Martin Taber

Artist Statement

Marrying together my love of sailing and all things nautical with my passion for handcraft, my jewelry is a balance of the mechanical and the organic. As a second generation jeweler carrying on a tradition of simple yet elegant craftsmanship I work in a variety of materials (18k gold, silver, gold-filled, and bronze) making finely wrought jewelry accessible to a wide ranging audience. Whether working in wire and sheet metal or casting my work in silver and bronze my passion for ecology, the sea, & the innate elegance of the natural form is the underpinning to everything I create. FINE JEWELRY/ART JEWELRY: I hand craft these mechanical & modular masterpieces using found objects such as driftwood, beach rock, & sea glass in a delicate juxtaposition with more traditionally precious materials: 18k FAIRMINED gold, sterling silver, recycled diamonds, & fair-trade sapphires. All materials are chosen not only for their physical beauty but also to be sourced as responsibly as possible. FASHION JEWELRY: Hand forged and sculpted in 14k gold-filled & sterling silver wire, my fashion jewelry collection of two tone jewelry while simple, versatile, and affordable is as elegant and finely crafted as anything else I create. ARCHIPELAGO COLLECTION My latest collection of cast nautical forms include both patinated and depletion finished silver and bronze earrings and necklaces formed from oyster and mussel shells, flat coral, and barnacles in an intriguing assemblage of both abstract and representational forms.