Moose Spotlight: Making Timeless Pieces of Jewelry From The Heart
This is jewelry artist Angela Chapman, the talented individual behind the Instagram handle @rubiesandgrace. Based in Ponder, Texas, Angela has been making jewelry when at the tender age of seven or eight, in some form or fashion, as she said. About a year and a half ago, she also took a soldering class and she fell in love with metalsmithing!
Angela got her first few turquoise pieces from the bead store she took her first class at. According to her, she has always loved turquoise. As someone who grew up in Arizona, turquoise was everywhere! However, it was only recently that she realized how there are many different colors and types of it.
As she started finding more resources for metalsmithing, she has found a couple of sources from pages or people that she felt were trustworthy - and so she has followed them.
We wanted to know how some of our favorite artists make decisions whenever they choose which pieces to work with. For Angela, she said, as she is new and having no real local resources, what she does is she buys a few things from a few people so she could compare prices and quality.
This way, she could get a feel for what she likes working with when it comes to shapes, colors, and other factors. In the beginning, she shared she had a basic look she gravitated towards, but she has since been trying to branch out and try new things. As she puts it, “Sometimes, a stone just “speaks” to me.” We feel that!
In addition, we also wanted to know from artists’ perspectives what are the pros and cons of working with turquoise. Angela explains that she has never really thought about the advantages and disadvantages of working with them.
However, she thinks the biggest con is she doesn’t know enough about all the different types and how to best choose who to purchase from. She adds that she has loved turquoise since she was a little girl so finding a way to work with it almost daily is a huge pro.
When it comes to shapes, Angela is typically drawn to square and rectangle pieces - she isn’t sure exactly why, as she likes all sizes. Personally, she thinks there are so many possibilities with all of them.
Originally from Arizona, she admits that she’s partial to AZ mines. She also mentions that the more she sees, the more she is drawn to so many others. Angela adds that she really had no idea how many there were and the many colors turquoise comes in.
At Team Moose, we value every effort in choosing to be kind to the environment. Curious as to how artists are doing their part and also wanting to learn from them, we asked Angela. One of the things she has been wanting to be better about is learning more about making sure she is being environmentally friendly.
She shared that she recently moved her studio inside. As she adds tools, she is now realizing, even more, how many chemicals and fumes, etc. are involved in the process, especially now that it is in the house.
Lastly, we also asked Angela if she had a signature technique with her designs. She says she doesn’t know if she has a favorite or signature technique, but one thing she loves about jewelry making is she can take the same supplies and create something very different depending on what is inspiring to her at that time. She explains, “I am not good with making 50 of the very same thing. I am big on words, though, so most times there will be a word somewhere on my pieces.” Love that!
Take a look at some of her amazing pieces!
Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubiesandgrace/
Check out her Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RubiesAndGraceShop
What do you like about working with Turquoise Moose?
“Turquoise Moose has been a pleasure to work with. I love the variety of shapes and colors. Every stone or bead I have purchased has been such great quality. Always great communication and such ease with purchasing. If I pulled out stones from my collection that were favorites... most would be ones I purchased from Turquoise Moose.”
-Angela Chapman
