Sharon Bailey Fine Silver

Sharon Bailey helped us open the new store and has had her work on display here since the first day. A resident of Asheville since 2001, she learned her craft in Atlanta at an art center and then Georgia State. In 2003 she was excepted into the Southern Highland Craft Guild, which Chris is also a member of. She makes sterling silver jewelry with accents in gold and Bakelite.

Bakelite is the first synthetic plastic introduced in the 20's and used extensively in the 30's and 40's. It's extremely durable and rich in color. To quote Sharon, "It feels warm and heavy, inviting the touch and giving it a sex appeal not found in later plastics." This makes it ideal for handmade jewelry and since production virtually ceased in the 60's, a collectors item. Sharon collects the unused old stock for use in many of her pieces, from her "ball in a cage" series, the "chicklets", and the "Nature Collection."

The Nature Collection is a more recent addition to her work. Started in 2009, the collection features silver jewelry inspired by her nine acres in North Asheville next to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The collection started with oak and maple leaves and since then she has added other leaves common to the area, including tulip poplar and sassafras.

From her bio: "The leaves, branches, and blossoms are made using the lost-wax casting technique. I hand finish the castings, then combine them with other cast or fabricated elements to make the finished pieces of jewelry. As a final step, I oxidize and burnish each piece."

We love Sharon's jewelry here and are amazed at the detail that goes into each piece. From the hand carved Bakelite to the finely soldered gold accents, no two pieces are exactly alike. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.