About Me
Creating and working with my hands has been a life long passion.
This passion evolved from drawing and sculpting in my early childhood into an intense desire to become a “goldsmith” in my later teenage years.
Nurtured in that quest by my painter mother and engineer father, I embarked on a three-year goldsmith apprenticeship under a master jeweler near Frankfurt, Germany in 1983, learning traditional goldsmith techniques of fabrication.
Convincing precious metal to conform to my wishes by hammering, sawing, forging and soldering and the precision and patience needed to do it well, appealed to me instantly.
My studies brought me to the United States where I added stone setting, wax carving, casting, and welding to the repertoire of techniques by taking classes and learning by working for a custom jeweler, in the city of Orange, CA for 14 years.
In 1999 I started my own business, handcrafting and selling my work at juried fine art festivals throughout the country.
I have become a proud citizen of the United States in 2003.
My pieces are fabricated in 18K gold, 14K gold, and platinum. (See how. A peek behind the curtain)
They are finished with a variety of surface textures like my "crinkled" gold (which mimics gold leaf) and accented with fine pearls, drusy, and gemstones.
The aim is to create a sculptural and understated feel for my jewelry while reducing the lines of my design to the essentials. Editing out unneeded elements and distractions to create contemporary but wearable pieces.
I am happy to discuss the creation of your very own special piece of jewelry to celebrate life's many big or small occasions.
Dorothee
Please see and shop our
sister website bijouarts.com
for my new line of playful
handcrafted silver and 24K
gold jewelry.