White Noise
Sarah Graham
TEXT BY SHINMIN LI
Bold, luxurious and unexpected, Sarah Graham is the fine
jewelry artist to watch. She turns nature, even the gritty and
bizarre, into luxury—and now, after 15 years of creating some
of the most fascinating jewelry in private, her studio is finally
open to the public.
Upon entering Sarah’s studio, located in the Dogpatch of
San Francisco, I felt as if I were experiencing a time-lapse
video of the neighborhood’s evolution from a working class,
industrial hub to the center of the Bay’s biotech industry,
overflowing with tech crusaders. The neighborhood’s transformation is similar to Sarah’s creations. I was mesmerized as I
watched her spin nature’s found objects into gold by combining
old world craftsmanship with the latest innovations in design.
Accompanied by the musical sounds of a hammer on metal and
the methodical hum of her Form1+ 3D printer, Sarah tells me
that she loves “what transpires from the melding of old and
new methodologies.”
A look around the showroom and studio affirms that Sarah
draws inspiration from the unconventional. Curious items like
aged brick, iron room dividers, vintage artifacts perched on old
saw blades, a collection of sea shells, a frog skeleton, and even
Cheerios(!) are among the clever objects that are seamlessly
curated to create an experience that is inspiring and new.
Sarah works meticulously in defining her signature look
of gold and black metals sparkling with colored diamonds. I
asked her how she developed such a unique and recognizable
style. Sarah chuckled and replied, “It was the black that presented the biggest challenge. I was determined to achieve a
deep, strong, and unapologetic black look that iron possesses,
but without the inherent corrosive nature. I spent seven years
on this focus.” The material that finally met Sarah’s keen high
standards is Oxidized Cobalt Chrome. She is the only jeweler
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using this material in this way. Sarah’s black Chrome is a
distinctively darker, softer and deeper finish than any other
oxidized silver. This inspired Cindy Edelstien, an expert in the
designer jewelry industry, to declare: “No one gets black like
Sarah Graham.”
And no one does nature like Sarah either. The motivation
behind all her collections is to extrapolate the unexpected
details found in nature into infinitely wearable pieces. Who
would imagine that Jacaranda pods, decayed wood, or a
microscopic view of single cell marine organisms would make
statement jewelry pieces? “I was originally a biology major, and
eventually landed in business school. So I ultimately found a
way to combine my two passions,” Sarah explains.
Intriguing, subtle, and never literal, her interpretations of
the organic elicit questions and often enlighten the collector.
Who knew that sea urchins have teeth? “As a devotee of Ernst
Haeckel, I strive to make beautiful wearable jewelry that piques
the curiosity in unexpected ways,” Sarah tells me.
Sarah’s clients are devoted fans of her work. Once a piece
of her jewelry touches the skin, they are hooked. They are also
hooked to Sarah’s mission. She is committed to using only
the finest recycled 18-karat gold and conflict-free diamonds.
Among the many reasons that make her customers loyal, many
say that they love her pieces because they are conversation
starters. They love that her unique engagement rings reflect
their bold and confident styles. Some praise the one-of-a-kind
pendants that feature their children’s fingerprints and do not
look like “mom jewelry”. I particularly like that Sarah is a San
Francisco designer whose work tells a story.
Learn more about Sarah Graham and schedule an appointment to experience her studio at www.sarahgraham.com