My Jewelry Journey
Designing custom gold and silver jewelry has always felt like second nature to me. I’ve always enjoyed looking at sculptures, paintings, and collages—trying to understand the point of view the artist was designing from and what might have inspired them to use the materials they chose. Growing up, I took a variety of art classes that explored different mediums and techniques. What I truly fell in love with was a jewelry-making class I took at a junior college. The class had been described as a miniature sculpture class, but it was actually a metalsmithing class. On the first day, the instructor did a slideshow of different custom jewelers, and while presenting their pieces, he described them as wearable sculptures. That caught my attention right away—I had never heard jewelry described that way before. The more I learned about jewelry designers, the more I realized how true custom jewelers create wearable sculptures. They often use older techniques and antique tools, giving each piece a one-of-a-kind feel because of the craftsmanship involved.
My Training and Experience
I took two different paths when it came to training to become a jeweler. I started at a junior college and spent some time taking classes at a university art college. That’s where I learned a lot about hand fabrication, and how silver reacts to heat while soldering. There was a lot of freedom to make what I wanted, and that’s why the first chain I ever made was leaf-shaped. It was quite the challenge since I had just learned how to solder and was still learning how to watch for the signs of overheating the silver while soldering it all together. Eventually, I ran out of classes to take because I had completed all the available jewelry-making classes at the junior college. I asked my instructor where I could go to continue learning. He recommended the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). I was accepted into the Graduate Jeweler program at GIA, where they trained us to be professional bench jewelers. That’s where I learned the technical aspects of jewelry repair and the safety standards for running a professional jewelry shop. After completing that program, I enrolled in the Applied Jewelry Arts program. We learned how to create technical jewelry illustrations—measured drawings based on actual stone and metal dimensions—used for fabrication, layout, and design planning. We then moved into wax carving, casting, mold making, and an introduction to CAD jewelry design. I enjoyed working with CAD, but at the time, the technology was still very new and not widely used in custom jewelry shops. The final course I completed at GIA was the Diamond Grading program. I loved learning about inclusions—how they form, how they affect a stone’s durability, and how they can impact the setting process. Creating diamond plotting diagrams became one of my favorite parts of the training. After GIA, I worked in a limited custom production studio where the head goldsmith hand-fabricated every piece. I combined what I learned at GIA with new hand fabrication techniques, building jewelry from scratch. Later, I returned to college to study geology, driven by my love for setting stones with fascinating inclusions and unusual shapes. I wanted to learn more about minerals—how they form, their colors, crystal structures, and unique features. Over the past 18 years, I have continued working toward my goal: helping people design, restore, and bring new life to their one-of-a-kind jewelry.
Our Studio and Website
Based in Seattle, Lila Logan Jewelry Design Studio is a custom jewelry studio specializing in custom gold and silver jewelry, jewelry repair, and permanent bracelets and anklets. I’m extremely fortunate to have my husband, Dustin, as a business partner. His passion lies in computer science, and he’s a talented full-stack developer, SEO specialist, and marketing expert. He designed our website to reflect what inspires us, where we’ve traveled and lived together, and what we want Lila Logan Jewelry Design Studio to represent: bringing out everyone's creativity and passion, and helping them design their dream gold or silver jewelry. Thanks to Dustin’s talent, we’ve never needed to pay for online advertising. People are able to easily find us when searching for a jeweler who can repair broken beaded jewelry, hand-fabricated jewelry, or design custom pieces. All of our work is done in-house—and literally inside a house at our home studio. All visits are by appointment only.
Specialties and Design Focus
My personal passion has always been designing and making hand-fabricated settings for uniquely shaped stones—for engagement rings, wedding bands, and earrings. I love building the setting to fit the stone, rather than altering a mass-produced setting to fit. Hand-fabricated settings often lead to truly unique fashion rings, engagement rings, wedding bands, and pendants. My favorite material to work with is yellow gold, but I also enjoy using 14K gold-filled, sterling silver, niobium, and other alternative metals. Another specialty is making handmade chains in different shapes and patterns. Using an electric welder allows me to work easily with alternative metals like niobium and stainless steel, while also saving time and using more environmentally friendly practices. We primarily use recycled metals, and we make sure that any chemicals we use are eco-friendly. Lastly, I love making anything that helps someone achieve their perfect piece. Whether it's ear wires, clasps, chains, or rings, I especially enjoy the challenge of setting uniquely shaped stones into custom jewelry in gold or silver.
Permanent Bracelets and Anklets
One of my favorite projects is creating my signature Bang Chain. The Permanent Bang Chain is half bangle, half chain—made to order to fit perfectly on your wrist. You can choose the metal type: Gold-Filled, Silver, or Niobium. You can also pick the finish: polished, matte, hammered, or stamped with a personal message. The bangle can be shaped traditionally (straight across), curved into a point, or customized in other ways. The chain half can match the metal or be different, and you can pick link shapes like round, oval, or paperclip. When you're done, you’ll have created your own unique Bang Chain—a combination of half bangle and half chain. The same goes for designing a custom permanent anklet. Anklets are available in Gold-Filled, Silver, and Niobium, with options to mix different jump ring shapes and gemstone charms. Gemstone charms are made on the spot—you can choose your gemstone bead and have it crafted into a charm for your bracelet or anklet. Since I primarily make everything by hand, I leave many pieces partially finished so you can customize your jewelry on the spot.
Shopping and Appointments
While most of my work focuses on custom gold and silver jewelry design, I also offer a selection of one-of-a-kind finished jewelry available for purchase. You can book a shopping appointment to browse, and almost everything can be altered or customized if needed. Jewelry design has always been my passion—and really, any creative project has always been right up my alley. Jewelry design, however, is truly where my heart is. I love hearing the stories behind the jewelry customers bring in for repair or restoration. When we have the honor of designing a couple’s engagement ring or wedding bands, hearing how they met and when they decided to propose makes the experience even more meaningful. It’s truly an honor to create rings that reflect their love story. Please feel free to reach out to me, Emma, with any questions, or to book an appointment for jewelry repair, custom design, or to have a permanent bracelet attached.