summer merritt

North Carolina’s Summer Merritt blends geometric shapes and organic forms in her modern wood jewelry, blurring the line between art and fashion.

Artist: Born in La Mirada, CA, Merritt moved to Olympia, WA when she was 10. After high school, she moved back to Los Angeles area to attend college. She graduated with a BFA in Design and an MFA in Sculpture from California State University Long Beach. In 2014, she and her husband moved to the Asheville, NC, area.

Company/studio: Pride & Archive, has been based in the Asheville area for 11 years and eight years in Weaverville, NC. Merritt and her husband, who builds furniture and home goods, share a home studio.

In the beginning: While pursuing her graduate studies, Merritt explored the practical world of opticianry, a decision driven by her need for consistent work and an opportunity to further develop technical skills.

During Merritt’s 16-year career as an optician, she worked for California-based RetroSpecs, which specializes in restoring and preserving antique eyewear.

The experience helped Merritt to become familiar working with gold filled. It also honed her eye for detail and instilled a deep appreciation for working with intricate designs on a small scale.

In 2020, after stepping away from opticianry, Merritt and her husband began building a company focused on custom furniture and home goods. On Christmas Day of that year, while working in their wood studio, Merritt decided to create a piece of jewelry for herself.

This experience opened a new creative avenue, one that soon grew into a dedicated pursuit. Merritt began integrating jewelry into their wood collection. By the end of 2022, she had fully transitioned from woodworker to full-time jewelry artist.

Art & materials: Primarily wood jewelry made from sustainably sourced exotic hardwoods that are more durable and polish better than domestic hardwoods due to their density. Also metal details, including brass, silver, plus gold (solid and gold-filled).

Merritt sources her wood from Cormark International, a trusted resource in Weaverville, near their home studio.

What’s popular:

Merritt’s original earring design: Tear-drop shaped hoops with high polished geometric wood “nuggets” hanging from them ($165 to $225).
She recently introduced a new version of the tear-shaped hoops, available in two sizes ($195 to $225).
Sculpture rings. Merritt calls these large statement rings her “Cinderella rings” because of their shape and fit. ($139 to $500).
3D2 (3D Squared) collection of earrings, necklaces, rings and bangles, which launched in 2024. ($325 to $700).

Favorite or must-have tool: Foredom Bench Lathe.

Inspirations:

Art periods: Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Minimalism, Architecture in general, but primarily modern.
Sculptors: James Turell, Rachel Whiteread, Gordon Matta-Clark, Tara Donovan, Donald Judd, Sol Lewitt.
Veronika Wildgruber, a Berlin-based eyewear designer, who Merritt discovered while working as an optician.

Special commission: Working with a couple on a wedding ring for the husband to be.

Recent awards/honors:

2024 People’s Choice Award at the Craft + Design Show in Richmond, VA.
Accepted for 2025 Smithsonian Craft Show, in Washington, DC. April 23-27. It is the second time she has been selected for the premier show.

What’s new:

A collection of bangles that are all about sculpture and Merritt calls them “Stand Alone’s.”
“These bangles can literally stand on their own (and balance on multiple facets) as a sculpture in your home,” said Merritt. “But they also fit seamlessly into my jewelry collection.”
Exploring the use of more metal work for details and accents with the wood.
Introducing broaches into the 2025 collection.
Building upon cuff links and more accessories tailored to men.

Where to buy: prideandarchivejewelry.com. Also several galleries, including: