality materials—semiprecious stones, handmade lampwork beads, vintage beads and cast off treasures, seed beads and tiny stones, silver and gold.

It’s all about the beads!

Each bead is a little world, a work of art in and of itself, that gives expression to the artist’s understanding of color, texture, and material. As it is made, the bead is a little experiment, a discovery, an accident with intention. And as you look at it, each bead invites further exploration and elaboration.

And the story they tell together!

Jewelry is much more than pretty beads on a string. Each piece created at Copper Beech Jewelry has a story to tell. Each piece was created in response to inspiration occurring one bead at a time.

I juxtapose beads in much the same way that an author, who knows where the story begins and has an idea where it ends, allows the characters to tell their own story. Beads invite or discourage interpretations of themselves.

I suggest possibilities:

• How does the story change when carved jade or silver spacers are added?
• Is the story better told by the beads standing in isolation?

And I follow their dictations.

The result is an exciting and uniquely beautiful piece of jewelry. I encourage you to examine and enjoy the pieces displayed on this site.