Dean Turner

"Handmade jewelry is personal, to the maker and to the wearer. I think about that connection as I make each piece. "

Dean Turner has always been interested in many forms of art, and fascinated with how things are made. His involvement in environmental education in Oregon sharpened his observation of the natural world. He was introduced to jewelry making in the 1980s. His interests came together in this medium, and he's been making jewelry in silver and gold ever since.

Turner fabricates each piece using techniques that include forming, roller printing, casting, and stone setting. He often assembles the piece by fusing the various parts together, using a torch to bring the metal up just to the melting point, until the parts join without the use of solder. Because each piece is made individually, no two pieces are precisely the same.

Mainly self-taught, he learned basic techniques of jewelry making at Santa Rosa Junior College in California. He continues to add to his knowledge by taking classes and workshops at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco.

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Selected Exhibitions & Awards
Buyers Market of American Craft, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA, 2009
Tiburon Art Festival, Ark Row, Tiburon, CA, 2009
Kings Mountain Art Fair, Kings Mountain, Woodside, CA, 2009
Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, Old Mill Park, Mill Valley, CA, 2009
Art Jewelry 2009: Distinctive Personal Adornments by American Designers, Langman Gallery, Willow Grove, PA, 2009