Michelle Hoting Jewelry Artist

 

In my studio work begins with  inspiration often coming from forms and textures I find in nature like a falling leaf, the curve of a nautilus shell, the sweep of an owl’s wings, or a unique inclusion in a stone.  Muse in mind, I immerse myself in design and hand fabrication of my silver and gold, working towards achieving a sense of movement, balance and dimensionality.  My desire is to create an echo of that fleeting moment and capture the elegance of nature with a stylish timelessness that reminds the wearer of the joy found in nature.

When I was a kid I drempt of being a lapidarist.  My grandfather founded the  Corpus Christi Gem and Mineral Society and I grew up with stories of him and my Mother rockhounding on the King Ranch in Texas.  As a teenager I developed a deep love for collecting and cutting stones but it wasn’t until university that I realized that I wanted to be a professional gemologist and jeweler.

My passion took direction in 1991.  While majoring in Geology and Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin my gemology professor recommended me to a part time sales job in a jewelry store.  Quickly, I transitioned to learning the trade as a jeweler’s apprentice.  Since then I’ve had a wide range of experience in the jewelry industry including managing the repair department of a prominent antique jewelry store,  attending the Gemological Institute of America, working as  a  jeweler for Cartier and managing a Bulgari  boutique.  Now, I’m living my dream, working for myself, creating my jewelry art in Sonoma County, California.