“As with all of my work, I create everything, start to finish, in my California studio. I source recycled and Fairmined gold (on request) from a refiner in Virginia and create the 22-karat alloy at my studio. The alloy I use is one that was commonly used in antiquity. There is a bit of copper in it, which gives it this beautiful warm glow. I’m working in a way that is very similar to how jewelry has been made for thousands of years. The biggest difference is that I get to use steel tools. Otherwise, most of my pieces are almost entirely made using hand tools, occasionally using an electric tool to drill or engrave something.”

— Loren Nicole

“I enjoy collecting art and antiquities. I thought it would be a beautiful passion to carry into the collection, as well as connect my time as an archaeologist with the jewelry I’m creating. The bronze pieces in particular are my favorite to design. The rich verdigris patina that occurs naturally to bronze over time is a striking complement to high-karat gold. In past pieces, I have only worked with the two metals. For this bracelet, I added small diamonds to soften the contrast of the metals.”

— Loren Nicole

“This ring was sparked during a visit to the Museum of Fine Art in Boston many years ago. It was the first ancient ring I had encountered in this style and was carved completely of rock crystal (which I’ve come to learn is unusual). I’ve since discovered that this shape was popular in the ancient Mediterranean. Sometimes you fall in love with something instantly and know that you have to create something from that experience. Much like the original, I designed it in rock crystal, which is one of my favorite materials to work with. I decided to add an inner gold band because I love the effect of rock crystal over gold. The cut of this ring as a cabochon onto a cabochon even more dramatically shows the optical effect of gold displayed through the layers of rock crystal.”

— Loren Nicole

“The design comes from a popular style of jewelry seen throughout pre-Colombia, worn as a nose ring. Prior to becoming a goldsmith, I was an archeologist, predominately working on the North Coast of Peru. As a result, I feel a strong connection to pre-Colombian cultures and their design. When I designed these earrings I was specifically thinking of the Moche culture. They wore this style on a much larger scale as a nose ring that would cover their mouths. I add the pearls around the edge to reference another Moche jewelry style, an ear plug, which has oversized gold granules that adorn the edge.”

— Loren Nicole