From Grandma's Attic to Your Finger: The Joy of Heirloom Jewelry

Have you ever wondered if there was a way to wear your family's history on your finger? Well, now there is! With custom rings, you can choose to use heirloom stones to create a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. This is a wonderful way to keep your family's history alive while also creating a beautiful piece of jewelry that you can wear every day. If you're interested in learning more about this process, keep reading! We'll walk you through everything you need to know, from finding the right stones to getting the perfect fit. So what are you waiting?

Here is an “Before & After” of repurposing my client’s heirloom emerald and diamonds to this beautiful modern & chic statement ring!

Schedule your complimentary consultation today!

2022 Year in Review

Just like that, it’s 2023!

It took me a whole month to catch up with everything since we returned home from our trip to Taiwan in mid Jan. Now I can really figure out the goal for this year.

So much happened in 2022 and I still can’t wrap up my head around how time flies these days. The biggest accomplishment is that I survive the first year of motherhood and yet also working full time in my studio (pat on my shoulders)! Last year is all about learning and adapting our new life with a baby. She brings us so much joy and love……and those sleepless nights…..lol

Here are couple projects I did in 2022 that I’d like to share with y’all!

If you are thinking starting a custom project with me this year, now it’s a perfect time to start! Feel free to reach out via my email!

A versatile ring for a firefighter that wants to share his love of flowers and nature in his wedding band. Hand carved 18k rose gold band with color sapphires.

A sweet boyfriend wants to recreate this pendant in a modern style that his girlfriend lost as a surprise gift. Hand fabricated and engraved in sterling silver.

Just love how stunning this sapphire is! Such a natural beauty!

A memorial pendant of puppy foot print and his birthstone for my client to cherish the life of her deceased puppy.

A hand-carved Blue Ridge mountain wedding band for a musician that loves NC mountains and bluegrass.

A chic “Push Present” from a sweet husband to his wife, celebrating their first baby boy by using baby’s foot print, their initials, and birthstone.

Hand engraved matching wedding bands inspired by their heritage and roots.

Out of town notice 12/24/2022 - 1/16/2023

Announcement:

I’ll be out of town visiting my family in Taiwan from 12/24/2022 - 1/16/2023, while I’m not physically in my studio I will still be able to reply your inquiries and questions via email. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

XOXO

Hsiang-Ting

Interview with Canvas Rebel: Meet Hsiang-Ting Yen

Thank you Canvas Rebel for this interview! Check out the full article here!

3 Muses Collaboration is LIVE now!

It’s incredible what happens when artists from vastly different artistic disciplines come together. To bring our ideas to life, we spent countless hours putting our heads together, designing and testing various iterations.

After many months collaborating and working together, we are so excited to launch this new collection: 3 Muses by Ameigh Art + HTY Jewelry + Nazz Ares. This limited collection includes a hanging wall sculpture, a jewelry set (earrings and necklace), and a leather handbag.

The 3 Muses collection captures each of our signature styles and balances them perfectly, with timeless colors and materials. Much like our friendship began, with mutual admiration of each other’s work, the idea of working together became a no brainer! What could be more fun than getting together, and collaborating, with your artist friends in the studio?

Check out this collection in-person on this First Friday at Artspace! You can also use the preorder link to make your order today! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

ACT Insurance Artist Spotlight: The Burnishing Of A Business

Thank you ACT Insurance & Brianna Hale for this feature!

Check out the full article here: https://www.actinsurance.com/blog/the-burnishing-of-a-business/act-artist-spotlight

Welcome to our newest team member!

Fiona came to our life on Jan 13, 2022, welcome to the world little “Blub”, we love you so much!

Announcements: Holiday Delivery & Maternity Leave

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope y’all had a wonderful holiday weekend with your loved ones!

Two big announcements I’d like to share here.

1. Holiday Delivery: December 10 will be the last day to place your HTY Jewelry Collection order for Christmas Eve delivery, and please select USPS Priority or UPS 2nd Day Express in order to avoid holiday season potential shipping delays. (This does not apply to Custom Jewelry Service).

2. Maternity Leave: We are going to have a baby girl “Blub” (we don’t have a real name for her yet) in Jan 2022! My maternity leave starts on Jan 10, and I’m planning on taking 4-6 weeks of maternity leave, while I’m on my leave……

   • If you are interested in my HTY Jewelry Collection: While I’m away from my studio, I’ll still have access to ship out my in-stock jewelry collection during my leave, but you might need to wait till late Feb for made-to-order items, I’ll reach out to you if there is going to be a wait.

   • If you are interested in Custom Jewelry & Custom Bridal Service: You can still reach out to me via email at hsiangtingyen@htyjewelry.com for questions and consultations. We can work on the designs during this period of time, but you will have to wait till I return to my studio from my maternity leave around end of Feb - early March for the fabrication part, thank you for understanding!

     If you still have questions regarding to these two announcements, please feel free and reach out to me, I’ll be happy to assist you!

   Happy Holidays and stay safe!

HTY Jewelry is on PBS NC "NC Weekend"!!!

