Jewelry Month at Turtle Ridge Gallery

Melissa Schmidt creates hand-blown glass pieces for her jewelry. Submitted.

Turtle Ridge selected a group of talented jewelers from around the country for a unique show all about jewelry. Jennifer Merchant, Melissa Schmidt, Bongsang Cho, Lauren Blais and Julie Jerman-Melka employ unusual materials, master techniques and playful designs in their creations. The display will incorporate each artist’s vision into a magical display. The work will be shown through June. Each week an artist will be featured from the collection.

Melissa Schmidt was recently featured. Schmidt creates jewelry with hand-blown glass in the shape of bubbles, taking full advantage of light’s ability to make each piece glow, shine and sparkle. The first step of lamp working these bubbles begins with the artist rotating a clear glass tube in the flame of her glass torch. After molten glass is accumulated at the end of the tube of glass the bubble is carefully blown from the other end. The steps of re-melting and blowing continue until the desired size is reached.

“It’s as useful today in culture as it’s ever been. No matter what the current trends in jewelry, glass has the ability to transform itself to follow those trends. Glass is pure and predictable and yet has endless possibilities,” said Schmidt.

“I love the weight and feel of my glass orbs, which are substantial, bold and colorful and yet entirely feminine.”

Turtle Ridge Gallery, open 10 am – 5 pm daily, is located at 11736 Mink River Rd. in Ellison Bay.