With Hand to Hammer

Who: Amy Bixby
What: Contemporary Handforged Jewelry
Where: Seattle, WA
Web: http://www.amybixby.com/
http://amybixbyjewelry.bigcartel.com/
Why: Seattle-based Amy Bixby brings with her an integrity and respect for the earth that no doubt have roots in her rural New Zealand upbringing. Her design aesthetic includes simple cheery shapes and color pairings, both in metals and gems. Her work ethic is honor-worthy...each piece is forged by hand (and ample muscle-power!) out of fine and sterling silver and karat golds from 14K to 22K. Her metals and natural gems are ethically sourced, and she recycles metal in-house whenever she can.
Above and beyond all that goodness, I enjoy her oxidized finishes and hand-wrought textures, her spot-on color instinct and the easy wearability of her pieces. Her collection is well-priced too, especially for all the effort that goes into it.
Amy sells her work through fab galleries such as Gallery De Novo in Dunedin, NZ and Artisans On Taylor in Port Townsend, WA (check her News page for more gallery links), as well as through her online shop. She's a rising star and with her amply-talented hand to the hammer, she will undoubtedly go far!