How many times you got to share with your friends, family and fans that you are on national TV!???

HTY Jewelry is featured on PBS NC “NC Weekend - Handcrafted Arts” tonight at 9pm on channel 4! Also, Artspace director Anna Lee is wearing HTY Jewelry Reveal Statement Earrings for the interview with the show host Deborah Holt. Stay tuned!!! If you are out of NC state, you can still watch the show via this link: https://www.pbs.org/video/promo-handcrafted-arts-i2oq3j/

Hope you enjoy it!!!

And here are some sneak peak pics from this episode!

Check out my latest interview with VoyageRaleigh!

It was great honored to be nominated by my friend Catherine Davis with Catherine Davis Photography to have this in-depth interview with Voyage Raleigh Magazine, part of the LA-based Voyage Group of Magazines. Their mission is to promote mom and pops, artists, creatives, makers and small businesses by providing a platform for these hidden gems to tell their stories in their own words.

The interview is about the story how I started HTY Jewelry and how I was able to successfully navigate my business through Covid crisis last year and this year.

You can read the full story by click HERE, enjoy!

Hsiang-Ting

HTY Jewelry is on TV!

I was invited by SCAD TV last Feb to Savannah GA for an interview conducted in Mandarin sharing my experience in my career development after graduating from SCAD, and the video is finally available to share in public, check it out!

What's new in 2021?

Getting ready for my very first First Friday!

Many exciting things are happening this Spring, with more and more people getting vaccinated (#Iamvaccinated), things are opening back up with less restrictions. Here are couple of new changes and updates happening in my studio starting this year.

1. First Friday is back! Artspace has resumed the First Friday event from 5 - 8pm starting in April, we had a soft opening back in March following CDC guideline and we had a great turn out, it just feels so good to be able to share our passion in arts and designs to local peeps! Mask and temperature check are required to enter the building in order to provide a safe environment for all the visitors, artists, and staff members, hoping to see some friendly faces on May 7 and all the future First Fridays!

2. Artspace is preparing to be fully open to the general public starting in May, but if you want to visit my studio for a tour or custom consultation, please use this link to schedule your appointment.

3. I’m currently accepting new custom jewelry inquires. Generally, it takes approximately 6-8 weeks to complete a custom project, please keep this time frame in mind if you want to have jewelry custom made for special occasions.

Counting down 2020

2020, what a year!

I’m reading my 2020 New Year Resolutions that I wrote down back in December, 2019 without knowing the pandemic was coming 3 months later will turn everyone’s life completely up side down. I had a really decent 2019, both personally and professionally, I was ambiguous and ready to keep the momentum rolling for 2020.

But then the pandemic hit, I have to put a pause on so many things, I have to learn how to live with uncertainty, be grateful, and be content. I’m grateful that even my business was impacted drastically by the pandemic but at least my hubby still has a stable job that can provide for both of us in my down time. We couldn’t do much travels so we shifted our time and energy to home remodeling and finally finished the outdoor projects that’s been putting off for years and provides us a backyard oasis to relax and connect during the quarantine and stay-at-home order. I moved my home studio to downtown Raleigh Artspace to gain more exposure to metro RTP clienteles, and it has worked, I’m starting to getting more custom orders from people finding me on Google. We even rescued a kitty cat “TC” during the lockdown back in May, it was trapped in a giant tree at a grocery store parking lot during a bad storm, we helped him climb down the tree and brought him home with us, this energetic kitty bounced back only within a day or two, he sure brought us so much joy and laughters. Most importantly, we are healthy and alive, so as our family and friends, that’s really all that matters.

One thing I learned this year is that love still happens no matter what, I’m fortunate enough to continue help my clients to celebrate their life journeys. I want to share one of my favorite custom projects that I did this year, this engagement + wedding ring set was design for this sweet couple, the Rococo motif is inspired by their love story. The moment when they realized they are meant for each other was when they found out they both have a half one dollar bill in their wallets on music concert date, it’s like they finally find their missing half, literally. She wanted to integrate this one dollar bill love story to the ring design, it took me a couple days to figure out how to do it without being cheesy or too literal, eventually I came up with the idea to combine her love of ornate design jewelry with the rococo motif designs in the one dollar bill as the main design element of her ring. I re-purposed 11 of her heirloom diamonds for the engagement ring center diamond and accent diamonds, I also added two custom cut sapphires in the engagement ring and three pear shaped diamonds for the wedding band. I’m not bragging, but I’m so happy how it turned out, I have to pat on my shoulders for this one, because she LOVES IT! Many congrats to K & W!!!

I have so much mixed feelings about 2020, I’m just glad we made it (almost) in one piece, that’s all I can ask for! Cheers to a better 2021 and thank you for your continuous support!!!

Happy Holidays!

Signing off,

Hsiang-Ting

Adapting to the New Normal

As we are rolling into the third quarter with Covid this year, I’m still learning to adapt just like everyone else one day at a time, and today I have two exciting news I would love to share with you!

