Sometimes the most eye-catching traits of handmade jewelry are subtle organic lines or imperfectly polished gems, mimicking the shapes and textures we find in nature. Jewelry designer and boutique owner Yali Lewis intentionally—and literally—takes inspiration from the outdoors in her Botanical Collection jewelry line, using actual found twigs, leaves, and rocks to create molds that form one-of-a-kind pieces.
The collection features earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings made from a potpourri of sustainably sourced natural findings. The objects go through a process called lost-wax casting, during which the organic material burns out and leaves a space that she pours silver or gold into. From there, the new object produced is shaped into its final form. You’ll see designs such as twigs collected on nature walks that become bracelets, sage leaves from her own garden turned into delicate silver charms, or small granite chunks that become stud earrings.
Her boutique, Lewis and Pine—a Beacon mainstay for the past five years, with a recently opened second outpost in Cold Spring—won this year’s Jewelry Store Chronogrammie.
“I aim to make jewelry that’s unique to Lewis and Pine, sometimes taking classic forms like hoops and putting a spin on them to make it my own,” Lewis says. “It’s a distinct style that people are starting to tell me they can recognize outside of my shop.”
Although the boutique also carries candles and a few handmade items from vendors, the focus is on the delicate designs Lewis creates at her nearby studio. She’s been working with metals for decades and studied fine arts in college and grad school—the arts being another major theme found in her work.
“Besides the Botanical Collection, another inspiration is contemporary art and design,” she says. “I work at Dia:Beacon in adult education, so I find myself inspired by other artists all the time.” She cites Richard Serra as a key modern art inspiration, but also has an entire collection paying homage to women architects.
Lewis’s interpretation of art and nature, and how the two threads weave together, allows her to create elegant, timeless designs. “Nature acts as the through-line that connects the other aesthetic,” she says. “It’s the basis for the expression of my art.”
This article appears in July 2023.
