Silversmith. Goldsmith. Metalsmith. Jewelry Artist.

Traditionally a silversmith made spoons, forks and other dinnerware and a goldsmith made jewelry. When I was in college at University of Illinois we used the term metalsmith because we were using a variety of metals and even non-traditional materials because this education is in the college of fine arts.

As an artist my habit is to evolve and create something new each time I create. Does a painter make the same painting twice? Neither do I. In this way I am challenging myself to push the envelope and really enjoy this in terms of function. The bale (loop for a chain to pass through on a pendant) in my world is a design element and I treat it as such. The earwires on a pair of earrings are a design element and in my world an integral part of the whole design and on many occasions, I design the earrings so the earwire feeds through the lobe from back to front, reverse hook, I call it. But I could go on and on about design thought processes. 

The question is Who is Rachel? I am happy when I create. I am pleased when my creations find their person. I love stories that are created with the acquisition of jewelry on a personal level and when it is given as a gift. In this way I am playing a role in many personal histories and family histories. I feel so lucky to have this gift and all the years of skill development that go with it. I feel like I am living a life very well indeed.