Elena Adams Designs - About the Jewelry Artist

About the Designer and the Jewelry:
Welcome to Elena Adams Designs: stunningly handcrafted silver jewelry with a focus on original design and chain maille. I design and create all my own jewelry from sterling silver (grade 925) or fine silver (grade 999).

I am almost entirely self taught. I have been designing and making jewelry for over eight years, taking my inspiration from many sources. I have always been fascinated by the look of chain and the amazing patterns that can be produced from nothing but simple loops. I strive to maintain the interest of classic chain maille, while updating it to suit the more refined tastes of the modern woman. Depending on the size and intricacy of the piece, each item can take hours to create. Jump rings are made by coiling and cutting sterling silver wire. The rings are then connected to form a variety of weaves, based on traditional chain maille.

More recently I have expanded my repertoire into metal smithing and Precious Metal Clay, taking classes from renowned Bay Area artists such as Iris Sandkühler, Tom Colson, and Virginia Huffman.

About the Materials:
I frequently incorporate semiprecious stones, and I try to find sources for untreated and undyed specimens. Purposes and effects of gemstones are included on every page, and are adapted from Judy Halls, "The Crystal Bible" (2003).

What is sterling silver? Sterling silver is defined as being 92.5% pure silver. The rest is usually comprised of nickel, copper, or some other alloy. Sterling is strong and long lasting, and while it tarnishes with wear and air impurities is can be polished up at any stage to return it to its former glory. Sterling silver is not to be confused with plated, German, or nickel silvers which contain no silver. Once they tarnish or their plating wears off, there is no way to brighten them again.

What is fine silver? Fine silver is defined at pure silver with impurities of no more than about 0.2%. Fine silver is very soft, and is more subject to scratching and deformation unless work hardened properly. For jewelry lovers who tend to get allergic reactions to silver jewelry, most find that they can wear fine silver with no trouble. The majority of allergies are a reaction to the alloy portion of the sterling silver. The best thing about fine silver is that the more you wear it, the shinier it gets!

Custom Designs and Requests:
Quotes for other materials such as white gold and 18k gold are available on request. Please use the contact form with the name of the item and the material you would like and I will respond within 3-4 business days. Be aware that market prices for gold change daily.

This website is a sample of my designs. I welcome custom designs and more designs are available for viewing on request. If you have a customer design in mind please contact me to discuss possibilities.

Other Services:
In addition to designing the jewelry, I also take all photographs and designed and built the website. I understand how hard it is for artists to get their online portfolios together professionally and I am open to bookings for consultation, photography or basic website set up and training. For more information about custom jewelry designs and training session please contact me.

If you have any further questions either about my site or items listed in the store, or even have suggestions about new items I should consider making, I would encourage you to contact me and see Ordering Information for more on shipping and delivery times.

Care and Warranty:
How should you clean and care for your jewelry and what happens if it breaks? Read here for tips and advice on caring for your jewelry.

-Elena Adams

About Elena Adams Designs