A focused follow-up to last year’s spotlight on prints created by local artists, this installment of the Current’s Shop Local edition unites 10 area creatives working in the realm of jewelry and adornment.
Although wide-ranging in terms of style — from elegant and gem-encrusted to whimsical and wacky — a few common threads emerged between our featured artists. A few are represented by Sifuentes Metalsmith, formerly Equinox, the long-running La Villita gallery and shop founded by Alejandro Sifuentes. And several honed their skills in community classes in the metals department at UTSA Southwest, formerly Southwest School of Art. (Registration for the winter term opens to the public on Dec. 10.)
Alejandro Sifuentes, Sifuentes Metalsmith
During the spring equinox of 2011, San Antonio native Alejandro Sifuentes started changing the game for local jewelry artists with the introduction of Equinox Gallery.
“My vision was to create a space in the field of metalsmithing to showcase artists’ work and have conversations about the intersections of culture, craft and art,” Sifuentes told the Current. “On our 11th anniversary in 2022, we changed our name to Sifuentes Metalsmith, when my daughter joined me in the business. I wanted it to reflect the culmination of knowledge and continuing legacy of honoring handcraft.”
A revered metalsmith with 45 years of experience, Sifuentes now displays and sells the work of 10 diverse jewelry artists alongside his own — which is highlighted by exquisitely earthy rings that combine precious metals and gemstones.
“Rings are at the core of my process,” Sifuentes said. “The engineering needed for the perfect fit challenges and motivates me. Whether it is a pueblo deco-inspired turquoise ring or a rose-cut diamond wedding set, I am honored to transform raw materials into art pieces people can wear.”
One winning example of Sifuentes’ contemporary take on old-world adornment, his Saddle Ring (pictured, $2,950) showcases a portrait-cut yellow diamond on an oxidized silver band enhanced with a fused gold texture that evokes rust.
“I want my pieces to feel like artifacts,” Sifuentes explained. “Creating moments of discovery every time they are held and placed on the body.”
Sifuentes Metalsmith, 418 Villita St., Building 4, (210) 994-0981, sifuentesmetalsmith.com
Atsuko Taniguchi
A native of Osaka, Japan, Atsuko Taniguchi relocated to San Antonio in 1993 and has been making jewelry for 30 years. Outside of Sifuentes Metalsmith, Taniguchi shows and sells at perennial San Antonio events including the Uptown Art Stroll in Olmos Park Terrace. Typically working with silver, gold and gemstones, Taniguchi describes her one-of-a-kind pieces as “a combination of geometric and organic shapes.”
Reminiscent of the Atomic Era, Taniguchi’s sterling silver earrings with 18-karat gold bezels (pictured, $420) are delicately punctuated with amethyst, blue topaz, tourmaline and peridot.
This holiday season, Taniguchi will be among the hand-picked vendors at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s Black Friday alternative Mercado de Paz/Peace Market (10 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri, Nov. 29 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat, Nov. 30, 922 San Pedro Ave.).
instagram.com/atsukotaniguchi
Bárbara Miñarro, Breakfast Friend
Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, artist Bárbara Miñarro spent her teens in McAllen and moved to San Antonio in her 20s.
Although her buzzy brand Breakfast Friend began as a hand-painted purse project, Miñarro branched out into jewelry four years ago with whimsical accessories incorporating anything from vintage beads to semi-precious stones and polymer clay.
“It started as a side project — just experimenting with ideas and materials,” Miñarro said. “But it’s grown into something I really love. For me, it’s about creating pieces that feel playful and a little unexpected, while still being something people want to wear every day.”
A fan favorite, Miñarro’s Make Your Own Charm Necklace (pictured, $38-$88) invites shoppers to choose between one and seven charms, which include tiny pretzels, pink conchas, sardine cans and Topo Chico bottles.
“My jewelry is playful and personal,” she said. “Each piece is like wearable art — approachable, expressive and meant to spark joy for the wearer.”
