Jewelry
About Me
In one way or another, I’ve been designing and creating all my life. From the outfits I used to sew and crochet for my Barbie and Revlon dolls when I was twelve (we’re going back a long long long way here), through the custom leatherwork I did on and off for twenty years—deerskin bags, tiffany style lamps, archery quivers—to two decades of designing jewelry.
Originally from New York City, where I began as a teacher, life cajoled me into an eclectic assortment of creative endeavors. In Woodstock, NY, I did leatherwork and beading for a number of years. In Ft. Lauderdale, FL, I owned a leather shop. During my years in Chapel Hill, NC, I belonged to a fine craft cooperative. Now from beautiful Asheville, NC, my home for over twenty years, I continue to design and craft jewelry.
My work has been sold through salon shows, gallery and studio sales, private commissions, and through my online Etsy shop Rachelle Rogers Jewelry Design.
About My Designs
I’m drawn to a variety of materials, including metals, unusual gemstones, fine beads, freshwater pearls, and most recently Greek licorice and round leather, and Italian flat leather. My collection of mixed metal jewelry—sterling silver, copper and brass—utilizes various techniques including forming, texturizing, riveting, antiquing/oxidizing, and stamping with both metal stamps, and rubber stamps using archival, acid free ink. Metal is cut by hand, and I use cold connections. Originally, I began working with copper and brass as an alternative to the high cost of precious metals, but I soon found there was nothing to substitute for the look and feel of real sterling silver. The compromise was using a smaller amount and combining it with other metals for new, more organic creative possibilities. Leather bracelets are made in a variety of licorice, round, and flat leathers to which sliders, charms, and gemstones with spirals of sterling silver, copper, or bronze have been added. The majority of my pieces are one-of-a-kind. I seek out the unusual and am always excited to discover something new and different to add to my jewelry designs. I very much enjoy combining unexpected colors and textures, and using various materials together. I hope I’ve succeeded in putting into my jewelry the lightness, joy, and magic I feel while creating it. Please visit and “Like” my
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