Jewelry is many things to many people. To some it's deeply personal, whether it was their grandmother's wedding band, their own engagement ring or those studs received on a sixteenth birthday. For others, baubles are just that, ornaments. The bigger the better, the more the merrier.
Jewelry designer Anna Sheffield has managed to strike the perfect balance between statement and personal. Sheffield is the designer and creative director for three lines: Bing Bang, Anna Sheffield Fine Jewelry and Anna Sheffield Bridal.
Sheffield was studying sculpture in 2002 when her love of blacksmithing and welding led her to jewelry design, so she aptly named her line "Bing Bang" -- the sound of a hammer hitting an anvil. Inspired by street style, punk rock and her grandmother's trinkets, the pieces are a little raw, a little architectural and very cool.
The New Mexico native is celebrating her 10th year in New York City, and describes working with Marc Jacobs on his spring 2006 collection as one of the highlights of her career. Introduced by a mutual friend, Sheffield says they were both charting new territory; this was one of the first times that designers had collaborated. The whirlwind experience paid off -- the capsule collection was sold in Jacobs' store. Since then she has worked with mega-retailer Target, which she described as "fashion-forward -- they upped the ante." She told us about the overwhelming experience of walking into a store and seeing a cabinet full of her pieces.
No need to head to Target, Sheffield invited us into her studio for a behind-the-scenes peek at where the magic happens. See it all, plus a sneak peek of a few of our favorite pieces in the gallery below.
