Tess Young

This jewelry line is something I started in 2009 in Chicago when I realized that making jewelry is what I truly wanted to do. I'd been studying illustration and painting essentially my entire life until this point, where I'd picked up a hammer and a torch and fell in love with this process; this relationship between hands and metal. I'm currently working from San Francisco's Bay Area, out of a funky little studio in South Berkeley. To try to define my work is difficult because it has a different effect on different people. I would say that I'm drawn to simple shapes and natural, effortless forms that compliment the body rather than adorn it with excessive shine. A lot of my pieces, I've noticed through the years, are directly inspired by the sun, the moon and celestial forms, though many of these choices were unconsciously made. I believe in a person's relationship to their jewelry. Our rings, our earrings, our necklaces and all pieces are quite literally attached to us, and in turn we become very emotionally connected to our jewelry. This is a charming and curious human behavior that I intend to satisfy and explore for the rest of my career. I hope you enjoy my work and can become as attached to it as I have.