Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Jill Hurant’s creativity began by watching her mother, a talented artist in her own right. Jill was always creating something be it embroidered jeans, handmade belts or handbags. “I’ve always had the need to be doing something with a creative edge.” She left Ohio in the early 70’s to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. While there she met and married her husband and then moved to New Jersey. Nine years ago a friend of Jill’s encouraged her to visit a woman who was taking classes at the Jewelry Arts Institute in Manhattan. Her friend said that she knew Jill would find the process of jewelry making fascinating. That visit changed Jill’s life. Although too intimidated for a year to call the school, Jill finally scheduled a class and the rest, as they say, is history.