I’m a fan of MANY jewelry designers and Emily P. Wheeler is one of them. I personally feel very related to her aesthetic. Every piece looks so clean, neat, modern, stylish and with the perfect amount of sparkles.
Emily is a gorgeous and talented fine jewelry designer, based in San Francisco whom’s designs are made of diamonds & precious gemstones, modern & angular shapes and much more. Each piece is, obviously, breathtaking. Also, she creates such badass cigar bands. They’re so next level. They make such a statement!
Get to know Emily, her work and some advice in getting jewelry:
Who is Emily P. Wheeler?
I am an east coast turned west coast girl. I’ve lived in San Francisco for over ten years and I’ve been designing jewelry for five. I’m deeply passionate about what I do and starting my own line has been the greatest joy of my life. My loves outside of jewelry include my blue-eyed husky-shep rescue pup, Leon, and exploring the outdoors with him and my family.
How did you get into jewelry business?
I started making jewelry when I was a little girl. I would make my mom something new every day from beads and stones I collected on road trips to the southwest with my dad. She still wears some of them! I think school was a bit of a distraction for me and after a confusing few years in the Silicon Valley tech world, I re-discovered jewelry in my late 20s, making things for friends. My side project slowly took over and here we are.
How do your designs reflect you?
My designs are strong and modern but classic and wearable. They are detailed and elevated with strong lines and angles, but also random and unexpected. I have always thought of myself as multi-dimensional, with sides of myself that are so different they are often in conflict. I love fashion and I love feeling the energy in cosmopolitain cities, but I am happiest and most grounded playing in a river with my dog in the middle of Wyoming, covered in dirt.
What do you love about creating/designing jewelry?
Everything. I get to create something that I truly love and that hopefully holds value for other people. I love the process. It is romantic and enchanting to dream it up, and then so exciting and stressful to bring it to life. Then deeply satisfying when a piece is complete and my dream has become tangible.
What influences you? Where do you take inspiration from?
My father was an architectural photographer and I grew up surrounded by these images with striking lines, symmetry, and angles. When I was little I would pull his rejects out of the trash, hang them on the wall and just stare at them, trying to make out the room and the space. I continue to be influenced by art and design and interested in the juxtaposition of something perfect and manmade with the natural environment and natural materials.
What are you currently working on?
I am working on a new collection that will be done by the end of this summer. It will be both an expansion and a focusing on the parts of my collection that are most personal. I will have LOTS of new things soon!
Describe your creative process:
It starts in my head and spends a lot of time there. I have thought about a design for hours before I put pencil to paper. I think about it lying in bed, then I play with proportions using a variety of modeling materials, and by the time I sit down to sketch, it only takes a few minutes to complete.
What do you suggest to your clients when they ask for your advice?
It depends on the advice they are looking for. If they want to work on a custom project, my first step is to make sure I am the right designer for the project. I want everyone to enjoy the process, myself included. I ask questions to see what they are looking for, I suggest some ideas, and we get an idea pretty quickly if I am the right fit. Generally speaking, jewelry is very personal. Don’t buy something because you think you’ll wear it a lot, buy it because you love it and have to have it – then you will wear it a lot! I’ve been collecting jewelry for years and still mix in pieces from other designers that I’ve loved for years.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
I hope to have grown my collection with more retail partners, and more private clients. I never want to produce on a large scale, but of course, I want to see business and creative growth. I have a short list of dream stores I’d like to partner with, stores I really respect that have encouraged me along the way. I also hope to continue to develop a unique and identifiable brand aesthetic and to carve out a niche in this industry filled with amazing talent. I would also like to have a child in a few years.
All images and info thanks to Emily P. Wheeler