Jewelry designer creates wearable art in new Ogden studio
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- Metalsmith Amanda LaVonne Moore has a new studio at The Monarch.
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- Sterling silver triangle hoops by metalsmith Amanda LaVonne Moore.
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- In “The Greats” collection, metalsmith Amanda LaVonne Moore features handmade piece of jewelry with iconic musician designs cut by the artist’s hand into sterling silver.
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- Flowered jewelry box by metalsmith Amanda LaVonne Moore.
The Monarch welcomes new artist Amanda LaVonne Moore, an experienced metalsmith who designs jewelry inspired by geometric shapes and handmade sketchbooks for those “rainy days to reflect and find the next step.”
Growing up in a small town in southern Wisconsin, Moore says she has been a maker for as long as she can remember. “When I was in high school, I went on a vacation with my family and saw a fork that had been twisted into a bracelet and the tines beautifully wrapped around a stone. I loved the idea of turning everyday objects into wearable pieces of art. It was that bracelet that sparked my interest in jewelry,” she said.
A graduate of the jewelry and metalsmith program of UW Milwaukee, Moore worked several jobs in jewelry stores, perfecting her craft. She gathered skills working at Jared’s and Diamond Nexus but longed for a space of her own where she could create. Finally, while in Delaware working for a jewelry designer for six years, she was able to use the studio and created several designs of her own.
“When my fiance and I moved to Utah, I knew I wanted a studio space to keep exploring wearable art,” she said.
Moore has been busy. After becoming engaged, adopting a puppy, moving and getting a job in Draper, all in a week, Moore found The Monarch.
She has been inspired by the beautiful views Utah provides her on her way to and from work and guarantees that they will find a way into her work. Currently, Moore works mainly with silver and gold and features handmade jewelry and sketchbooks inside her new studio.
Moore is also inspired by the twists and turns life provides. “I talk a lot about direction in my work,” she said. “I am a firm believer that I am following my own path in life. I don’t know where I will end up in life, but I know that I am where I am supposed to be. I try to tell that story through my work and hopefully inspire others to do the same.”
She hopes your path leads you to her studio next month as she starts offering classes. She said, “I will be teaching a variety of different kinds of classes, most of them starting with the basics of metalsmithing and open to anyone, 13 years or older, who wants to learn something new!”
Visit Moore at her grand opening on Friday, Feb. 4, during Open Studio Night at The Monarch from 6-9 p.m.
Follow her on social media — @LaVonne.studios on Instagram, @Amanda LaVonne Metalsmith on Facebook, @LaVonneStudios on Etsy and TikTok, — and at amandaLaVonne.com to see her latest happenings.