Color can be deeply therapeutic and a powerful form of self-expression — a thing worth celebrating, indeed. LA-based jewelry designer Jessica Winzelberg makes candy-like creations with natural semi-precious stones as an ode to color; whimsical, but bold just like her California roots.
We’re especially enamored by Jessica’s gorgeous semi-precious mobile earrings. The color stories are modern with a bit of magic; half heirloom, half freshly made candy – and we can’t get enough. Each playful but sophisticated piece is an instant breakaway from boring and shines with the sharp precision of Jessica’s creative vision. Step into the studio with the emerging LA jeweler below…
TO GET THE CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING…
Travel is the best source of inspiration for me. When that can’t happen, getting out and about in LA always does it – a trip to the beach, a hike outside. The colors in LA always get me inspired.
DAILY NECESSITY:
My husband makes the best cold brew coffee! I’m obsessed with drinking it in a Balefire Glass.
MY FAVORITE CURRENT PROJECT IS:
I love developing one-of-a-kind engraved and enamel talismans for clients!
FAVORITE OBJECT IN THE STUDIO:
My favorite tool is likely my specialized diamond drill. I drill hundreds of stones a month.
LATEST INSPIRATIONS:
Color, always color! My last trip to Portugal a few summers ago — the colors had been inspiring me from afar and I couldn’t wait to see the country in real life.
SOUNDTRACK IN THE STUDIO:
NPR, audiobooks (I’m obsessed with the Los Angeles Public Library app) and and lots of beachy instrumentals.
MOST COMMON VISITORS TO THE STUDIO:
Friends stopping by to pick up earrings and flowers from my garden.
FAVORITE SPOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Cookbook! It’s the best market ever and makes me so happy. Civil Coffee and Collage Coffee. Shorthand for office goodies and HomeState for tacos.
OTHER ARTISTS INSPIRING ME RIGHT NOW:
Lori Stern’s food art; Beatrice Valenzuela’s clothes; ceramics by Rebekah Miles, Bari Zipperstein, Shoku Teruyama and Makoto Kagoshima; Louise Bonnet’s painting; Olivia Fraser’s Indian miniatures; and Maayan Zilberman’s candy.
MY ART SUPPLY OBSESSION:
Having a million rainbow markers around makes me (and my inner nine year old) very happy.
CURRENTLY READING:
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.
INSPIRATION BEHIND THE MOBILE EARRINGS:
I’ve been making stone earrings for the past decade! Some of the current ones were inspired by the forms in antique snuff bottles.
INSPIRATION BEHIND THE ENAMEL CHARM COLLECTION:
I adore antique charms and wanted to revitalize them with a modern, playful, California twist.
ORGANIZATIONAL ITEM I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT:
I love Appointed and William Hannah notebooks and am obsessed with the app Notion for organizing all the lists in my head.
This studio tour originally ran at an earlier date, but we loved it so much we brought it back!
