“Using natural mineral or stone formations combined with hand-carved wood, Christine J. Brandt creates mouth-watering jewelry that is large in scale and visual punch,” says Lena Vigna.

How she got started: “I’ve been designing and making jewelry for about 10 years, but I have been wood-carving for almost 20 years. After college, I started taking evening classes in wood-carving. Two nights a week I would walk to the studio after a full day of work and chip away. It was a great creative outlet.”

Her biggest artistic influence: “Mother Nature is my biggest influence. Not only do I work with materials such as African ebony, pyrite, and tagua nuts, but also I am inspired by the shapes of seashells, corals, and foliage; the colors and textures of insect wings and fish scales; and the constantly changing energy of the earth.”

What makes her work unique: “All of my pieces are hand-carved and one of a kind. The stones and minerals are all in their natural state, so often it’s almost impossible to  find the same stone and crystal shape and color combination, adding to the uniqueness of each piece.”

What she’s working on now: “I am creating wedding bands for my very dear friends. The bands are a wonderful wood called lignum vitae, in which I will set a tiny cluster of light green pyromorphite crystals in the bride’s band and a deep blue azurite crystal in the groom’s. The rest will be a surprise.”

Read the rest of the profiles of jewelry artists in this issue.