ABOUT
about the artist
Diane has had a passion for all things creative since she was a child. From a young age you could always find her in her work space painting, drawing, sculpting, making jewelry, doing cross stitch and crocheting various items as well as being in the kitchen baking. This passion followed her through her high school years as she signed up for any/all Art Classes that were available. After high school she attended an Art/Technical Institute, where she found a new way of being able to express creativity on computers, and graduated with a Degree in Graphic Design.
In her 20's, Diane once again started exploring many of the creative avenues of her youth, especially jewelry making. She spent many years learning new beading techniques such as French Beading, using a bead loom, and multiple bead stitches. While looking through a bead magazine she a found a pattern for Chainmail Jewelry and decided to give it try. She was amazed at how weaving the metal rings together ended up making a beautiful piece of jewelry and began looking for more patterns. Before long, she was hooked...and the rest is history! Diane has been making chain mail jewelry and decor for almost 20 years and is still amazed at the process of taking a pile of different sizes of rings and weaving them into something beautiful. All pieces are hand-made by Diane.
materials
Bright and Anodized Aluminum - I get asked all the time why we use Aluminum rings for the majority of our pieces. Over the years I have tried many types of metal and always come back to aluminum. Here are some reasons as to why I stick with Aluminum:
1. Aluminum is very light compared to other metals. I can't tell you how many times someone has come up to our booth, picked up a piece of jewelry and said they can't believe how light it is....especially our earrings! (FYI: Aluminum is approx. 1/3 the weight of sterling silver.)
2. Aluminum is one of the purest metals as far as not containing allergens like Nickel. I have had many customers that thought they could only wear 14k gold or sterling silver, but were able to wear aluminum with no issues or itching. (Unless you have a fairly rare type of metal allergy, aluminum should be a good choice.) It also doesn’t rust or tarnish like other metals. When you buy cheap jewelry in the department stores you may notice they turn reddish-brown after wearing it a while, or even if you get perfume on it. That's because those metals usually contain iron, which can rust. Since Aluminum contains no iron, you do need to worry about it rusting. And, unlike Sterling Silver, Aluminum does not tarnish. It actually reacts with oxygen over time to develop a clear, protective layer. It's also super easy to clean...just clean it with some water and dish soap...dry with a cloth...and it's ready to go!
3. Aluminum can be colored any color of the rainbow through a process called Anodizing. How Anodizing works is: when you place aluminum into a tank with a dye solution and a catalyst (electric current), the aluminum changes colors. And since it’s not a plating, it doesn’t just flake off, rub off, or bleed. It’s permanently bonded into the metal.