Bette Barnett

"I am passionate about steel as a raw material for jewelry. By adding gold, I take steel to another level and create jewelry that has a modern, gritty edge but also feels ancient and rich."

Bette creates jewelry by combining steel, that humblest of materials, with noble metals such as gold and silver. Her bold jewelry has a visual vibration that is both industrial and rich.

Bette Barnett’s work involves marrying steel and precious metals by fusing different colors and karats of gold to steel. She also bonds gold and silver foil to steel using the ancient Korean technique of Keum Boo. She uses various techniques to add interest, including electro-etching, chisel texturing, gemstones and patination.

Bette Barnett began her jewelry career in 2010 after retiring from a corporate position. After learning to fuse gold to steel in 2013, she continued to experiment with fusing various gold alloys, silver and other non-ferrous metals to steel. She also perfected application of gold foil to steel using the Keum Boo technique. She teaches jewelry workshops throughout the U.S. and authored a book entitled Creating Steel Jewelry which was published in 2024.