BIO
I grew up in North Conway, New Hampshire. As a child, I collected rocks from the Saco River behind our house and polished them in a plastic tumbler my father banned to the basement because it kept us all up at night. I now have a metal tumbler (also relegated to the basement), which just goes to show that one's toys don't really change much, they just get noisier and more expensive.

I majored in geology at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. During one January Program, I interned with an exploration geologist for Barringer Resources in Golden, Colorado. We collected rocks in the Front Range, visited the Leadville and Idaho Springs mining districts, and toured a working underground silver mine developed in the 1800's in Central City (thus jump starting my M.S. thesis and a life-long interest in ore deposits). I spent another semester at the University of Arizona so as to experience a different geologic province. A dozen of us backpacked the Grand Canyon over Thanksgiving break. I carried the dinner rolls.

During my years at Michigan Technological University, I prospected for oil and gas off the east coast, hunted for diamonds in the upper Midwest, and studied mineral deposition at the Togo Mine. I also spent six glorious weeks at a Hope College summer field camp mapping the Rockies, rafting the Arkansas River (so it wasn't all work!), and exploring Colorado's historic mining towns. I thank my Mom for these opportunities, for she believed in higher education, paid for it, and gave me free rein to wander at will.

I started making jewelry in 2002. Two years later I took a couple of classes in wire wrapping and metalsmithing from Donna Tumosa at LadySmith Studio in Hampden, Maine. I am grateful, as well, to others willing to share their knowledge.