Wendy Newman

I see my jewelry pieces as a spot on the timeline of the history of metalsmithing. I use ancient fabrication techniques and stone setting combined with technical imagery that I feel will date my work to the turn of this century generations from now.

Colored stones are an important element in my work. I am a lapidary, as well as a metalsmith, and I cut most of my cabochons. I’ve been “rock hounding” since I was a child, and it’s become one of my favorite pastimes. It is always a challenge for me to balance the visual weight of the stone with the complexity of the metal work. It also provides a visual irony between the organic quality of the stone and the industrial quality of the metalwork. This is the balance of my life, hiking in the red rock canyons and working on the computer.

Presently, all my pieces are one-of-a-kind and fabricated from sheet and wire. I work in karat golds and sterling silver. I specialize in piercing (delicate sawing with a jeweler’s saw), giving the jewelry a feel of “modern filigree.” No lasers or other mass-production techniques are used. All the work is done in my Moab, UT studio. All the jewelry is made by me with the help of one full-time apprentice from the community.