Etsy team: Aspiring Metalsmiths!

When you visit my page on Etsy, you'll find I'm a new member of the Etsy team, Aspiring Metalsmiths. If you'll click on that link, it will take you to the pages of many other metalsmiths posting great works on their own Etsy shop pages!

If you're as passionate about the artform called metalsmithing as I am, you can pass many an evening exploring their pages. Many also have their own blogs, which will usually be listed in their Etsy profiles.

I like to think that there are three basic forms of modern jewelry in the world: fine jewelry (gold, diamonds, precious stones, platinum) typically bought in jewelry stores; costume jewelry (often embodying great design value but low intrinsic value re: the materials these are made with -- and often found in fashion boutiques and department store jewelry departments); and art jewelry (which can be made of almost any material, including precious metals and stones and which embody interesting design value -- and are handmade in an artist's studio!).

Art jewelry tends to be of limited edition or one-of-a-kind. The artist starts with raw materials and fabricates them into something artistic and unique. (Metalsmithing is a large category within art jewelry.)