Jenny created her first jewelry collection, Zhenya in 1997. The collection rapidly developed a boutique following and was sold at high-end stores across the United States, including Barneys New York. Her pieces were shown in InStyle Magazine, Glamour, Women’s Wear Daily, Madison Magazine, Accent, Mode and Mademoiselle and were worn by television personalities Martha Stewart and Ricki Lake.
In 2000, soon after her first daughter was born, Jenny decided to step away from the collections and take time to spend with her growing family. After her second daughter was born in 2003, she slowly started to get back into the studio. “The time has proven to be invaluable. I wouldn’t have changed it for anything.” It was during this time away that she was able to refine her craft by studying under several metalsmiths and sculptors in her spare time. In fact, in 2008, Jenny had a piece accepted into a juried show at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Oregon in which the pieces were later acquired into the museum’s teaching collection. In addition, in 2013 Jenny had a piece chosen to be published in Lark Books’ 1,000 Beads to be due out in late 2014.
Currently, Jenny’s collections include her Gold Kintsukuroi Collection, the Silver Standard Collection, the Bricolage Collection and Ardor.
“The Bricolage Collection is among my favorites. Bricolage is French for “tinkering”. It is the coming together of a piece from things that happen to be available and is often the way I create. I take things from my life, the places I go, the things I see, a plant seed rethought and cast to become “Balance Earrings” or a piece of metal found on the street ends up riveted into a silver bracelet. These bits and pieces inspire me and are treasures waiting to be transformed.”
Other inspirations include the art of Alexander Calder, Henry Moore and Jasper Johns.
Jewelry Photographs By: Thomas Pham at thomasphamphotography.com