About Our Designers
Laurie DonovanReceived her BFA from U Mass, Dartmouth in 1977, in Visual Design specializing in graphic arts and jewelry making. Laurie has been designing and hand fabricating fine jewelry for over 35 years. She is a recipient of the prestigious Spectrum Design Award given by the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) annually for excellence in the use of colored gemstones, superb design and craftsmanship. Laurie's jewelry is created from precious metals and fine gemstones. She specializes in unique one of kind pieces. Her jewelry is completely hand made. Each piece is durably constructed, exquisitely finished, made to be worn and enjoyed for a lifetime. Laurie's work has been featured in numerous publications and galleries over the years. Come see the work of Laurie Donovan and many other fine artist/craftsmen at Laurie Donovan Designs. Our gallery/workshop has been located in Lenox for 40 years. We pride ourselves on being the Berkshires premier jewelers and designer goldsmiths. High Season Hours: Monday - Thursday 10AM- 6PM, Friday and Saturday 10AM - 8PM, Sunday 11-5. Off-Season Hours: Thursday - Monday 10AM - 6PM, Sundays 12-4. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Justin PisilaJustin Pisila is the lead goldsmith for Laurie Donovan Designs. His work is meticuluously flawless and precise. Shown below are pieces created by Justin.
Alex SepkusWe see in Alex's work an irresistible playfulness, even a quirkiness, unrivaled in the world of the goldsmith. Alex Sepkus is internationally known and on display in numerous galleries throughout the country. Alex names his pieces based on things he finds intriguing in life. Hence the "fence" ring, the "stone path" band, etc. His pieces are frequently textured and accented with small diamonds.
Come see the work of Alex Sepkus and many other fine artist/craftsmen at Laurie Donovan Designs. Our gallery/workshop has been located in Lenox for 30 years. We pride ourselves on being the Berkshires premier jewelers, gemologists and designer goldsmiths. We are open daily in summer and Tuesday Through Saturday the rest of the year round.
Britt AndersonBritt Anderson explores anticlastic forming to create his dynamic jewelry, allowing him unlimited possibilities of lines and curves. Anderson forms each piece by drawing patterns onto flat sheets of gold and then hand hammering the metal until it becomes three-dimensional. The forming and finishing of each item is extremely labor intensive, making the creation of two sets of earrings in one day an accomplishment. Though complicated and demanding, anticlastic forming allows for exceptionally strong, lightweight and visually appealing jewelry. The artist uses only recycled,ecologically processed gold for all of his pieces.
Eva StoneThe jewelry of Ewa and Rafael Szyszko emits passion and joy. Our own silver studio and cutting-workshop of precious stones allows the two to create even the most free ideas of designers. The trade mark Eva Stone is the synonym of unique and full fantasy jewelry, allowing the connection of silver and other metals with sophisticated and extraordinary shaped stones.
Evy EdelmanEvy's inspiration for jewelry comes from a lifetime of travel to Europe and Asia. Her passion for Byzantine and Asian art is reflected in many of her exotic gold designs and is achieved using the ancient technique of granulation. Featuring high karat gold, silver and genuine precious stones of rare form, clarity and color, Evy creates unique hand crafted and high-quality precious jewelry that is truly one of kind. Her unique talent was recently celebrated with an AGTA Spectrum Honorable Mention award in the bridal category. Evy resides in New York City and Long Island with her husband Bob. Her designs can be seen in galleries and personal collections throughout the world. Granulation is a process that causes very small gold beads to adhere to the surface metal, through heat, with no apparent solder. Granulation can be applied in designs or lines to form textures or designs. This has been a popular way to decorate and texture jewelry items since ancient times. The technique has been known since Etruscan times and was revived in the 19th century.
