A piece of Napa Valley to wear...
Living in Napa Valley, it is easy to be inspired by the beauty that surrounds us...the striking terrain, the open sky, the rhythm of the vineyard rows, all contribute to the magic of these grounds. Walking through the vineyards of the Valley we are not only compelled by the beauty of the landscape, but by the land itself -- the varied geology and geography on display, as witness to the formation of this unique piece of the world...formed on one side by violent volcanic eruptions, the other by tectonic collisions of epic proportion, the Valley floor itself uplifted ancient seabed -- half of the world's soil types are represented here in this small valley.
Having worked with many media in the jewelry studio in the past, it was only natural for us to be compelled to bring these intriguing pieces of the vineyards into the studio, and cut, shape, polish -- transform their rustic charms into these refined pieces of jewelry...wearable pieces of actual terroir. Walking the vineyards with knapsack in hand, we search for interesting raw rock that the earth turns up for us, and with lapidary saws, grinders and polishing wheels, we uncover their hidden beauty, and add simple sterling silver or 14-kt goldfilled chains and accents.
We hope that our Wearable Terroir pieces evoke the geologic beauty, the geographic history and glorious wines of the Napa Valley. A toast to our storied home!
From Ground to Gorgeous...
The most oft asked question about our jewelry is in regards to exactly what happens between a dirty old rock picked up in the vineyard and the finely finished centerpieces of our work .
Using traditional lapidary (stone cutting and shaping) techniques, we utilize diamond encrusted saw blades to slice pieces from raw rock, then through many steps, we grind, shape and polish these rocks into the refined shapes and finely finished pieces we offer. Below is a series of images showing you both process and result from each incremental step along the way. The process is slow, arduous, exacting and very time consuming...and utterly joyful for us! We love uncovering the beauty hidden inside of these pieces of rock, like unwrapping a millions-year old gift from the vineyard.
