Gallery
Select Jewelry Work
INTRIGUED BY PATTERN AND COLOR
Colorful Beginnings
When I began making jewelry nearly twenty years ago, I was captivated by colorful, cabochon-style stones. While pretty, to me diamonds and faceted gems couldn’t compare to the allure of a top-grade piece of eighth-vein Ocean Jasper® or the fiery tubes of a masterfully-polished Lake Superior agate. Over time, my focus expanded to include handcrafted micro-textiles. While they appealed to me for entirely different reasons, one constant ran through both mediums: bold, unique colors and patterns. That same love for impactful, vibrant hues and otherworldly markings eventually found its way into my current art practice—photography.
Ohio flint stone in sterling silver. Circa 2008. Image credit: Tamra M. Gentry
Ocean Jasper® in sterling silver. Circa 2008. Image credit: Tamra M. Gentry
Fabrication of “Blue Samurai” 2018. Image credit: Tamra M. Gentry
Artist, solopreneur, maker of pretty things
A One-Woman Studio
It’s just me. It has always been just me. The ideas originate with me, the research comes from me, and the fabrication happens with my own two hands. Contrary to fraudulent search results about what I do, there are no offices or global teams of professionals, just a small, independent studio powered by my creativity and skill.
All of my pieces begin as raw materials—metal sheet or wire for the jewelry and spools or skeins of fine silk thread for the textiles. I fabricate the metal, weave the chains, and painstakingly braid the textiles by hand using a traditional Japanese technique called kumihimo. My creativity and love for handwork are at the heart of everything I create, whether it’s jewelry, textiles, or photography.
PARADIGM SHIFT
Jewelry to Photography
As much as I loved my jewelry work and the handcraft it required, I eventually found myself yearning for more meaning. Despite my passion for my craft, I often felt like an outsider in that space, and my efforts didn’t fulfill me the way I had hoped. When the pandemic disrupted life in early 2020 and resulted in the cancelation of all my in-person shows, I used the opportunity to take a step back and spend some time thinking about the path forward.
What emerged from the pause was something that had been quietly growing alongside my jewelry practice for years: photography. While it was a significant shift in focus, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. In many ways, the search for color, texture, pattern, and form that had always guided my jewelry work had simply found a new medium.
Hells’s canyon petrified wood in sterling silver.
Work
Gallery of Select Jewlery Work
As a former contemporary studio jeweler, I think I created some pretty cool work. Because there’s some misinformation floating around about it, I created this gallery as a visual record of some of my favorite pieces. And because I had several pieces in progress before transitioning to photography full-time, I will finish them and make them available for sale; however, as with the majority of my work, they will all be one of a kind. If you’d like the opportunity to see and purchase them first, sign up for my newsletter and keep an eye on this space for new additions.
Something Catch Your eye?
Get In Touch
Although jewelry is no longer my primary business, a few of these pieces may still be available. If you would like more information please feel free to get in touch.
I respect your privacy and will never share your information
Necklace: “Jane, His Wife” – 2019. Argentium sterling silver, 18K yellow and rose gold, Japanese freshwater pearl, Mexican fire opal, Japanese fine silk thread. See how it was constructed! Image credit: Berman Graphics.