For North Carolina metalsmith Erica Stankwytch Bailey, it’s the smallest details that count, whether in nature or in her architectural jewelry deigns.
Artist: Born and grew up in Fayetteville, NC, where she knew early on that she wanted to become a maker.
Bailey graduated from North Carolina School of the Arts for high school and received a BFA in metal design and a BA in women’s studies from East Carolina University (ECU).
“From the first metals survey course I was hooked on metalsmithing,” said Bailey. “Enamored by the malleability of the metal.”
After graduation, Bailey began teaching metalsmithing and jewelry fabrication courses at the local community college in the evenings. And middle school art during the day.
In 2004, Bailey decided to return to her roots as a maker and founded her jewelry company in Fayetteville. In 2014, she was given an opportunity to move her family to Asheville, NC.
Company/studio: Erica Stankwytch Bailey Jewelry (ESB Jewelry) is based in Asheville.
She has two studios:
- One at home where most of her tools and equipment live and where most of the making happens.
- The second, “The TINY Studio,” in the Wedge studios in Asheville’s Rivers Arts District.
“It is a sweet little space where we have jewelry on display,” said Bailey. “And I have a jeweler’s bench where I can do some of the ‘cold’ parts of my process.”
Art & materials: Signature handmade jewelry in sterling silver and gemstones with a focus on form, structure, texture and refraction. General price range:
- Earrings ($55 to $800).
- Necklaces ($100 to $1,500).
- Rings ($50 to $650).
- Brooches ($200 to $1,500).
- Bracelets ($60 to $450).
“I play with the use of negative space,” said Bailey. “And pride myself on a capacity to make larger, bolder designs that are still lightweight and easy to wear.”
Favorite or must-have tools:
- Jigs are favorites. “I make, and have made, a ton of jigs to support specific technical needs,” said Bailey.
- A must-have: Her low torque, high speed flex shaft.
Inspirations: The molecular and crystalline structures of silver and gemstones in her work.
Recent awards/honors:
- Awarded a $15,000 WNC Craft Futures Cohort grant by the Center for Craft in Asheville. The grant is part of a recovery effort for craft artists impacted by Hurricane Helene.
- Artist in Residence, Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland. 2024.
What’s new: The 2025 Autumn Equinox Collection, which features warm rich colors and complex illustrative gemstones.
“The collection is inspired by the dramatic changes that take place in our beautiful landscape as the planet readies for winter,” said Bailey
Where to buy: esbjewelry.com. Custom work in other non-ferrous metals like gold and copper is welcome.
Connect:
- Instagram: @ericasbailey
- Facebook: ESBJewelry
