About

Artist Bio:
Laurie Lynn Berezin handcrafts original and custom jewelry for her business Beryllina using recycled sterling silver, gold, and platinum, and ethically-mined American gemstones. Laurie creates pieces that showcase the natural beauty of the stones, including crystals that she digs from the earth herself. She studied the traditional craft of jewelry fabrication at Boston’s renowned North Bennet Street School, and is the Jewelry Shop Lead, a teacher, and a member at the Artisans Asylum non-profit makerspace. Laurie is a seasoned educator, teaching jewelry-making classes, workshops, private lessons, and corporate retreats for novice and experienced metalsmiths alike.

 

 

Artist Statement:

I consider “intention” – mindfulness of thought and action – to be the primary element that permeates all aspects of my jewelry, from the sourcing of materials, to the design process, to fabrication, to wearability.

My work intentionally includes only materials that sustain my commitment to social and environmental responsibility. I use only recycled sterling and fine silver, gold, and platinum, and only American gemstones and minerals with no treatments to alter their natural appearance. I even mine some of the minerals myself, digging them directly from the Earth across New England.

For me, designing with intention involves finding a deliberate balance of simplicity and detail. I also work to create harmonious compositions that showcase both the gemstones’ natural beauty and the surrounding metalwork. As one of my clients so eloquently stated, “Beryllina jewelry doesn’t push, it doesn’t pull…it just is.”

I meticulously hand-fabricate each one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry to produce works of beauty, subtlety, and poise. By applying jewelry-making techniques (some of which have been in practice for over 5000 years), I patiently create each piece with the highest level of craftsmanship. My education at the time-honored North Bennet Street School laid the foundation for my precision, attention to detail, and unyielding standard of quality.

Intention runs like a river through all facets of my jewelry. By using minerals that I mined myself and other American gemstones, as well as recycled precious metals, I allow my artistic vision to be realized while respecting other people and the planet. Through my jewelry, I ultimately aspire to contribute to a culture of intentional living that encourages the ownership of fewer, exquisitely made, responsibly-sourced goods.