tavia brown

Virginia’s Tavia Brown describes her metal jewelry designs as “a little edgy and a little refined.”

Artist: Born in Lexington, KY, Brown moved at age five with her family to Charlottesville, VA, where she grew up creating and taking art classes in her community and school.

At Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, she received a BFA with a concentration in metals.

After college, she worked for a high-end jeweler in Charlottesville, where she trained for more than four years. During that time, Brown started her own jewelry business on the side.

Company/studio: taviametal, Brown’s jewelry business, is based in Charlottesville, VA. She uses her first craft show in October 2001 as her business starting date.

Brown works in a co-creative studio called Malleable Studios, which she created. Malleable Studios, which rents affordable space to eight artists, also hosts workshops, classes and studio events for the community throughout the year.

The artists’ studio space is located inside the Linen on Market building, which Brown, her husband and another friend purchased in July 2025. Linen on Market, a mixed-used commercial building, is now home to many local businesses and creators.

In the beginning: Brown knew at age seven that she wanted to be an artist. She took art and craft classes throughout her childhood. In high school, she noticed she was more comfortable in three-dimensional work.

So, at college, she concentrated more on metals and sculpture, with painting as a third concentration.

“I like to say jewelry found me,” said Brown. “It wasn’t what I went to college to learn, but as I was taking sculpture, I realized the scale wasn’t really where I felt confident at the time.”

“Jewelry just clicked,” she said. “It was small scale and three-dimensional.”

Art & materials: Heavily textured jewelry ($40 to $4,500) in mostly sterling silver, gold and titanium, though she uses other materials, like copper, bronze and steel, when the project calls for it. Brown also has introduced gemstones and color in her practice.

What’s popular:

Titanium bands that are textured and juxtaposed with gold and silver. They have been a mainstay of her practice for 20 years.
The Impressions collection, which features unexpected textures from shells, chains and rivets that are shaped and wrapped. Stones are added for color and sparkle.

Tools: Her bench pin. Also, her Green Lion’s jeweler saw, ball vise, casting equipment and torch.

“I love my tools,” said Brown. “It’s amazing how many tools we need to make little tiny things.”

Inspirations:

Art Deco
Industry
Nature
Family
Found objects

Special commissions: Creating a ring for the mother of her son’s friend who passed away.

“This was very challenging and beautiful for me emotionally,” said Brown. “I collaborated with a friend of mine who has a business placing and encasing remains in glass.

“We used some of her son’s hair to create a glass ‘stone,’ and I set it in a ring with other symbolic details on the band.”

Recent project: Fabricating a teeny tiny pen, the impetus of which was for a special client. It is part of her work with miniatures, including jeweler’s saw, toy superhero arms and hearts.

“They are so darn cute and are wonderful little charms,” said Brown.

Always next: When not creating jewelry, Brown makes little sculptures or wall art, like etchings.

What’s new: Figure studies.

“One way I am doing this is by carving wax and casting miniature bronze sculptures,” said Brown. “Another is cutting and forming copper figures and then enameling them.

“I want to continue this theme, and continue to work them into small sculptures and wall art.”

Where to buy: