THE W GALLERY FEATURE ARTIST

Tess Young

Profile

Jewelry Designer: Tess Young

Location: Cleveland Heights, OH (Currently residing in Berkeley, CA)

Experience: 10+ Years

Materials: Silver and gold jewelry, using primarily recycled metal. Stones are usually acquired through western gemstone shows and unique California stone suppliers. .

Influences: Not a lot of recognizable jewelers to name- design ideas come mostly from a vast array of more abstract influences in nature. A primary inspiration for each design is the stones themselves...rough or unpolished gemstones, crystals, and natural minerals and the shapes that compliment them. The properties of metal in melting, fusing, hammering and soldering are also a strong influence as I like to show some of these alterations in the pieces. I am also influenced by the moon and the cosmos, and other natural shapes- many of my pieces echo forms found in the universe like orbits, rock texture or simple, natural geometric shapes.

Connect: Instagram. Facebook, Website

This jewelry line is something I started in 2009 in Chicago when I realized that making jewelry is what I truly wanted to do. I'd been studying illustration and painting essentially my entire life until this point, where I'd picked up a hammer and a torch and fell in love with this process; this relationship between hands and metal. I'm currently working from San Francisco's Bay Area, out of a funky little studio in South Berkeley. To try to define my work is difficult because it has a different effect on different people. I would say that I'm drawn to simple shapes and natural, effortless forms that compliment the body rather than adorn it with excessive shine. A lot of my pieces, I've noticed through the years, are directly inspired by the sun, the moon and celestial forms, though many of these choices were unconsciously made. I believe in a person's relationship to their jewelry. Our rings, our earrings, our necklaces and all pieces are quite literally attached to us, and in turn we become very emotionally connected to our jewelry. This is a charming and curious human behavior that I intend to satisfy and explore for the rest of my career. I hope you enjoy my work and can become as attached to it as I have.

Stop by The W Gallery to view some of Tess's incredible work or check out other items in our online store.