- About Fluxweed Artisan Jewelry -
Meet Emily, the talented hands behind Fluxweed Artisan Jewelry. Emily is obsessed with metal smithing and stone setting, and runs her small handmade jewelry business, Fluxweed Artisan Jewelry, from Portland, OR.
Emily has a life-long passion for art and making "all the things." You name it, she has probably tried to make it. She studied painting and printmaking at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, where she fueled her love for working with different materials and experimenting with different mediums. It wasn't until long after art school that Emily discovered her true calling in the form of metal smithing and jewelry making. Emily has studied silversmithing at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, Multnomah Arts Center and has taken specialized workshops in gem setting and metal casting.
Emily designs jewelry that helps you feel more yourself, not like one of the crowd. Emily constantly experiments with different techniques and styles, and her pieces range from classic and elegant to of-the-moment and minimalist. But each style is imbued with a little unexpected twist, a juxtaposition, or a feeling of being just a little different than something you might find at a department store or chain jeweler.
In addition to her creativity and attention to detail, Emily is known for her friendly and approachable personality. She loves interacting with her customers and hearing their stories, and takes pride in creating pieces that are meaningful and personal to them. If you have a special project in mind, drop Fluxweed a line and she'll make it happen.
Be sure to follow Fluxweed Artisan Jewelry on Instagram @FluxweedArtisanJewelry to see behind the scenes and get sneak previews of new handmade items.
In a mostly unrelated note, Emily is also a keen knitter. Find her @Eheaden on Ravelry
Fluxweed is a playful name partly inspired by the magical world of Harry Potter. Hermione would no doubt love to inform you that Fluxweed is one of the seven ingredients in Polyjuice Potion. The plant is valued by wizards for its ability to transform, much like Emily transforms raw materials to finished jewelry pieces.
Unlike many things JK Rowling completely made up, fluxweed is also common name for several real life flowery/weedy plants. Fluxweed is often found in hedgerows, part of a critical ecosystem for the plants and animals of the English countryside. No metaphor for jewelry here- hedgerows are just cool and support a lot of biodiversity.
There is a "jewelry world" aspect to the name as well. In the art of silver smithing, flux paste is used to help transform two pieces of metal into one, using a hot flame and solder. It is almost like magic or alchemy. So with its connection to both the magical and practical aspects of jewelry work, Fluxweed was the perfect name. Much better than "Boomslang Skin," don't you think?
Meet Emily
What is Fluxweed ?
What is Gold Filled Metal?
What does gold filled mean? Gold, in case you haven't paid attention, is currently crazy expensive. Gold filled jewelry is a way to enjoy real gold without the associated price tag. Unlike more cheaply made gold plated jewelry, gold filled jewelry's surface will not wear off with ordinary use, as it is much thicker- it contains 100x the gold of a gold plated item. Fluxweed always uses 14/20 gold filled metal. The term "14/20 gold-filled" means the metal must contain 1/20th real gold in relation to the base metal core. This ratio looks very much like real solid gold, which is why Fluxweed chooses to use this type of metal. Fluxweed does use small amounts of real gold in some designs, so pay attention to jewelry descriptions to find out what your new favorite piece of jewe;ry is made from.