Women in Art 278 Magazine October 2014 | Page 30

american artist Jill Italiano metal jewelry House of Metalworks offers a sustainable, recycled line of hand forged jewelry. We are committed to reduce our carbon footprint daily with the use of reclaimed metals, recycled components and packaging materials. And by sourcing materials that are made in the USA. Jill Italiano is the designer behind the House of Metalworks brand. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Jill obtained her degree in Culinary Arts at the New England Culinary institute. After 10 years in the industry and working in kitchens across the US, she was hungry for change and decided to settle in back on the East Coast. While working for a gold importer, she discovered jewelry, and through it a new outlet for her creativity. Jill formally trained in metalsmithing at the Silvermine Guild in New Canaan, Connecticut, and founded fine jewelry line Jill.i Designs. Within its short years Jill.i Designs has been featured in magazines such as Bazaar, Red Book, Cosmopolitan, WWD, Lucky, New York and sold in Galleries across the US and Canada including the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Jill took a “creative break” for a while and worked for CFDA Jewelry Design Company Gemma Redux in New York, NY. While working full time as their Studio Director andMetalsmith she found a box of discarded metals at the studios. Feeling creatively liberated with this enormous find Jill started House of Metalworks. Each and every piece is Designed + Created in the studio based in the lovely Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. The focus of House of Metalworks is simple - to make eco-friendly, sustainable jewelry that is comfortable to wear every day and will last for a lifetime of love. wom en ART page 30