Life & Work with Leah Hollrock

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Hollrock. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My path to finding goldsmithing was a bit meandering at the start, but I always knew whichever path I choose in life, design and creation would play a big part. 

I have always from a very young age been involved in the visual arts. Painting has been my passion ever since I can remember. One of my earliest memories, I spent hours painstakingly copying my great grandfather’s paintings that hung around our home. I remember just gushing with pride at what my five-year-old self thought was an exact replication. Needless to say, drawing and painting was my first love. I continued that passion through high school and worked hard on my college admission portfolio. I eventually attended the University of Massachusetts studying fine arts and oil painting. 

It was during college that I continued to find myself being drawn towards metalsmithing. As I started to teach myself the basics, I was immediately hooked (There is such a wealth of knowledge online that I plunged right into). There was something about metalwork at such a delicate scale that I just couldn’t resist. It was during this time that I set up a workspace in my parent’s basement and worked on copper and sterling silver jewelry. I still feel horrible about banging away on my metal desk to flatten pieces of copper while my parents tried to sleep. I’m a night owl and they put up with a lot of noise! 

Once I graduated college, I started the fun “what job am I going to get with my art degree” process. I’ve always had such a strong passion for art that I knew I would make something work – I just still wasn’t sure which direction that would be. My metalsmithing was still just a hobby at this point. I was selling some of my copper jewelry online and in a local store, but I didn’t yet see it as a career path. 

A huge part of my story that laid a solid foundation for what I do now is the support of my family as well as growing up working for my family’s business. My parents have a golf range & golf equipment business in Western Massachusetts where my siblings and I started working as early as middle school. My jobs and responsibilities were ever-changing as I grew up. I started seasonally helping clean the field of golf balls during the mud season, to working the sales counter and landscaping in high school, to building and maintaining the business websites through college. Not only did my family offer me a consistent job opportunities but they also helped me learn countless lessons about working hard and being an entrepreneur. I will always be eternally grateful to them. 

It wasn’t long after I graduated college that I got a job at a local fine art gallery. I worked there for a couple of years when I started to get antsy. I was still playing around with my metalsmithing and wanted to learn more. I decided to cold email a local jeweler to see if they needed any help – low and behold it worked. I started working in their studio within 2 weeks and was fully immersed in learning the trade. I ended up being studio manager for several years and continued to absorbed as much knowledge as I could. It was in 2017 when I eventually branched out and started my own jewelry business. 

My method of jewelry making is called lost wax casting. Since starting my business, I have been teaching myself the art of wax carving. I first start with a block of jewelers’ wax and use a variety of hand tools to sculpt the wax into the piece of jewelry. Once the carving is finished, the wax is cast into precious metal. It’s an ancient method of jewelry making that really plays into my art background. I love the organic, handmade nature of this method. 

Since branching off on my own in 2017, my business has been consistently growing. I’ve grown my jewelry collection offerings as well as had the privilege of working on countless custom jewelry pieces for clients. Although I don’t have a storefront (yet!), the internet & social media has allowed me to connect and work with clients all over the world. Jewelry design has become my art form and I view each piece as a small sculpture. Each piece is a precious treasure and the best part is being able to release that treasure into the world for others to enjoy. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My path to finding jewelry design & goldsmithing was meandering and not always a clear path – but it did manage to happen both organically and smoothly. Everything that I learned while working and during school, all laid a solid foundation for where I am now. 

However, starting a business is never an easy path to follow. It is in fact terrifying! I reached a point where I realized; it’s now or never. I have always wanted to start my own business and there’s no time like the present. I had recently sold an oil painting and had a $2000 cushion in my bank account. My living expense were pretty low, so I figured that gave me a couple months to figure something out. That small cushion plus a $3000 loan, and I was ready to make it work. 

My first studio after starting my business was in an unheated basement with no windows. I did have a couple space heaters to keep me thawed during the winter months and it was normal to find mouse droppings all over my computer desk. But – I had my own space that I could work out of and it served me well. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist, jewelry designer & goldsmith. I’ve taken my art background and have applied it to jewelry design. 

What sets my jewelry apart from others is the method with which I make it. I used an ancient method of jewelry making called lost wax casting. Lost wax requires the design to be hand-carved from a piece of wax rather than being created using a computer or CAD program. I use a variety of hand tools to slowly whittle away the wax. This method gives my jewelry a beautifully organic and handmade look. My art background really plays a huge part because each piece of jewelry is literally a small sculpture. 

My favorite pieces to design are pieces inspired by nature. Jewelry pieces that include flowers, leaves, animals or birds are all so fun to make and really let my art background shine. These types of pieces in particular do make me feel like I am painting with gold. 

What also sets me apart is my design aesthetic. Antique and Georgian-era jewelry are the biggest influences on my designs. The rings that came out of this era are breathtaking, the craftsmanship is inspiring, and the designs have a beautiful balance of gemstones and metalwork. Similar to rings of these eras, my rings designs tend to be lower profile which makes them easier to wear. 

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I have a unique experience where I started my business and then within a year moved to a completely different part of the country. I went from Western Massachusetts where I lived my entire life and relocated to the greater Denver area with husband. Not only was I jump-starting my business networking but I was also starting fresh with my personal social life moving to an area where I knew almost no one. 

I’ve found for my business; social media has been my biggest asset when it comes to networking and connecting with people. 

Pricing:

• My jewelry ranges anywhere from $125 – to several thousand
• Because I do custom jewelry, I can work within a lot of different budgets
• Engagement rings generally start around $1000 and go up from there

Contact Info:

• Email: hollrockjewelry@gmail.com
• Website: www.LeahHollrock.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahhollrockjewelry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeahHollrockJewelry
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV9DzGwPbh4JlP-xyK-pLFg

Image Credits
Leah Hollrock Jewelry