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Barbara Smith McLaughlin Fine Jewelry

    Rich Textures and Gorgeous Gems are the building blocks of my jewelry.  With this foundation I fashion my designs for earrings; both my asymmetrical earrings { because I don't like rules! }; and my symmetrical earrings { cause I do know how to make them }.  Necklaces, pendants, rings and bracelets; along with cufflinks, money clips and more utilize the same process.

    ​My only goal is to offer you jewelry that makes you feel beautiful inside and out!

    I am often torn as to which is more important; the rich textures or the gorgeous gems, as both play an important role in how and what I create.  Studio space is shared with her husband Robert, a lapidary artist on the seacoast of New Hampshire.  

    McLaughlin is inspired by natural textures / patterns found in nature.  Textural inspirations are interpreted thru techniques such as stamping, roller printing, reticulation and the forging of metal with rusty old hammers.

    Robert is my other half, the lapidary artist who cuts the many gems used in my one-of-a-kind designs!…. opals being my favorite! Oxidizing the sterling enhances the visual impact of the textures, with raised surfaces being highly polished.

    ​Barbara McLaughlin is a self-taught metalsmith with a thirst for knowledge. Armed with her MBA, books become her friend. Experimentation in the studio was substituted for formal training, allowing her to explore techniques freely.

    I have been blessed with a gift of color perception that most people do not have, I have more pins and cones in my eyes which allows me to see subtle color variations.  This gift came from my grandfather who was a master dye matcher in the woolen industry. 

    ​A lot of thought, time and patience has been curated into each piece of jewelry, capturing a moment of my life in metal and stones leaving an heirloom to be treasured for generations.

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