My indulgence : Etsy - Meet Kyle Ann Judson

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I have a lot of items in my Etsy favourites. Really a lot. Most part of the time, it is just one item from one particular Etsy shop, like a belt or a vintage bag. But sometimes, one particular seller has such amazing goods that their entire shop ends up in my favourite (such as Appetite and Happy Day Designs)! And this is exactly what happened with Kyle Ann Metals. Kyle is a exceptional jewelry maker, specialized in the making of rings that are amazingly elegant and refined. Only one word comes to my mind to describe her jewels : purity, as her creations really bring out the beauty of the stone without ever being flashy, heavy or ostentatious. I will not even mention the very affordable prices for this little masterpieces.

So let me introduce you Kyle Ann Judson, the amazing artist of Kyle Ann Metals.

Those are my first rings from Kyle Ann Metals : 4 rings from the Bloom collection . True marvels! (please note that the light in my two pictures do not do justice to the rings)

Tell me who you are

My name is Kyle Anne Judson, I have recently moved to Santa Barbara (California), from Atlanta (GA) which was the best decision I have ever made aside from going into business for myself :)

I am 27, my favorite books are anything by Tom Wolfe, Carl Hiassen, and of course jewelry books. the Lark series of jewelry picture books is amazing!
 My favorite music varies from, Social Distortion, BlackStar, Jurassic 5, the Vandals, very eclectic buy mainly in the punk rock/ska/hip hop categories. When I work I constantly have to have music playing, anything upbeat Sublime is my favorite working music for sure!

When and how did you start making your own designs?

I took my first jewelry class when I was 16, the instructor (one of my mentors) actually had to get written permission from my parents so I could use the torch. I immediately fell in love with metal! I attended Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) for 3 years, went to a community college for art eduction for two years, before deciding I wanted to move back to Atlanta. While at SCAD I got really into enameling, and when I moved home I began taking classes again from my first teacher and she introduced me to the amazing enamelist Ricky Frank. I became his apprentice and silversmith, and under his supervision, and with much help from his goldsmith Joanne Hernandez who taught me so much, I became a skilled cloisonne enamelist and goldsmith.

What are your favorite materials and why?

My favorite materials are silver, yellow white and pink gold, and gemstones. I am in love with color. I have always had an eye for color combinations which is why I excelled in graphic design and enameling.

I love working with metal because it is very hands on, but in a much different way than any other medium. And if you mess up, you can melt it!!

I also love doing all my photography, which is something I have always been into.

What inspires you when you design an item?

I think color and texture really inspire me. I tend to like things simple yet elegant, with a modern twist, while still using some vintage elements.

My favorite stones to use are rose cut cabochons, which were hugely popular in the 50's and are making a comeback. I am inspired by simple clean lines, bursts of color, my backyard (nature in general), flowers, Modernist artists, art deco, the list goes on and on.

When you're not creating things, what do you do?
What do I do when Im not creating..... Thats a hard one to answer, my favorite place to be in the whole world is sitting at my bench in my studio. But I am a new aunt for the first time and I adore spending time with my brothers little girl Ella (I am so proud!).

I also enjoy concerts, good beer, walking to the beach (one of the perks of living on the coast of Cali), spending time with the family and boyfriend, and sitting in the sunshine!



Thank you Kyle!

I have purchased four rings so far from Kyle, and believe me when I tell you that I intend to buy almost her whole shop, maybe piece by piece, but I will. You can trust me on that!

So if you ever want to offer me a gift, my ring size is 7 and what I want is not too hard to guess : Kyle's entire shop!

Kyle also sells pendants and earings, and also takes custom orders, which you can see on her blog kyleannmetals, and purchase on her Etsy shop, Kyle Ann Metals. No longer hesitate, you can purchase from her shop with your eyes closed! Believe me! :)