Our Artists
Susan Fauman
Susan Fauman Designs
Working from her home studio in the NY Hudson Valley, Susan handcrafts unique, bold and playful sterling silver and gold jewelry. Inspired by her 15+ years working as an herbalist and yoga instructor. She believes that our connection to nature and her rhythms keeps us healthy and whole and that adorning ourselves with beautiful reminders of that connection is a celebration of life.
Kathleen Grebe
Bold Standard
After fifteen years of directing design for brands like Nike, Adidas and T-Mobile, K.G. put her advertising career on hold in search of a more artistic path—one that offered creativity without compromise.
Her jewelry hobby led to an artist residency at Savannah College of Art & Design, catapulting her into the world of contemporary jewelry.
She built her own laser cutting lab and started transforming flat sheets of material into striking sculptural jewelry.
She taught herself the art of laser cutting and Bold Standard was born.
Hollie Arrington
Opal Clay Creations
Creating extraordinary from the ordinary has always been a passion for Hollie. Her jewelry influence began by learning to restring pearls for repair and she has cultivated that into handcrafting each of her pieces. Over the course of her career, Hollie has taken many courses at the Gemological Institute of America and has fallen in love with the world of colored stones. Hollie enjoys going to shows like JCK to find inspiration for each new creation, studying each stone and strand to make sure they have the right look to make each piece a stand out. Opal Clay Creations, named after Hollie’s two children, has been an amazing creative outlet and she is thankful every day that she has the opportunity to bring her designs to life.
Janelle McNeil
NellMarie Jewelry
NellMarie Jewelry was created in 2011 to showcase a fine jewelry concept. NellMarie celebrates beautiful gems and diamonds in a unique blend of modern and whimsical designs. Through Janelle's partnership with the Artisan Group, she has had her jewelry worn by celebrities and on TV. As a third-generation jeweler, Janelle utilizes her 20 years of repair experience to create quality, lasting works of art.
Neena Jain and family
Neon Gems
The founders of Neon Gems, Nirmal and Neena Jain, came from overseas with the skillset and drive to craft the finest jewelry. Based in Los Angeles, Neon Gems makes occasions memorable—from weddings to beautiful engagements or any joyous occasion.
Their foundation is built on refined skill, exemplary service, and ultimate sourcing. Each and every piece is crafted with soul, dedication, and precision.
Over the years, they have perfected their craft and take great pride in their ability to discern impeccable quality and acquire the purest diamonds from the best sources worldwide. In doing so, they have had the honor of receiving the JCK Jeweler’s Choice Awards in 2015, 2017, 2018 & a finalist spot in 2016.
(Pictured Neena Jain and daughter, Shaneli Jain)
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Myles Schaubel
Giftologie
Growing up making trophies in her family sports store, she always dreamed of a more creative way to work with the materials and skills she had learned along the way. Playing with remnant pieces of metal, she started wrapping and bending them in different ways and her first statement cuff was made. From here the line grew to necklaces, earrings and stacking small cuffs.
She grew up with an instilled awareness that true worth and beauty are found within. With this foundation; the mantras, encouraging reminders and inspirational quotes were added to the jewelry. "I truly want all women to feel beautiful from the inside out", she says. With this passion, she donates a portion of her proceeds to women's charities.
Zina Kao
Zina Kao Exclusives
Zina started her business before she had her first baby. "In my mind, having my own business was just the thing to make a living while raising my family," she says. Now that her baby is in college, Zina Kao Exclusives is sold in stores all over the world!
Back then, she had a dozen jewelry designs and a self-proclaimed "that's interesting" website. After 15 years of jewelry design and manufacturing, she added small leather goods and handmade bags to her 2000+ skus of jewelry. Everything she makes is done by hand and in house.
Zina says, "I've been doing this long enough that anything I did before seems long ago and far away. But if it matters, I did go to MIT, I did rise in the corporate ranks and I did win the 3rd grade Easter Egg decorating contest. My next big achievement will be to finally get that website right."
Monica Márquez Gatica
Monica Fine Art
Born in Jerez, an Andalusian town in Southern Spain, and now based in Aurora, Colorado, she brings a multicultural perspective to her art. What sets her apart is her innovative style, "Fluid Hybrid Realism," which combines the fluidity of acrylic pouring with the precision of traditional oil painting. This distinctive technique creates dynamic and detailed works of art that are truly one-of-a-kind.
Her art is a celebration of culture, tradition, and shared experiences, a place where every painting narrates a unique story.
Elisa Huggins
Elisa Huggins Creative
Elisa majored in arts and architecture a few decades ago, but needing to satisfy her curiosity in other fields of the arts, she returned to school and studied digital media and graphic design.
She gets an absolute thrill from the journey that produces a work of art, be it drawing, painting, paper crafting, pottery, digital illustrations, or photography. For her, art-making is good for brain health, emotional well-being, physical dexterity, and overall wellness.
Chris VandeSande
Dark River Metal Designs
As a Colorado Native, Chris believes in hard work and due diligence. With that being said, he also believes in having an extremely good time and enjoying what he does. As the owner and designer for Dark-River Metal Design, he truly enjoys all things Metal and the transformation it yields. "I like the idea of taking something ordinary and transforming it into something tangible and meaningful. Beauty in the natural world seems to inspire me. Many inspirations speak to me, but none more than the majestic power of nature," Chris notes.
Chris enjoys the outdoors, immensely, thus his true inspiration. If he's not in the shop, you'll find him in the woods.
Heather Mckinnon
HM Creative Endeavors
Heather is a 29 year resident of Colorado and has been married to her Husband, Brian, for 25 years. It was only after raising her two amazing children and moving to their house in Cañon City that she discovered she had an inner artist. Heather is currently calling Colorado Springs her home!
She calls herself an Intuitive Artist as she paints entirely free-hand with no forethought of pattern or design. "I am also considered a Naïve Artist," she says. "I have no formal training or schooling in the Arts. I love the idea of Wabi-Sabi, of finding beauty in imperfection, of revering authenticity above all. My paintings tend to be surprising even as I paint them. I like to think of them as a download of sacred geometry from the universe!"
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