Asheville metalsmith Elizabeth Walton is drawn to the intimacy of jewelry and its ability to facilitate interactions between the maker, wearer and viewer.
Artist: Born and raised in Asheville, NC, Walton moved to Boone, NC to earn her BFA in metalsmithing and jewelry design from Appalachian State University.
After graduating, she returned to Asheville to live and work. To keep learning and refining her skills, she has taken workshops at Penland School of Craft and Haystack Mountain School of Craft.
Company/studio: Red Ren Jewelry is based in Asheville. At age 14, Walton came up with the name because of her red hair and her middle name: Ren. She works out of Tunnel Studios in East Asheville, which hosts 11 other artists.
In the beginning: Started making beaded earrings as a kid when her cousin brought some materials to an event and showed her how. Walton sold them for $5 a pair at a craft show with her grandfather when she was eight years old.
In middle school, her mom’s cousin (the late metalsmith Ben Dyer) noticed some wire earrings Walton brought to a family reunion.
Dyer took Walton under his wing and connected her with a local artist who she interned with in high school.
Walton learned how to set up a soldering station at home in her parent’s shed, and her dad helped get everything going.
Art & materials: Sculptural and lightweight jewelry primarily made with sterling silver and gold plated brass.
- Earrings: $78 to $450
- Necklaces: $115 to $1,450
- Bracelets: $150 to $1,280
- Rings: $80 to $315
- Brooches: $500 to $1,280
What’s popular:
- The offset Butterfly stud.
“The way it activates the space around the ear while still remaining somewhat subtle, I think attracts a lot of people,” said Walton. “It’s a relatively smaller earring in terms of the pieces I make, but it still is intriguing.”
- The Hydrangea Puff pieces, which have an optical illusion element that captures people’s interest.
“The shapes are composed of one domed layer of brushed silver, and a layer of textured and darkened silver,” said Walton. “This layering technique allows me to create pieces that are lightweight but appear visually dense.”
Favorite or must-have tools: Jeweler’s saw and her mini torch. Also her Durston planishing hammer and table-top mini shear are favorites.
“I love my tools,” said Walton.
Inspirations/influences:
- Her observations of nature’s resilience and ability to grow in response to its environment.
- Systems in natural growth, architectural construction and musical composition.
- The language of making: the curiosity it demands, the surprises it offers and the generous communities it can connect.
- The music of Ludovico Einaudi and Gilbran Alcocer.
Special commission: Had the recent honor of making an engagement ring. It was commissioned by a childhood friend using the diamond from his grandmother’s engagement ring.
Recent honor: A recipient of the Craft Futures Grant Cohort awarded by the Asheville-based Center for Craft. 2025.
Recent project: Last year, created the linear hydrangea necklace, using textured and polished metal surfaces.
“I worked directly in the metal to find an arrangement of links that activated the shapes and engaged with the silhouette of the body,” said Walton.
What’s new: Tunnel Studios Open House, a new artist studio collective and gallery space in East Asheville. March 21 and June 20, 12 to 6 pm.
What’s next: Starting an art MFA program at the University of Wisconsin Madison in fall 2026.
Where to buy:
- Artist’s website: redrenjewelry.com
- Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, Asheville. July 16-19.
- Mora Jewelry, Asheville, NC.
- Miya Gallery, Weaverville, NC.
- The Bascom, Highlands, NC.
- Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts gallery, Gatlinburg,TN.
Connect:
- Facebook: Red Ren Jewelry
- Instagram: @RedRenJewelry
