The Story Behind the Work

My path to wire jewelry was anything but direct.

Like a lot of creative journeys, mine started during the pandemic. I had already dabbled in leatherworking and blacksmithing, but I found my way into lapidary through formal classes and something about it just clicked. There is something deeply satisfying about taking raw material that came out of the ground and turning it into something polished and beautiful. I started with cabochons, added faceting later, and pretty quickly ended up with a growing collection of stones and a practical problem: what do I actually do with all of these?

Wire wrapping turned out to be the answer. It was accessible, didn't require a fully equipped metalsmithing studio, and gave me a way to build settings that could actually showcase the stones I was cutting. What started as a solution became its own obsession, and here we are.

A Craft That Fits My Brain

I was diagnosed with ADHD not too long ago, and a lot of things made more sense after that — including why this craft works so well for me. Wire jewelry sits in a sweet spot where precision matters, there is always something new to learn, and the work itself is genuinely absorbing. When I'm at the bench I don't have to fight to stay engaged. The puzzles are interesting, the progress is visible, and there is always another technique or stone or design challenge waiting on the other side of the current one.

That doesn't mean it's always easy. But when I hit a difficult element, working through it feels more like curiosity than frustration. I think that comes through in the finished pieces.

What You Can Expect

My background in research shapes everything about how I approach a commission. I am meticulous about materials, transparent about process, and genuinely collaborative by nature. When you work with Wistful Adornments, you are not placing an order — you are beginning a conversation. I will keep you informed at every stage, from stone selection through the final wrap, and I won't begin work until you are confident in the design and the cost.

Every piece is made by hand, one at a time, in Silver Spring, Maryland. The stones are chosen — and often cut — with intention. The wire is shaped with care. And the result, I hope, is something that feels quietly extraordinary: a gentle escape you can wear every day.