A little bit about me
I can hardly remember a time in my life when I wasn’t crazy about jewelry. My first purchase was a pink plastic bracelet with a dangling heart charm. It cost five cents.
My father owned a small jewelry store in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, called The Jewel Box. I was too young to appreciate the good stuff. I preferred plastic and colored glass, but I loved the sparkle.
When we moved to California, Dad opened another shop in Studio City called, Jewels by Jaxon. I had the wonderful experience of working there with him for almost 20 years. I learned all aspects of the business from buying and selling, to appraising and wax carving.
Eventually, my father retired and we closed the shop. I didn’t want to take it over at that time. I wanted to travel and try some other things. But I always came back to jewelry.
The pieces that I offer here in my shop are all handmade by me (with the exception of the estate pieces and loose gems).
I love working with beautiful and interesting gemstones. I use mainly 925 sterling silver and vermeil or gold-filled metals in my handmade necklaces, bracelets and earrings, although many of the pieces incorporate 14K or 18K gold chain, wire, beads, and clasps.
The vintage and estate pieces range from Platinum, 18K yellow or white gold, 14K yellow or white gold, and various kinds of silver.
99% of my handmade beaded work is one-of-a-kind for the simple reason that I get bored making the same thing over and over. I try to use the best quality components and the most careful workmanship possible.
My favorite gems are: tourmalines (of all colors), turquoise, amazonite, all kinds of pearls, jade, iolite, pyrite, garnets, amethysts, aquamarines, Peruvian and pink opals, all kinds of quartz, jaspers and agates, and of course I also love the “biggies”: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, precious topaz and opals, but I use them only sparingly in these pieces.
I have sold my things in shops and galleries in and around Los Angeles and I am now offering them here on Etsy.
One of the pieces that I am most proud of is a sterling silver pendant, which I call “Terramor.” It is a heart-shaped world globe. You can see it here in my shop. For a while, it was for sale in the gift shops of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC and the Museum of Natural History in New York.
Today, Grace Trees Jewelry is a carefully curated collection of my handmade creations, estate treasures, unusual gemstones, artisan jewelry, and one-of-a-kind finds gathered over decades of collecting and creating. Every piece is selected because it has something special to say—whether it’s the beauty of the stone, the craftsmanship, the history, or simply the joy it brings.