1. CenterFest 2020 is going “Virtual“ this year!

Have you heard of “Virtual Art Show”? This is a new alternative way that many show organizations are offering this year, instead of going to the craft shows in-person, now you can still support the artists by attending the virtual shows in the comfort of your own home! (p.s. It’s never too late to get ready for the holidays!)

September 19, 2020
Virtual Broadcast starting at 6:00pm
Visit CenterFest2020.org for all virtual event programming

CenterFest 2020: The heart of Durham in the comfort of your own home

For 45 years, the Durham Arts Council has proudly presented the CenterFest Arts Festival on the third weekend in September, attracting up to 35,000 attendees to downtown Durham for a lively weekend of visual arts, performing arts, a showcase of community organizations, plus food and fun for all ages. CenterFest is nationally ranked in the Top 100 Fine Arts Festivals in the United States and is North Carolina’s longest running juried outdoor arts festival. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the in-person downtown festival cannot take place in 2020. Instead, the Durham Arts Council is creating a lively online virtual CenterFest that will feature visual and performing arts, memories and highlights of CenterFest over the years, plus sponsor highlights and special interactive features.

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Stop by my studio 201 to say hi : )

2. Artspace is reopening on Sep 18!

Artspace has been closed to the general public since March due to the pandemic, but with state of NC is moving into phase 2.5, Artspace is finally easing some of the restrictions and starting to offer shorter hours of open hours to the general public next week!

Starting Friday, September 18, Artspace will reopen to the public on Fridays and Saturdays from 11am-5pm. Artspace is open to visitors by appointment Tuesday-Thursday from 11am-3pm. Appointments must be made at least one week prior to visiting. We will continue to monitor recommendations and guidelines issued by the CDC and the State to determine when it is safe to expand our operating hours. Face covering is required for everyone and Artspace is providing access to hand sanitizers throughout the entire building.

I’m so excited about this progress, that’s one of the main reasons why I decided to move my studio to downtown Raleigh and I’m really hoping it will work out for everyone, we all need this!

I’m still accepting private appointment for all my custom jewelry orders, and it can also be done virtually, you can schedule your consultation today!

Signing off & stay well,

Hsiang-Ting

HTY Jewelry in Artspace

I’m sitting at my desk in my new studio space while writing this blog post, I’m officially moved in to Artspace downtown Raleigh in early July and opened for business just last week, it took my hubby and I roughly two weeks to prepare the studio space, including repaint the wall ( I decided to go bold with dark color, I’m so in love with the deep blue I chose, it really makes everything pop in my studio, and it keeps my studio cozy and chic.), set up all the equipment and tools, decorating the space which I didn’t have room to do in my old space, and most importantly- putting my new jeweler’s bench together, it was so much work than I expected, but it was worth it!

My first day in my new space.

My enameling station and jeweler’s bench.

My little office area.

I just want to share two behind the scene stories during my setup, I hope you might find it entertaining. When I was waiting for my new bench delivery, the freight company delivered the wrong parcel, instead of getting my 200lb of solid wood jeweler’s bench I ended up with 200lb of k-cup in boxes that supposed to go to a local coffee distributor just few miles away from me, this was one of the reasons my reopen was delayed. After many times of back and forth calls, the freight company was able to locate my bench and made the switch while I was on vacation, easy peasy, and my bench was delivered safe and sound. But boy, the facial expression on my hubby’s face when he opened the k-cup boxes was priceless ; P

I got wrong delivery from the freight company, 200lb of k-cup but no bench lol.

In addition, I was able to find the perfect chairs for my sitting area during our trip, we were in Spruce Pine, NC for my birthday, it’s a cute little mountain town just outside of Asheville known for its gem mines, and we stumped into this cute antique shop, I spotted this Rococo (or I thought) style mis-matched walnut chair right away, they have beautiful ornate wood carvings on the backs, armrests, and legs with new upholstery. It was love in the first sight and the price was so affordable, I didn’t think twice but bought these chairs even without knowing if we actually have space in our car, we had our dog Nora with us for the trip as well (speaking of impose buying lol). I’m so glad we didn’t camp but decided to stay in a RV for my birthday trip because there was no way we can fit everything if we’ve camped, it was meant to be.  Couple days later, I was just curious about the history of these chairs since the owner didn’t really know much about them. I found out they are actually Victorian style dining chairs from the 1900s, I believe they are from that era but not replica because the steel metal riveting works on the back of the chairs. Then my jew dropped when I saw the prices listed on the major antique websites because I only paid less than 1/20 of the price to the store, I feel like I was one of those lucky patrons from “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS!  

My favorite spot in the whole space with my precious Victorian era dining chairs.

I’ve been working in my new space for a little over a week now, and I truly enjoyed it. I found myself getting more work done and staying focused in a professional working environment without distractions, the benefits have outweighed the inconveniences. The Artspace is also taking precautions to protect all the artists and staff in the building in response to Covid 19. While the building is still closed to the general public, I can meet clients in my studio space, and all guests are required to wear face covering during the visit, we also provide surgical mask and hand sanitizer for all visitors. Interested in having a custom jewelry made just for you or your loved one? Send me an email or check out my website to start the conversation today!

Signing off, 

Hsiang-Ting