My name is Laura
Crawford, I'm 29 and I live in Long Beach, California.
To my mind, a great piece of jewelry should
intrigue both the wearer and the viewer. It should demand
a second look and elicit curiosity. With each piece, I delight
in making jewelry that asks you to look a little deeper...
jewelry that incorporates a bit of playful complexity... jewelry
that is beautiful for non-traditional reasons.
As a transplant to Southern California from
Oregon, I look for ways to bring nature into all aspects of
my life — especially my jewelry. I enjoy incorporating
not only silhouettes of trees, but also actual bits and pieces
of them. My recent work includes real leaves, bark and seeds
— all sealed and protected for durability. By bringing
these elements into my jewelry, I can introduce nature into
our daily lives in a very accessible way.
I design, craft and fabricate each piece of
jewelry by hand in my Long Beach studio. Because nothing is
"machined for accuracy," each piece is a unique
work of wearable art. In creating all of my jewelry, I use
high-quality Sterling silver, copper, traditional metalsmithing
tools and my imagination.
Using natural materials isn't just something
I do to be different. I believe that there is as much, if
not more, value in a leaf than any traditionally-precious
gem. And because I value nature so highly, and believe in
leaving a light footprint on the planet, I am committed to
producing jewelry and running my business in a sustainable
manner. I utilize materials that are renewable and/or have
a high recycled content. I creat high-quality, long-lasting
pieces. And I utilize sustainable tools like my bicycle and
wind power — all to ensure that I am doing my best to
respect nature.
Every day, I feel incredibly lucky to have
found my two passions in life – metalsmithing and sustainability
– and it thrills me constantly to be able to explore
both of these arenas and to twist them together into my jewelry
and other creations.
Watch my artist profile to learn more about
my work and to see me in action...
