Laurel Elliott Jewelry Designer

We met Laurel years ago on a trip to NYC. We were taken with her gentle nature and thoughtful jewelry. We have been carrying her work ever since.

The style continues to evolve and her following continues to grow. We have a beautiful collection of her work. Here is a little about her and what she does.

“Art is not the possession of the few... it is the authentic expression of any and all individuality.”

-John Dewey      

      My work expresses the phases and stories of my life.  

In 1980, I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The curator showed me antique and ancient rings inscribed with enchanting short poems of love or poesys.  These rings from the past inspired me to create replicas of the originals and share them with small retailers, museums and catalogues.  I opened my workshop in SoHo, where we have remained ever since.

As my experience broadened, so did my creative palette and means of expression. Yoga brought me to reflect on Eastern thoughts and symbols that would become the basis for our Silk Road collection. It also inspired me to develop jewelry shapes reflecting ideas of the infinite that became the foundations of our entire line: the Chinese Pi Disc and the Mobius.

As I reflected more on my own relationship to the jewelry I designed, I came to the realization that what we wear is also a reflection of who we are and where we've been. Donning a piece of inscribed jewelry is both a reminder and an affirmation. From a prayer that has offered us comfort in troubled times, to a quotation that has inspired us to aspire to more than we are, or a song that reminds us of the beauty of life, wearing the written word expresses and affirms our individuality, our own art. Our collection has emerged from these insights.

I am grateful to be part of the long history of the written word that connect us all through time and across cultures.  I hope the pieces in our collections will resonate with your individual experiences, express your hopes, desires and dreams, and, when worn, serve as a daily reminder of your past and inspiration for your future.

All of Laurel Elliott dvb new york’s jewelry is made in Manhattan on the edge of historic SoHo in the 19th century Cable Building. The huge, arched windows in this McKim, Meade and White building introduce wonderful light, creating an open work space for a group of dedicated artists and craftspeople. Designs and inscriptions are carefully considered for months and sometimes years. 

When developing a new piece, we often begin with a hand drawn, two-dimensional design that is then rendered into a three-dimensional object through the state-of-the-art CAD work of our model maker. The model is then completed by hand to our exacting design standards. Once the model is finished, molds are made for casting by the lost wax method, a technique in use since ancient times. Molten wax is injected into the molds to produce wax replicas of the model.

The waxes are covered with a medium called investment. When heated, the investment hardens while the wax melts away leaving a hollow core.  Molten metal flows into this core producing the castings. The castings are then cleaned and finished by hand. The final step is polishing to give it the striking, reflective surface of fine jewelry. It is a time consuming process involving significant care and work, all completed by craftspeople in our studio in the USA.

How should I care for my jewelry? We recommend polishing your sterling silver jewelry with a dry silver polishing cloth available at most grocery or hardware stores. Storing your silver in the jewelry bag in which it came will help prevent tarnishing.

What is antiquing?  
Most of our jewelry is "antiqued" with a patina during manufacturing to enhance the legibility of the inscription. The piece of jewelry is submerged in liver of sulfur to create the darkened color, and then polished so that the antiquing remains only within the inscription. We incorporate this process to replicate original antique jewelry, which naturally forms this darkened color over the centuries. 

Will sterling silver tarnish?
Sterling silver will retain its luster for years and frequent wearing of your jewelry will help prevent tarnishing. It will tarnish when it is exposed to certain chemicals found in makeup and perfume, salt air and sulfur. We do not recommend polishing with silver polish as this may remove the antiquing.