The allure of the earring is a powerful thing. Boldly framing a face or subtly peeking through hair, it’s an accessory that has adorned ears for a millennium.
Here in Western New York, local jewelry artisans have elevated the earring using a broad spectrum of materials and techniques to create handmade statement pieces by the pair. Gold, silver, gemstones, leather, porcelain, industrial steel—these visionary accessories don’t grace the cases of big-box jewelers. Instead, they’re crown jewels unique to the Queen City, made two by two and only found here.
Natisha Mosier, owner of Blue Rochelle, started making porcelain jewelry after taking several ceramics classes with her son. She started with beads and pendants, then took online “lost wax” casting classes during the pandemic and began crafting delicate porcelain earrings robed in gold.
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“Something that started out as spending time with my son turned into a passion,” she explains. “Some of my first pieces were pinch pot bowls and tiny spoons, then I started to get the idea to create art that could be worn daily.”
Lynn Schwab of Lynn Schwab Jewelry also started making jewelry as a mom 40 years ago, when her children were babies, as a source of income and an outlet for creativity. Over the decades, she’s cultivated a boldness that expresses itself in her leaf-shaped statement earrings.
Earrings made by Katie Toth of Trebird Jewelry.
“In the beginning, you’re not as confident in your design process,” she says. “But as time moves along, you’re growing and learning and start taking risks. I’ve developed a design style and confidence over time.”
Katie Toth of Trebird Jewelry has experienced a maker’s metamorphosis over time, too. Following a metalsmithing course at SUNY Buffalo State, she started making jewelry out of old or broken skateboards. In time, she transitioned to sterling silver, turquoise and sometimes brass to create earrings that straddle the line between beauty and badass.
The material choice for Alexa Joan Wajed’s “Fleathers” (leather feathers) is pretty and practical in equal measure. The visual artist behind Eat Off Art, she upcycles scraps of leather leftover from a local manufacturer to create earrings that have a presence on the ears—but are light on the lobes.
“I noticed how many people that wear earrings had torn earlobes,” she says. “So the need for Fleathers was apparent. How can you make elaborate earrings light and easy to wear? I can make them large or small and they are still light as a feather. My mission, you could say, is to allow people to be expressive with their ear accessories and not damage their ears.”
Unlike a pendant or ring, one of the challenges inherent in creating earrings is that they are a matched pair—something local designers find either frustrating or freeing.
“The first one of the pair is great! It’s wonderful designing something new,” says Donna Angelo of DNA Jewelry Designs. “Its match ... not so much. It’s challenging to get earrings to match. The metalwork, size, gemstones, length. That’s where the second one of the set can be stressful.”
For Natisha, the mismatch is part of her process.
“Ideally I would like each pair to be uniform, but due to the nature of hand building and lost wax casting, I’ve learned to embrace the perfectly imperfect,” she says. “It’s part of the art form, and I love it.”
Whether symmetrical or purposely asynchronous, like the Balance Collection she designed, earrings are the jewelry of choice for Gretchen Meyers, owner of Peg’s Hardware.
“For me, earrings are essential,” she explains. “I literally feel incomplete if I walk out of the house without earrings on. They are the exclamation point to an outfit.”
While Donna can’t wear her own industrial metal creations due to a metal allergy, she loves seeing how others adorn an outfit.
“Earrings are the easiest way to show a bit of your personality and your individual style,” she says. “I know a little bit about you when I see what accessories you choose.”
It’s not uncommon to see local jewelry makers rocking pieces made by colleagues, too. Alexa has a drawer of jewelry she’s been gifted over the years by fellow makers. Gretchen prefers to see her work on other people instead of herself. Lynn sees supporting other local jewelers as a sisterhood of sorts.
“I have a personal collection that includes the work of other jewelry designers,” Lynn says. “Talent is abundant in this town, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