In addition to her online store, Miñarro sells her Breakfast Friend creations locally at R+R Collective Co., Artpace and Contemporary at Blue Star, and will be popping at Feliz Modern for a Small Business Saturday event on November 30 (10 a.m.-4 p.m., 110 W. Olmos Drive).
breakfastfriend.shop
Daniela Madrigal/Fruity Poms
Laredo native Daniela Madrigal relocated here a decade ago to pursue her MFA. A few years later, she started making playful jewelry under the moniker Fruity Poms and became an instant hit at local gift shop Feliz Modern.
Working in the unlikely medium of wool, Madrigal creates surprisingly detailed accessories celebrating all things cute and edible — rainbows, butterflies, Hello Kitty-inspired sushi rolls, even bags of Takis and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
“My jewelry style is fun and bold,” Madrigal said. “They’re definitely statement pieces.”
While her extra-large daisy earrings are among her best sellers, Madrigal also does well with “anything seasonal,” such as her stocking stuffer-worthy Peppermint Drop earrings (pictured, $35).
fruitypoms.com
Lorena Angulo
A fixture of the San Antonio jewelry scene for nearly two decades, Mexican artist Lorena Angulo is known for work that meshes with the local landscape.
“I took my first metals class at Southwest School of Art in 2006 and have been making jewelry ever since,” Angulo said.
Whether working in silver, bronze, brass or copper, Angulo spins hallmarks of Mexican culture into contemporary designs worn proudly by well-dressed locals.
“My best sellers are always earrings,” Angulo said. “And the ones inspired by birds and milagro hearts are the most popular.”
Fitting well within that framework, her Día de los Muertos-inspired Papel Picado Calavera earrings (pictured, $220) are adorned with a dangling row of African glass beads.
Angulo is currently hosting a holiday sale with a 10% site-wide discount through Dec. 4.
lorenaangulo.com
“I began playing around in simple jewelry design when I was in elementary school,” San Antonio native Priscilla Martinez said. “I really got to do a deep dive in high school through the art program, which included metalsmithing as part of the regular curriculum.”
That early start inspired Martinez to continue studies in the metals department at the Southwest School of Art and eventually launch Joyarte Jewelry Couture — a line rooted in wire-wrapping. Building on 17 years of success, Martinez rebranded in 2021, adopting Priscilla Martinez Design as an umbrella over Joyarte, the gold-plated collection Priscilla Laurel and fine-jewelry line Priscilla Martinez.
“My jewelry has been through many eclectic styles throughout the years, ranging from abstract to contemporary to bohemian,” Martinez said. “My most recent silhouettes have included studies in line and geometry, floral and foliage motifs, architectural references and running water imagery.”
Outside of ready-to-wear pieces, such as her swirling Nadia Bouvardia necklace (pictured, $650), Martinez frequently gets tapped to design custom creations.
“During COVID especially, I had many friends and acquaintances ask if I could help them design a special piece for them,” Martinez said. “They wanted to use grandma’s old diamond ring or pieces from their jewelry box that they never wore. That aspect has been very gratifying because I’m able to create, with their input, a piece of wearable art that commemorates a special person or a milestone in their life.”
priscillamartinez.com
Susan Oliver Heard
The jewelry bug first bit accomplished jeweler and gemologist Susan Oliver Heard when she was a 10-year-old making friendship bracelets at camp.
Fittingly, the work she’s best known for today is directly inspired by the great outdoors.
“I pull everything from nature,” Heard said. “I imagine the plants or animals I see around me in everyday life clutching stones, frozen in time and coated in colors — or bougied up for a party.”
Although she’s a big fan of sterling silver, the San Antonio native is more inspired by gemstones.
“The stones are the catalyst for every piece,” Heard said. “I’ll see a little critter or a flower or shell and think, ‘Boom — that’s what I’ll do with that stone.’”
Those lightbulb moments have taken shape in owl, snake and octopus rings, crocodile bracelets and scorpion belt buckles. One covetable member of Heard’s wearable menagerie, her sterling silver Carmen the Chameleon ring (pictured, $950) is distinguished by one yellow diamond eye and one turquoise eye.
