Whimsy & Elegance
F&B Profiles
Whimsy & Elegance
Photographed by Daniel Kullman
Text by Bobbi Groover
It has often been said that each life has a story to tell. All the twists and turns of the tale add color to the saga and make each chronicle unique. The same can be said of the fine jewelry designs of Diana Widman.
Whether creating new designs, crafting custom orders, or bringing new life and sparkle to heirloom pieces, every piece in her collection has a story to be expressed and the perfect medium through which it should be told.
With a background in art history and studio art, Diana started her career in printmaking and etching. She always enjoyed drawing, fine jewelry and studying rocks and stones so after enrolling in a gemology program, it was a natural transition to combine the three. She has now come full circle, and in addition to folding her lovely paperwork etchings, she is folding sheets of sterling silver and gold. With a technique from Korea called Keum-boo, 24kt gold is fused to sterling silver to produce exquisite, eye-catching jewelry. Diana utilizes all the colors of various fine stones to bring out nature's bounty of hues. For example, she blends "...chrysoprase and sapphire; bolder opal, tsavorite and spessartite; melanite and champagne diamonds - the gems' beauty intensifies when used as a palette." All of Diana’s work is elegant yet playful enough for everyday wear. She utilizes many curved forms to imply motion and movement. A simple gold and silver squiggle form can be as intriguing sporting pearls as well as beautifully surrounding multicolored sapphires and diamonds. The same squiggle features a hidden pin, making it usable as a posed conversation piece or a pendant. Its utter simplicity brings out the beauty of the gems nestled along its lines.
Each unique stone comes as a story needing to be told - its color, weight, form and shape - all need to be considered. Diana makes drawings, puts them away and comes back again to rework them, until the story is told and the picture complete. Then the picture is produced with the highest standards and consideration for detail. Rings, pins, pendants, bracelets, earrings - her design creations are timeless. From a casual breakfast meeting, to a stroll through the park, to a formal black-tie dinner, they are meant to sparkle and capture a second glance every day and later be cherished as heirlooms by future generations.
A member of several professional jeweler associations, Diana "...is currently finishing the Colored Stone portion of the Graduate Gemologist program at GIA."
F&B Profiles
Whimsy & Elegance
Photographed by Daniel Kullman
Text by Bobbi Groover
November 2005