| Ms. Barbara Berk |
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Barbara Berk’s journey has been circuitous: a childhood love of fabric and sewing; a Master’s Degree in Russian History; 15 years in magazine publishing. Her introduction to antique jewelry led to studies in gemology and bench techniques -- and the discovery that her true passion is working with the metal itself. She learned that metal can be worked like fiber, that sheet and wire can be woven. Most exciting for Berk was the realization that jewelry can be fashioned from the precious metal “fabric”. She founded Barbara Berk Designs in 1992 to create limited production and one-of-a-kind jewelry.
Barbara Berk won a 2004 AGTA Spectrum Award for “Streamers”, a set of three pendants, featuring four cultured South Sea pearls, suspended from while silk ribbon. In her signature handwoven platinum, “Streamers” is Berk’s first bridal design. She received the 2002 Award for Excellence in Design from the Women’s Jewelry Association. Berk won First Place in the 2001 Saul Bell Design Award competition for jewelry design for her “Paisley” Centerpiece/Pendant/Brooch, which was shown in Best of the Best at the Museum of the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, CA (2003). Her signature “Ruffle Brooch” is featured in The Art of Gold, an exhibition of contemporary American studio goldsmithing which will travel to a number of museums in the US through 2005.
Barbara Berk’s jewels have been featured in Textile Techniques in Metal by Arline Fisch (2001 and 1996), Art Jewelry Today by Dona Z. Meilach (2003), Jewelry and Gems by Antoinette Matlins (2005), in addition to many magazines including Metalsmith, Lapidary Journal, Jewelry Connoisseur, American Style, New York Magazine, JCK and Professional Jeweler. Berk is the author of Textile Techniques in Metal: A Designer’s Perspective on Sheet and Wire, presented at the 2004 Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing and published in the Symposium’s Proceedings. She wrote "A Platinum Tapestry: Weaving all the Elements Together” published in Platinum Manufacturing Process Volume VIII, Platinum Guild International USA (2000), presented at Women In Platinum Symposium 1999..
Please visit BarbaraBerkDesigns.com for more information.
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| New! On Our Blog |
| Jewelry-making supplies & free lectures at Metalwerx vendor day |
Tools, Jewels and the people who use them are once again the focus of Metalwerx' 7th annual Vendor day!
Vendor Day is an opportunity to meet some of the best vendors in the business! Aspiring and professional metalworkers, beading enthusiasts, woodworkers, or the casual crafter can see product demonstrations and find top-quality supplies for immediate purchase with no shipping costs or delays.
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