Check Out Ashton Jewelry’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashton Jewelry.

Hi Ashton, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I never thought I would be referred to as the “torch lady,” but here I am. What led me down this path?

Joy. Pure joy. When I’m in my studio crafting a piece of jewelry by hand, I am completely immersed in the process. Lighting the torches and setting the flame. Watching the molten melt dance in the crucible. Hammering, forming, and heating repeatedly until the metal is forged. It’s the process that grips me. I started to wonder: why can’t I do this full time?

Truth be told, this is my second career. Previously, I followed a fairly, traditional path. College, graduate school for an MBA and a consulting career. I took a metalsmithing class in high school, winning an award for one of my first pieces, and didn’t pick it back up until 10 years ago. My two boys were a little older, and I had the time to take a few classes. I started by making pieces for myself. Ones I wanted to wear. Then friends started asking me to make pieces for them and offered to host trunk shows. Ashton Jewelry grew from there.

I took up an old hobby that I truly loved, as a creative outlet. A way to offset the rigidity of my business consulting job. I wanted to feel the same gratification every day. Wielding a torch; hammering and forming metal; seeing the final piece take shape fuels my soul. So, a few years ago, the torch lady was born, and I’ve never looked back.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. My business model centered around trunk shows and in-person meetings with retailers and customers. Creating personal connections was critical to my success. Just as my business was gaining traction and recognition, Covid hit. Everything was abruptly canceled and sales took a nosedive. I have had to refocus, grow my online presence, and work to create personal connections with customers virtually.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Bold. Graceful. Luxurious. My designs are inspired by my travels and time spent in Italy. I craft collections that meld ancient themes with the here and now. Wrought with detail and heirloom quality. Embracing my love for art history, particularly Renaissance art. I often use a process called etching that was used by Italian metalsmiths and printers hundreds of years ago. Etching adds different designs and textures to the metal using a resist and acid. I have updated the process, printing my designs on a special paper used to make computer circuit boards. I transfer the designs to fine silver ingots that I have melted and formed, using a pancake griddle from Target. The pieces float in an acid solution that slowly eats away the exposed metal leaving a raised design. The process takes eight to 10 hours to complete. The pieces are then fashioned with rich colorful gemstones, brilliant diamonds, and lustrous 18k gold.

The Italian influence spans to my coin jewelry as well. I started my collection with an Ancient Roman coin of the Goddess Salus. She was the goddess of healing, health, and well-being. Now, my collection spans Greek, Roman, and Byzantine coins. I love the stories and symbolism behind each one. Many I cast replicas to ensure the original remains pristine. Plus, it allows me to create beautiful, everyday pieces that are affordable.

Each piece of Ashton Jewelry is handmade using recycled gold and silver. The diamonds, sapphires and other precious gemstones are ethically sourced when available. Leftover materials go into a scrap jar and are melted and reused to create other pieces of jewelry. I also repurpose customer’s jewelry or family heirlooms, reusing their gold, gemstones, and diamonds. There is inherent value in handmade jewelry as it takes an incredible amount of time to produce just one piece of jewelry; each piece receives the utmost attention to detail; and each one is unique.

What’s next?
I am most inspired and create my best work when I challenge myself to learn and try new techniques. Next year, I am looking into an intensive workshop in Italy on repousse, a metalworking technique in which metal is shaped by hammering on the reverse side to create a design in low relief. Used for hundreds of years by Italian jewelers, I plan to learn from one of the best while staying in a quintessential Tuscan farmhouse. Dreaming big!

Contact Info:

• Email: ashtonjewelry@gmail.com
• Website: www.ashtonjewelry.com
• Instagram: @ashtonjewelry
• Facebook: @ashtonjewelrycolorado

Image Credits
Tabor Aragon (2 studio photos) Colby Evans (Headshots)