When Bling’s Not Your Thing: Eco-Friendly, Organic Jewelry

Nora Johnson fell into jewelry making accidentally. A trip to Dvora's Art Studio to watch her daughters paint ceramics found the former lawyer and registered nurse fingering heaps of multicolored beads. Before long she was stringing jewelry for herself and as gifts, next she was fielding requests for custom work and in 2006, Wolfbead Designs was born.

"I can spend hours arranging where the stones are on a piece and rearranging," said Johnson. "I found there was a way that just looked right to me and it was very satisfying to find that," she added.

Johnson's foray into jewelry making may have been serendipitous, but her vision for her work is carefully honed: statement pieces that marry a handcrafted, organic aesthetic with eco-friendly materials and production.

Her jewelry may have an earth-friendly pedigree but its stylish sensibility is the reason it flies off the shelves at high-end boutiques. In discussing the growth of Wolfbead Designs, Johnson mused that within four years, what started as a hobby is now a venture that produces approximately 100 hand-crafted pieces a year and has her wares carried in half a dozen stores.

Earth-Friendly Adornment

"Pretty early on I started selecting fair trade beads and semi-precious stones and I liked the fact that it was very organic," said Johnson. "The stones that I used as much as possible were natural, they weren't processed and even when I started working in silver and metal I used recycled fine silver and gold."

The semi-precious gemstones, beads and other materials in Johnson' jewelry are ethically sourced, meaning that the workers who mine and process the gems are paid fair wages and treated well. Johnson also uses natural cleaning methods such as vinegar to cut down on the use of harsh chemicals in her work.

"I try as much as possible to minimize the carbon footprint," said Johnson. "It's like cooking, where I use good ingredients, the finest, freshest local ingredients; with my jewelry, I try to use the best stones, the purest in color. That appeals to me."

Locally, Johnson's jewelry is available at White Plus One, Dolphin Bookshop and the Hair Studio. She also accepts orders and custom work through her Facebook page Wolfbead Designs by Nora Johnson.

"It's just gorgeous," said White Plus One store owner Susan Micelotta. "She has great ideas; I sell a ton of her hoops," she added. Micelotta, a chic exemplar of a "quality over quantity" style ethos, is herself a walking advertisement for Johnson's understated luxury. Fingering one of Johnson's signature link necklaces around her neck, Micelotta reels off her personal collection of Johnson jewelry. "I have a dozen bangles, four different earrings, a few necklaces," she adds laughingly.  On second thought, perhaps Micelotta is a better testament to a quantity of quality.

You Say You Want an Evolution

Johnson's jewelry making began with beading and over time she started adding skills to her repertoire. "I decided I need to learn to do silver work," said Johnson. "I started creating my own pendants."  

Classes in Manhattan and at Long Island's Garvies Point Museum & Preserve allowed Johnson to complement beading with metalworking and lost-wax casting, a technique using molds to create fine jewelry components. Johnson started creating hand hammered links and clasps and began to punctuate her delicate beading with finely wrought metal links and pendants imbued with iconic imagery: a signature style had evolved.

Johnson's pendants feature both natural and iconic images that speak to her affinity for symbols of harmony. "I'm very into the peace sign," said Johnson. "I never left that part of my life. When the peace sign came back I was thrilled because I never left it. I like water drops, tear drops, natural images but with a spiritual theme like the hamsa [the hand-shaped hand symbol popular in the Middle East]. I'm inspired by the natural world," she noted.

Attention to detail is also a signature of Johnson's jewelry. Eschewing shortcuts, she makes her own clasps and hand cuts her own pendant discs from sheets of recycled silver rather than using premade. "It's a lot of work; it makes it a little special and different and I think people like the overall look but it's truly a labor of love when you can buy your own discs," she added.

Johnson believes it is the handmade quality of her work that attracts her many customers. "I do a lot of organic hoops that have been very popular, everything is hand hammered. It gives a more individual look to a piece. And my customers like the organic look," said Johnson. "My pieces don't look machine made. They look handmade," she noted.

"It's so unique," said repeat customer Lisa McCarthy. "I have three pieces that work for weekend or work. My silver and turquoise earrings have such style; they are part of my weekend uniform," McCarthy added.

Turquoise is one of Johnson's favorite stones; she is also partial to carnelian and smoky quartz which she calls go-to stones for fall jewelry. Johnson also works with lapis, amethyst, citrine, coral, jade and glass and wooden beads from Africa as well as shells. Earrings retail from $50 to $160; necklaces are $90 to $500 and bracelets and bangles range from $40 to $200. Johnson is just beginning to experiment with rings, joking it's "the Wolfbead of the future."

"Jewelry is a very personal thing and knowing that a piece, that there is only one piece like it is appealing to my clients, to me," said Johnson, who with the exception of her wedding rings and watch, wears only her own creations.

"I love seeing people wear my stuff. I'm not great at marketing my jewelry, I'm not great at selling my jewelry but I really enjoy that people enjoy it," added Johnson.