Making Jewelry In-House

 

2 years ago, I made a career pivot and started immersing myself into the world of jewelry design and goldsmithing. My husband, James, has always been an incredible illustrator, and is our principal ring designer. He has an elevated sense of aesthetic, and designed many of our pieces that you know and love.

Here are our Solace and Iris rings that he initially sketched, before fine-tuning in the 3D modeling program.

 

Solace and Iris rendered in 3D program:


I've always been a builder and tinkerer of things, so my strengths naturally lead me to the production side. I especially took an interest in 3D modeling, setting gemstones, and finishing jewelry.

 

 

 

Being pregnant at the time that we started learning how to produce and build our collection, casting rings in house was off the table for safety reasons, but we could essentially do everything else in house (design, set, finish, and repair) while using a local casting studio to get the basic metalwork done safely and efficiently.

I cannot recount all the hours spent watching video courses/tutorials, or the number of files and burs I've worn down and repurchased to practice setting all shapes and sizes of stones. In addition, all the direct guidance given by a local gem setter with 30+ years experience has been crucial to get to this point, but it's incredibly rewarding and humbling to be able to make someone something that they want to wear and feel a life-long connection to. I also realize that bridal jewelry is the exact opposite of fast fashion and fleeting consumption - it's a meaningful choice that many people make only once in a lifetime. In fact, some never even get the chance to.

A huge part of starting and continuing Lucine and Co has turned out to be a journey of self-actualization for myself, and then wanting to share that experience with other like-minded individuals. In my own journey of choosing an engagement ring, I eventually found out that most big retailers outsource 100% of their design and production, losing touch of artistry and individuality as they continually opt for designs that are exactly like their competitors. What happens is that everyone's engagement rings end up looking exactly the same, and sadly, overpriced for what was actually a wholesale design.

Lucine and Co exists to bridge the gap between artist and maker. I hope that when you wear our pieces, you feel you're embracing the best version of you imaginable. A version of you that lives life with meaning and authenticity, that embraces the diversity in beauty and creativity, and has a heart so full of love that you're able to share abundantly ❤

 

Yours truly,

 

 

 

Tracey

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