"Unique Jewelry for a Unique Soul"
Letter from Libby
As a young girl, I spent hours playing in my mother and grandmother's jewelry drawers, which felt like treasure chests to me. Each woman had her own distinct style. My mother was a minimalist, preferring delicate and simple gold or silver pieces. My grandmother, on the other hand, enjoyed wearing bold and exotic statement pieces with colorful gemstones.
I was influenced by both of these distinct styles, which continue to inspire me and have shaped my deep love for jewelry. My design aesthetic embodies the contrast of minimalist and maximalist, which I translate into my work. I enjoy mixing materials that traditionally don’t go together: like oxidized sterling silver with polished gold or refined pearls strung with semi-precious stones and knotted with contrasting, colorful silk.
Because each of us is unique and should be able to express ourselves as such, I prefer to make one-of-a-kind pieces. Though I occasionally make replicas on request, I strive to create only one of each design, giving you an expression as unique as you are. When my customers tell me how much something I made means to them, I feel a sense of purpose, satisfaction, and happiness that I can't express in words. I always look forward to seeing how you’ll take my style and make it your own.
Sincerely,
Libby
About Libby Ash Designs
Libby Ash is committed to helping women feel confident and pretty by offering them jewelry designs they won't find anywhere else or on any other person. She designs and crafts jewelry that's uncomplicated, affordable, and comfortable for daily wear, and she only uses the best materials - like precious metals and semi-precious gemstones.
Libby has always loved jewelry - from playing with her mother and grandmother's pieces and dressing her Barbie dolls with earrings to accessorizing her own outfits with nearly every type of jewelry look. Throughout the years, one thought remained constant - no matter how much she liked a piece of jewelry, she'd always want to put her creative mark on it.
In 2013, Libby had the opportunity to take a precious metal clay workshop and fell in love with the process. Her interest led her to metalsmithing classes, which allowed her to constantly learn and grow her skills. Soon, she decided to take the leap and launch her own business and started by selling her jewelry at the local yoga studio where she practiced. Today, she's able to reach a much larger customer base through in-person events and her online shop.
Inspiration and Process
Libby especially loves contrast and unexpected combinations like soft and rough, dark and light, or feminine and edgy. She gets inspiration from everything - architecture, nature, colors, other jewelry, gem shows, and even her own photographs. For example, she'll review her photos, choose something she likes about a picture, and then start drawing in her notebook with colored pencils. She'll focus on one aspect of the design and then add to it and create variations. When she's drawing, she's also thinking about the process, like how she'll construct and solder the piece. Drawing is one of her favorite parts of creating!
Typically, Libby will work on several pieces at once. She'll prepare everything for soldering and then spend a full day making the pieces. After that, she finishes one piece at a time: setting stones, attaching stones, oxidizing metal, and polishing.