I first run into her designs from a beautiful gift received, so I went to investigate more about the designer, materials used, etcetera. The more I learned, the more I loved it.

Here you will find a sum up of what you can read on her official website. There, you can access her full history and also shop her designs online.

About the designer

Jan Michaels has over 30 years of designing eclectic bohemian and modern vintage jewelry, all pieces are handcrafted in her San Francisco Bay Area studio.

Starting as a young girl in Pittsburgh hunting for stones and tiny treasures, Jan's eye for ornamentation grew into a full-fledged jewelry business. Her signature ability to invoke the spirit of a people, a tribe or civilization in her jewelry never fails to ignite our imagination and further our quest for living life to its fullest.

Antiqued brass
Jan designed her first accessories using leather and rubber materials. She later studied metal working and silversmithing, and fell in love with brass, which provided the perfect contrast to the lush colors and textures of semi-precious stones used in her designs.

Brass is an ancient alloy, a mix of copper and zinc that has a honey glow similar to 12k gold - brass is a nice complement to most complexions and is surprisingly lightweight. Used for coins, beads, vases, and instruments in the days of ancient Rome to modern-day West Africa, brass is so versatile.

Jan creates antique brass using an environment-friendly metal finishing process. The brass is tumbled to create a deep gold patina. Jan also offers a silver finish, which is electroplated onto the brass and resembles antique sterling silver. Jan rivets or fastens layers of brass together, which serves as an empty canvas in which she then adds from a staggering array of raw materials including beads, bone, shells, filigree, fossils, stampings, chains, pearls, gemstones, colored glass and more.

Making a difference in the world thru Holding Hands for the Earth Foundation

According to their website, Jan Michaels helps to ensure that women's and children's rights are honored here in the U.S. and across the world. 

Last year, Jan Michaels donated up to $12,000 to activist groups who are working towards protecting these rights. Purchasing and wearing jewelry provides meaningful help in furthering women's rights. By shopping Jan Michaels you are helping, too. On her website, they asked the public to let them know about an organization to consider for their donations.

Bottom-line is, Jane Michaels has the full package mix of quality design beauty and history of doing it right, all together. Here you can find one of my favorite sets from her: