Introducing: Aster's Artist Spotlight Series
We are excited to launch a monthly series of interviews with our beloved roster of artists here at the shop. We love sharing their stories with you, and this will be a chance to learn even more about the humans that craft the incredible work we exhibit.
Some of you may know her as the owner and founder of Aster Jewelers. In fact, Lindsay Ansley has been designing and crafting her own collection, Adeline Jewelry, since 2016. Her studio is located in her hometown of Oakland, California, not far from the shop (fun fact: she grew up just a few miles away from Aster)!
We asked Lindsay some questions to learn more about the artistry, inspiration, and history of her collection.
Peyton: What is the story behind the name of your collection?
Lindsay: I thought of the name years before I officially launched my line as it is today, I was 23 and had just quit my publishing job in New York. I remember staying at my jewelry box and noticed that all of my favorite pieces were treasures from my mom, aunts, and grandmothers. I thought about the practice of passing down heirlooms and the history that the objects collect as they are worn and loved, the name Adeline came from that concept: it’s a combination of my great grandmother’s name, Adele, and Lindsay.
P: What is your favorite technique or process in jewelry making?
L: I truly love sculpting wax. Paring away at the material and watching your idea start to formulate feels like magic. Sometimes you start to see things you weren’t expecting and that can change the direction of a piece. That’s why I prefer to play with wax rather than fabricating directly in metal or sketching beforehand.
P: What themes inspire your collection?
Aesthetically speaking, I am drawn to forms that feel balanced between our concepts of masculine and feminine. I love discovering the different kinds of people that choose to wear my work, and I try to keep that in mind when I create new pieces. I’m also hugely influenced by themes in modernism and the Bauhaus movement, from visual art to textiles, furniture, and architecture. My hometown of Oakland, from its landscape to its community and vibrant culture, is also at the forefront of my mind when I’m designing.
P: What's the best piece of advice you were given as an artist?
L: “Get obsessed.”
This was shared by Karen Gilbert, an art jeweler I’ve admired since I was a teenager. Her meaning was: take one thing, something you truly love about the craft, like a process, a shape, a material, and obsess over it. Take it as far as you can, and you uncover new ways of seeing. Every time I experiment with new ideas, this is in my head, because it pushes me past the stage of not being sure about whether something will work, and it puts me into an experimental mindset. So I keep discovering new concepts and ideas.
P: What are your favorite pieces from your personal collection?
L: My top 5:
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My engagement ring, which features three stones passed to us from our family; one from my grandmother, one from my husband’s grandmother, and one from his great aunt. I loved combining them into one piece that celebrates the joining of our histories.
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Year ago, when I was just getting into jewelry making, my favorite uncle gifted me a signet ring that held two stones from my grandmother and was engraved with his initial “J.” He encouraged me to use the gold and stones to create something of my own, but I slipped it on my finger and knew I would wear it just like that for the rest of my life. He passed sway in 2018 and I’m so glad I still have his ring to wear and feel close to him.
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Another memorial piece for my Uncle, and the only piece of custom jewelry I’ve ever commissioned for myself: an amphora charm by Leili Kasraie, whose work we carry at the shop. I reached out to her about crafting a version of her iconic design with some of his ashes placed under the stone. It’s such a beautiful piece, with a deep blue aquamarine cabochon (his birthstone) and a bright rosecut ruby (my birthstone).
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My compass pendant from my jewelry bestie and studiomate, Alissa of Chaparral Jeweley. She gifted it to me when I opened Aster and it has become a part of my daily necklace stack. It makes me feel grounded and focused.
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My Ladha hoops!!! I have the ridge hoops in bronze and the maji hoops in silver. This gal makes THE perfect hoop. You put them on and just feel powerful, chic, and effortlessly cool.
P: Bonus question! Do you have any pets? Tell us about them and share some pictures!
Yes, I have two dogs! My big boy, an eight year old German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix Bear, and my rascal girl, our three year old scruffy super mutt, Clark. They’re great shop dogs.
