Danielle and Chris Merzatta

"We heal from the outside in—what we gaze upon matters. The natural ring you love to look at on your finger? It's part of realigning everything inside, so that we can be our truest selves in this world."

This work sits within the human urge to collect: to bend down for that exceptional beach find, to roll that rock over in your hands while you walk. This jewelry began as a love story. Danielle, with her husband Chris, found their first organic inspirations in the Caribbean and then traveled the country for a decade doing art fairs while bringing more organic forms into their designs.

Collect, curate, carve, cast, combine, create. The Merzatta's process begins with collecting. They are constantly looking at the world around finding, finding what isn't easy to see—unlocking something waiting to be discovered. They collect and carve organic materials to capture the textures that inform their work. One-of-a-kind stones and cast organic burnout elements are fabricated together using traditional jewelry bench techniques.

Danielle began in metals at Moore College of Art and Design and got her Masters in Metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Chris has a BFA in Jewelry/Metalsmithing and a BA in German and Art History from the University of Georgia, and an MFA in Painting from the same. Additional studies include the Technical School for Design in Pforzheim, Germany, the Universitat Rostock in Rostock, Germany, Peter’s Valley, and Penland School of Craft.