Sterling silver ginkgo earrings

I live, work, and play in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. This landscape and others I have lived in have always been the inspiration for the jewelry I create.

I have been called a squirrel by many fellow hikers.  I love to forage for leaves in autumn color, askew branches, nuts and seeds.  For years I have been storing aways these found objects, waiting for the right medium to channel their beauty.  While trying to find my passion at the University of Georgia at Athens, I made my way to the art department.  I began with black and white photography, tried my hand at drawing, learned about space in three dimensional design, and finally made it to Jewelry Design.  After spending four weeks creating a copper and brass leaf pin I knew had found a nest for all my collected natural inspirations.

After graduating with a studio art degree, I moved to Los Angeles and apprenticed with Wendy Walker.  Working on her platinum and diamond line of jewelry, I learned practical bench work, production work, and small business skills.  In 1999 I began the "Marsha Elliott Designs" line of leaf jewelry.