Gita DyerGita Dyer was born on an organic farm near Frankfurt, Germany and received her primary and secondary education at the Waldorf School there. In 1969 she enrolled at the Zeichenakademie Hanau (a school for metal work and art), graduating in July 1972 as a journeyman goldsmith. The following year she took additional courses in stone setting, metal chasing, and enameling at the same school. In her first journeyman year (May 1973 to July 1974) she worked in the studio of Werner Lorentz in Idar-Oberstein, Germany. Her second journeyman year (September 1974 to August 1975) was spent in the goldsmith shop of Reiner Model in Stuttgart, Germany. The next year she returned to the Zeichenakademie Hanau for the Goldsmith Master class graduating in July 1977 as Designer and Master Goldsmith. Since 1978 she and her husband Richard have lived in Hillsdale, New York in the house they built themselves. Her studio is there at home. She loves the delicate contrast of gold and silver in the same piece, and incorporates this in many of her designs, along with combining precious cut stones with ordinary stones and sea shells. Come see the work of Gita Dyer and many other fine artist/craftsmen at Laurie Donovan Designs. Our gallery/workshop has been located in Lenox for 30 years. We pride ourselves on being the Berkshires premier jewelers and designer goldsmiths. We are open daily in summer and Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5 the rest of the year round.
MichouMichele Sonner's love of art, antiques and history first drew her into jewelry design over twenty years ago. Michele was so inspired that she found herself in Bali apprenticing with their artisans and learning skills that had been handed down over countless generations. And so Michou was born marrying modern design with an ancient art form learned from experienced Balinese artisans. "I create collections that women can connect with and embrace; each piece is ageless, filled with heart so that it becomes part of the woman who wears it."
Munya Avigail UpinMunya Avigail Upin has been working with metal for over 50 years.She has taught at the University of Wisconsin, Southwest Texas State University, Haystck, Penland and numerous art centers throughout the United States. She has been awarded a Mid-America Arts Alliance fellowship, Niche award and others.
Phillip ZahmThe focal point of Phillip Zahm's jewelry is based on his hunt for the finest gemstones. Phillip travels to the source and is the creator of his product. His jewelry is exquisitely crafted with accents of mele diamonds and other lovely color combinations. He uses 18K yellow or white gold to create these incredible heirlooms.
Sarah GrahamBy incorporating innovative materials with her exceptional design sense, Sarah Graham creates jewelry that is unlike anything else; organic, textural, with a muted palate that is subtly feminine, yet substantial; unique, yet universal in its appeal. The natural inspiration behind the jewelry – whether cast directly from Jacaranda Pods and decayed wood or rendered in wax from a microscopic view of single cell marine organisms – gives her designs a texture and feel that makes them infinitely wearable. But it is the matte black finish of oxidized cobalt chrome juxtaposed with 18k yellow, rose and white gold, set with colored diamonds, that is its’ most eye-catching element.
So Young ParkSo Young Park's contemporary jewelry forms and theory are inspired from her thesis, Nativity and memories from her childhood. She grew up near the ocean in the southern part of South Korea. So Young used to play with sea life and plants and collected many different kinds of shells and pebbles. Her jewelry art forms are assembled through the harmonic use of wires, tiny discs, engraved patterns, and textures forged of gold or silver, creating elegant, yet unusual visual forms. The use of the aforementioned and other small elements represent the single cells that make up all life. So Young attended Kon-Kuk University in Seoul, South Korea. After earning a BFA and a MFA in metal and jewelry in 1999, she opened her own studio. In 2001 she decided to come to United States. She graduated with a second MFA in metal and jewelry design from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2003. Currently she is running her own jewelry and metals studio called So Young Park Studio.
Tai & TiaraTai & Tiara use techniques like fusion and texturing by chasing and repousse. They are inspired by nature's forms and integrate shapes, textures and images from celestial objects and plants into their works. Some of the most dramatic pieces reflect asymmetry and combine multiples of concave oval forms where the repetition creates unique and lush patterns. They mostly use precious metals like platinum, gold and silver. From the first design sketch to the last finishing touch, Tai & Tiara work as a team on every piece that comes out of their studio.
Vikki Eisenfeld
Retired now from the bench, Vikki pursued her metalsmith career using a blend of different colors and karats of gold, a technique known as "married metals". She also specialized in fine 24K woven gold incorporated into her work. We are pleased to have some of Vikki's pieces, previously owned, but still timelessly fashionable and beautifully made.
Retired now from the bench, Vikki pursued her metalsmith career using a blend of different colors and karats of gold, a technique known as "married metals". She also specialized in fine 24K woven gold incorporated into her work. We are pleased to have some of Vikki's pieces, previously owned, but still timelessly fashionable and beautifully made.
