Moose Spotlight: A Touch of Nature In Creating Jewelry

Meet jewelry artist Lori Campbell-Moore of @lomostudio_designs on Instagram, based in Etters, Pennsylvania. She has been creating jewelry for six years now.

Jewelry Artist Lori Campbell-Moore of @lomostudio_designs on Instagram

@lomostudio_designs on Instagram

Having a couple of turquoise pieces from her works, she shares she sources her turquoise from a few lapidary artists on both Etsy and Instagram, and we’re glad she chooses Turquoise Moose as well.

There are a couple of factors that help Lori’s decision-making when it comes to purchasing turquoise. She mentions she really likes stones that are colorful, with unique patterns and matrixes. Usually drawn to unusual pieces rather than the “standard blue’ truly catches her eye. In addition, the quality of the material and cut or polish of the stone is essential.

From a jewelry artist’s perspective, we had to ask what are the pros and cons of working with turquoise. Lori said she loves the unique variations in color and patterns found in each piece of turquoise. Moreover, she finds that turquoise is such a beautiful material that looks great with any metal. In her own words, she describes it as, “Turquoise is a stone that everyone knows but is still unique.” As per the con, just like most of the artists we asked, she talked about its softness.

When it comes to her turquoise preferences, Lori really likes geometric shapes such as triangles, kites, and hexes. For the size, she usually prefers small to medium-sized stones for her work. Her favorite varieties are Yungai and Purple Lavender.

We asked Lori if she has some handy bezeling techniques to share. Here you go! “Someone (I can’t remember who or I would credit them) once shared this tip for when a stone sits just a little too low in the bezel: To raise a stone in the bezel slightly, crush up some Lavender seeds under the stone. Not only does it add height but it also has a subtle, pleasant aroma.” How cool is that?!

At Team Moose, we make sure we’re continually educating ourselves in being kinder to the environment. We asked Lori what kind of effort she does in making her sourcing or creation process environmentally friendly. Lori says that the environment always plays a part in her choices and process. She hates waste so she saves and recycles every bit of scrap to reuse in some way. To add, broken stones and beads get crushed up and used for inlay.

Lori also loves using recycled and upcycled materials in her work whether it’s old silverware, copper pipe, or other reclaimed items. She declares, “Not only does it give them a new life, I feel it adds something special/a story to the piece.”

So, so amazing and inspiring!

Curious if Lori has a favorite or signature design technique, Lori shares she’s greatly inspired by nature, so her favorite designs tend to incorporate organic or natural elements as accents like leaves, twigs, etc.

Take a look at some of her beautiful work!

Turquoise Jewelry by Lori Campbell-Moore of @lomostudio_designs on Instagram