As the year draws to a close, Heard has much to be thankful for. In addition to landing on MSN’s list of the Top 10 Exclusive Jewelry Designers of 2024, she took home top honors in Jewelers of America’s 2024 CASE Awards design competition with a white-gold ring anchored by a massive Ethiopian opal.
To see Heard’s distinctive work in person, drop by the Alamo Heights boutique Sloan Hall (5934 Broadway) or make an appointment to visit her eponymous Heard Gallery via email at susan@heardgallery.com.
heardgallery.com
Susanna Meriwether/Susanna Meriwether MetalSmith
A self-described Army brat who’s lived off and on in San Antonio since 1975, Susanna Meriwether started taking jewelry classes at the Southwest School in 2011. Over the past 13 years, she has developed a style she describes as “clean-lined and minimalistic.”
“I work primarily in sterling silver, recycled sterling silver, copper, bronze and enamel, and sometimes incorporate semi-precious stones,” Meriwether explained.
Meriwether’s minimalist aesthetic takes shape in quirky designs that bring to mind game-board pieces — including tiny houses, Lego-inspired rings and even a sterling silver gummy bear (pictured, $70).
During the holidays, Meriwether will pop up alongside fellow metalsmiths Laura Davis and Laura Everett at the Tobin’s Holiday Art Market (10 a.m-5 p.m. Sat, Nov. 30, 100 Auditorium Circle) and the Pearl’s seasonal Night Markets (5-9 p.m. Wednesdays through Dec. 18, 312 Pearl Parkway).
instagram.com/sm.metalsmith
Sulo Bee/$P4RKL3_FiLTH_CL0UD_NiN3
Easily the most out-of-the-box creator in the bunch, Sulo Bee doesn’t consider their work jewelry but “sculptural wearables.” As for Bee’s project $P4RKL3_FiLTH_CL0UD_NiN3, it isn’t a jewelry line but “a world” the San Antonio native has built. What may function as earrings are “sculptures for ears” while brooches are “sculptures with kickstands.”
Working with metals since their undergrad days at Texas State University, Bee describes their work as “dreamy, but grungy.”
“There is an otherworldly presence to the semi-corporeal creatures that adorn the surfaces of each piece,” Bee said. “I spend a lot of time finding specific stones that match the identities of the creatures — like grape agate, wavelite or epidote. Color is essential to the work, so [I use] spray paint, gouache and golden acrylic.”
Created last year in conjunction with Dutch magazine Current Obsession’s talent-accelerator program GEMZ, Bee’s sculptural necklace __iRiD3SC3NC3]] (pictured, $2,000) is rendered in silver, steel, concrete, sticks, citrine, geode, asphalt, shell, epoxy, rubber and paint.
While Bee’s more adventurous work can be acquired directly through their website, Sifuentes Metalsmith stocks an assortment of smaller wearables.
sparklefilth.cloud
Tracy Stephens, Freaky Tiki
Recognized by many local creatives as the festively dressed manager of bygone bead emporium Nomadic Notions, proud San Antonian Tracy Stephens has been making jewelry since the age of 9.
“My jewelry line Freaky Tiki is eclectic and fun,” Stephens said. “My creations often entail semi-precious stones and sterling silver, but I love adding vintage plastic beads and objects with a sense of humor.”
Guaranteed to make a statement — and likely a little noise to boot — Stephens’ leather and tiger iron necklace (pictured, $150) is highlighted by a row of Indonesian silver dangles.
Outside of pop-ups she announces on social media, Stephens sells smartly priced earrings at Creative Floral Designs by Helene in Alamo Heights (5218 Broadway).
A diehard animal lover, Stephens has rescued and rehomed 53 dogs in the last 15 years.
“Almost 100% of the proceeds of my work go to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of San Antonio street dogs,” she added.
instagram.com/trakarma
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This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 10, 2024.