A note from the artist:
I had a wonderfully long career in book publishing before I became a jeweler. Working with books fueled my love of story and that love of creating narratives deeply influences my own approach to making jewelry. Each of my pieces is like a diary entry about a special experience, place, person, or moment. And, when you wear my jewelry, you'll bring your story to it.
I launched my first fine jewelry collection in fall 2013. Flowers and trees from my Brooklyn neighborhood, Buddhist architecture, beach treasure from countless summers spent in Montauk, and animals from my childhood in the country inspire the shapes and details in my jewelry. My love for understated elegance is what drives me to design and make pieces that are both luxurious and effortless to wear. My goal is to create jewelry that reminds you how elegant, beautiful, and special you are each time you wear it.
Wax carving, found-object casting, and traditional metalsmithing are the techniques I use to create my jewelry. All of my cast pieces are made with recycled precious metals and I use ethically sourced diamonds and colored gemstones so that you look and feel great every time you wear a piece of my jewelry. Most of my pieces have a soft matte--or cashmere--finish that feels luxurious against your skin.
Pieces from my collection have been featured in CoolHunting.com, Martha Stewart's blog, WMagazine.com, National Jeweler, JCK, and InStoreMag.com, among others. Tanya Dukes wrote in InStore: “[Judi’s] line is heavy on personal pieces you never want to take off”and that's exactly the aim of my jewelry: effortless, comfortable, timeless pieces you want to wear every day. I am also honored to have won an UncommonGoods Jewelry Design Challenge in September 2013, the same month that I launched my fine jewelry collection, and to have been a Martha Stewart American Made 2015 Style Finalist.
In 2013 I earned my AAS Degree (Summa Cum Laude) in Jewelry Design from F.I.T. I’ve studied jewelry making since 2001 and have taken classes at 92Y, Jewelry Arts Institute, S.V.A., Brooklyn Metal Works, and Studio Jewelers and I still take classes whenever I can. I also enjoy mentoring students and speaking at colleges and universities about career change and design entrepreneurship. I am a proud member of SNAG, Ethical Metalsmiths and WJA, where I serve as Secretary on the board of the New York Metro chapter.
In 2016 I exhibited at globalDESIGN within ACC Baltimore, JCK Las Vegas as a Design Center Rising Star, and at Luxury Privé.
