I am honored to be featured in Raleigh Magazine’s “Crafting Beauty,” a feature on local Raleigh jewelry designers. My work was highlighted along with two other talented women for their July issue.
Cheers!
--------------------------------------------
A native of Taiwan, Hsiang-Ting Yen grew up fascinated by jewelry. She played with it as a child, collected it through adulthood, and since 2013, has sold it from her store in Raleigh.
Yen’s collections have grown from various influences including sculpture, geometric shapes, and bold colors. Looking at her portfolio, you can see her work shift as she is exposed to new muses, letting her “artistic gut” take over.
Imagine hand-crafted pieces made from sterling silver, electro-formed copper, enamel and 24k gold vermeil. Triangles cascade down her earrings, large ovals dangle from her necklaces, and her rings jump from traditional to her Black & Gold Armor Statement Ring, a warrior-like piece worthy of a superhero.
“I love earrings,” says Yen. “When I create a new collection, I start with earrings. They are my best sellers at shows. A lot of times I have to remind myself to make more than earrings to create a full collection.”
Her collection is both wearable and bold at the same time, designed for confident and unique women.For Yen, jewelry design has a dual purpose. There is her vision, and then there is her client’s. “For custom pieces, I help individualize the jewelry and help people create a piece that tells their own story,” says Yen.
Custom pieces range from wedding rings to men’s accessories, and sometimes even include heirlooms. A past client, for example, has hired Yen to make a ring repurposed from her great-grandmother’s pendant. In terms of custom pieces, Yen says that rings are her favorite to make.
Yen admits that her custom portfolio may seem “all over the place” because of the individual attention she must pay to each client. “My customer is my inspiration,” says Yen.
Yen started her business with a studio space and also attending craft shows all over the country. While Yen has had to cut down on her show attendance to focus on custom work, she still loves the shows and can be seen occasionally from San Francisco to Atlanta.
Click here for the full article: http://raleighmag.com/2017/06/crafting-beauty/