laura lau klein

Inspired by the raw beauty of the North Carolina mountains, Asheville-based jeweler Laura Lau Klein creates bold, organic pieces that celebrate the natural world.

For Klein, jewelry is more than adornment. It is a daily celebration of ourselves and the world around us.

Artist: Born and raised in Wilmington, DE, Klein holds a BS in art history, studio art and anthropology from the University of Delaware.

Her interest in community relationships to craft led her to study at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Penland School of Craft, and, most recently, Haywood Community College, where Klein received her AAS in jewelry and metals.

Klein lives in Asheville, NC, where her work is inspired by the diverse flora and fauna of the area.

Studio: Laura Lau Klein Jewelry started in 2024. Klein’s workshop is in Miya Gallery & Studios in Weaverville. She shares studio space with five other jewelers, who are supportive and willing to share skills.

“Plus, someone is always ready with a joke to make the whole crew laugh, keeping things fun,” said Klein, adding that she loves the craft community of Western North Carolina and her studio is a key aspect of that.

In the beginning: Klein has always been an artist, making jewelry as a child and painting throughout her teenage and young adult life.

In her early 20’s, she was intrigued by natural dyes, pigments, basketry and the significance of craft in human culture.

This interest led her to the host position at the John Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, in 2022. There, she took many different craft classes over her four-month internship. But fell in love with the open-endedness and creative possibilities of metals.

Art & materials: Bold and organic designs using sterling silver, bronze, brass, and gold combined with local gemstones, pebbles, wood, and antique components.

Charms: $40 to $160.
Earrings: $50 to $800.
Bracelets: $30 to $1,200.
Necklaces: $66 to $1,200.
Rings: $87 to $600.

Must-have tools: Parallel pliers.

Inspirations:

Patterns in nature.
The bold, yet refined design aesthetics of modernism.
Her garden.
Friends and family.
Sitting quietly next to a river or stream.
Antique jewelry.

Special commission: Engagement rings using Western North Carolina emeralds.

Recent awards & honors:

Exhibiting member of Heavy Metal: Rings, 2026 at Mora Jewelry.
Exhibiting member of Earrings Galore 2025 at Munich Jewelry Week.
Virginia A. Groot Craft Futures Residency in 2025, through the Center for Craft, Asheville, NC.
Featured in the Fall 2025 issue of American Craft magazine.
Recipient of the Wingate Lamar Fellowship Award in 2024, through the Center for Craft.

What’s new: Incorporating more etching into her designs.

What’s next: Marshall Handmade Market, Marshall, NC, Nov. 21-22.

Where to buy: