Jeannine Payer

Jeannine Payer is a San Francisco artist whose jewelry summons powerful emotions: portraits that reinterpret memory, fleeting images of angels, suggestions of family and the passage of generations. She was trained in both drawing and sculpture, but also has a keen understanding of poetry and a rare ability to realize its unique power in a visual and decorative medium. Her work often fuses strong poetic themes with actual reduced images: miniature 22kt gold angel wings surrounding a time- worn image of a child, book pendants engraved with excerpts from the works of great poets such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Lao-Tzu and adorned with semi-precious gems. The pieces are small, but their impact derives from the potent and evocative associations she is able to capture- an effect unique to this artist. Each piece demonstrates Payer's highly developed eye for detail, a remarkable taste in poetry and art, and a formidable technical expertise. She has been internationally recognized for her ability to design and create highly crafted collector's quality jewelry. Payer continues to change and expand her line in ways that are endlessly surprising and satisfying.