Wedding Bells are ringing

As spring approaches, so do more weddings, proposals, and declarations of love. Something about the sun not only warms our faces but our hearts too!
Check out this custom designed wedding ring set for Liz and Doug. Liz fell in love with a 7mm wide sterling silver band with .20ct champagne rose-cut diamond set in 18k yellow gold and with one single 22k gold granule. She created her own combination by matching it with a hammered 22k gold band (my favvvorite metal ever) and a very very thin 14k gray gold band. The color play and warmth of the gold radiate from her hand. Doug decided to go with a hammered palladium 950 ring that has a rustic feel. He works with his hands and will only add character to the band over time. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

The Grand Hand

Britta Lynn Design jewelry is now available at The Grand Hand Gallery in St. Paul! This is one of my favorite galleries in Minnesota and I am so happy to be among other local and regional artist they represent. The Grand Hand continually offers the best of contemporary fine American craft from local artisans to well established national icons in a variety of media: wood, fiber, glass, clay, and of course jewelry. Stop by to see my full collection!

New Designs

I promise to post new designs as soon as I have a photo shoot. I am working on a collection of tree knot inspired designs with granulation and winged friends with a newly learned technique called Keum Boo. In the meantime, enjoy these never before posted designs:

Custom Design

I had the privilege to create a pair of custom designed wedding rings for a couple in search of new rings to symbolize their commitment. They stumbled upon me at a First Thursday at the Northrup King and found a ring they both were drawn to for different reasons. I love to name my designs because they each have their own story, but I usually try to name them ambiguous enough so each person can interpret the design to their own experiences and not just fall into my interpretation- but I have not settled on a name for this design. I have called this reticulated sterling silver and fine silver granulation design "Nature's Crown", "Seedlings", "Wave" and the list goes on. This ring fit the couple so perfect for different reasons: He is a landscape artist and the swells and valleys of the silver reminded him of landscapes while she is a student studying agriculture and she preferred the seedling interpretation of the granulation. We oxidized the finished product to give them a very rustic, earthy feel. They seem as though they were just pulled from an archaeological dig. I was very excited about these rings and the meaning they both had for the couple. I hope they enjoy them for years to come.

Rings as Personal Statement

Rings are always one of my favorite pieces of jewelry to design and to wear. They are a very personal piece of jewelry as many times they have symbolic meaning: wedding rings, class rings, mother's rings. Rings are special because they are enjoyed not only by the spectator, but the wearer themselves.

I love to work in ancient techniques and antique gems. There is a close relationship the piece of jewelry and the handmade process. I choose to work in granulation which was a symbol of the Etruscan culture, and rose cut gems which were one of the first styles of polished gemstones in history. Here are some designs that blend these styles and techniques to create a story for each piece and its wearer.

Jewels, Jewels, Jewels!

So often when I start a piece of work, I have a sketch of my idea and I have thought about execution even before I begin the initial saw-blade cut or hammer mark. But as a I begin the process of the design the metal usually has its own intentions. I never create a piece exactly like the original sketch because as it evolves it becomes something of its own and helps direct me to the final design.