Artists & Galleries / Jewelry
UPFRONT ASSEMBLING THE LOCAL AESTHETIC
Melding Art and Science
AWARD-WINNING JEWELER ADAM NEELEY COMBINES HIS TALENTS IN GOLDSMITHING AND GEMOLOGY WITH MASTERFUL DESIGNS TO CREATE WEARABLE PIECES OF ART .
By SHARON STELLO
O n the heels of his first solo exhibit , which wrapped up over the summer at Laguna Art Museum , jeweler Adam Neeley has launched a nonprofit to encourage the next generation of jewelry makers while continuing to craft his own stunning pieces and push the limits with his materials and techniques .
Neeley himself got started in the field at a young age in Colorado . “ My dad was a rockhound and we ’ d go rock collecting ,” Neeley says . “ And I ’ ll tell you , when you dig for seven hours in the ground and you finally find a crystal , it is absolutely thrilling . You ’ re the first person in the whole world to see it and hold the treasure . And that was something that just captivated me as a kid .”
From there , Neeley became interested in stonecutting and started working with local rock shops . Artists in the area took him under their wings and taught him the ins and the outs of the trade . From there , he learned silversmithing and took part in his first jewelry show at age 14 in Telluride , Colorado , selling out in just two hours . “ And immediately , my parents said , ‘ Well , Adam , this might turn into a business if you want it to ,’ ” Neeley recalls .
His recent exhibit , called “ Modern Alchemy ”— the museum ’ s first decorative arts showcase and a 25-year retrospective of his work — shared some of that personal history because he wanted to “ inspire the next generations to fall in love as rockhounds or beginning lapidary artists .” Among more than 100 pieces on display were his early creations including a pair of earrings he made for his mom as a 12-yearold . “ And it was an interesting progression because you can see I started out a little more Southwestern , coming from Manitou Springs , Colorado . And then by age 14 , I started to move a little bit more modern ,” he says .
Jeweler Adam Neeley
POLISHING A GEM Refining his raw talents , Neeley attended the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad , California , then traveled to Florence , Italy , and studied at contemporary jewelry school Le Arti Orafe , apprenticing under master goldsmith Giò Carbone , who took him to the next level , guiding him to experiment with custom alloys and ancient techniques like niello .
Neeley went on to learn platinum smithing and computer-aided design in New York , but was drawn back to Southern California ’ s warm weather and scenic coastline , opening his first atelier in north Laguna Beach in 2006 — across the street from his current studio and shop — in this “ wonderful , charming artist colony in one of the most beautiful places you could imagine ,” Neeley says . “ And it also has the appreciation of patrons that collect here and come here for it .”
Only 23 years old , he opened the shop with about a dozen pieces over Fourth of July weekend and sold all of them that same month . That momentum has continued for the past 18 years , gaining loyal collectors along the way including at Festival of Arts , where he exhibited for more than a decade . He has also won dozens of awards and even has a piece , his lustrous pearl-filled South Sea Glow pendant , in the Smithsonian Institution ’ s collection .
Among his innovative achievements , Neeley created SpectraGold , a gradient alloy that transitions from rich yellow gold to white gold . He has also invented a cool green VeraGold , red RevaGold and peachy Champagne-toned AlbaGold . These metals required hundreds of hours of experimentation to perfect the colors and ensure they are flexible enough to work with and hard enough once a piece is finished . And each piece takes more than 80 hours of work , hand-fusing and forging , to produce .
Neeley is inspired by nature , whether it ’ s flowers , seashells or color palettes like the purple blossoms and green leaves of a jacaranda tree . “ Nature ’ s one of my favorite muses ,” Neeley says . “[ I ] take a look at something that ’ s really beautiful in nature , like a flower , and … kind of distill down those elements , like the curves and movement into something that ’ s a modern , abstract interpretation .”
He also enjoys borrowing color combinations from artists like Vincent van Gogh and elements from different time periods , whether it ’ s a touch of midcentury or modernizing a look from the Victorian era . When it comes to men ’ s jewelry , from rings to cuff links and lapel pins , Neeley trades curves for angular forms , often turning to the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright for inspiration .
Neeley says he was drawn to making jewelry because there are so many facets to the art form , including different techniques and also the challenge of mastering each aspect . “ And I think that constant search for perfection and craftsmanship , that constant search for balance and design and originality and
COURTESY OF ADAM NEELEY DESIGNS INC .
26 LAGUNABEACHMAGAZINE . COM