Jewelry Designer and Metalsmith
Sydney Lynch is an accomplished metalsmith and designer whose jewelry includes both one-of-a-kind creations and multiples, each piece made by hand in her studio. Most of the collection is executed in bimetal, 22k or 18k gold and sterling silver fabricated into one piece, that allows the artist to contrast yellow gold surfaces with oxidized sterling silver surfaces to create the dramatic designs for which Lynch is known.


Primavera Pin
Sterling Silver, 22k Gold, Tourmaline
2.5 inches diameter

Sydney Lynch Jewelry combines sculptural contemporary design with the highest quality craftsmanship to create a unique collection of wearable art. From her studio in Lincoln, Nebraska, Sydney Lynch creates both her Designer Line and one-of-a-kind pieces that include a variety of gemstones. A nationally recognized designer for 25 years, Sydney's work has been exhibited at leading juried shows and is sold at fine craft galleries and jewelry stores across the country.


Black & Gold Inca Bracelet
Oxidized Sterling Silver
18k and 22k Gold
Two 10pt. Diamonds.
6 7/8 inch length shown

Colorful cabochon gems including Peridot, Aquamarine, Iolite, Tourmaline, Moonstone, and pearls are a signature in her work. The gemstones are set in 22k gold bezels. No parts are plated, so the gold surfaces won't wear through. Her jewelry is hand-fabricated, but some of the silver components are cast using the lost wax process.


Forest Pendant with Citrine
Oxidized Sterling Silver
18k and 22k Gold
On sterling cable.

Sydney's jewelry combines bold, simple sculptural shapes in a sensual blend that results in an organic geometry. Many of the patterned textures are created by roller-printing the metal with photo-etched stainless steel templates. Other textures are created by grinding or hammering the metal against cement.

Her personal interests are reflected in her work: the natural forms of rocks and seashells that she has collected since childhood, the intriguing shapes she finds in weathered urban areas. She's also interested in tribal and ancient jewelry, and that too is reflected in her work. She explores different ways of changing the appearance of metal through roller printing, and hammering the metal against textured surfaces.

The combination of gems and earthier stones with 22k gold and silver provides the context for an interplay of color, shape, and texture. Wearability is always an important factor for Lynch. She wants her jewelry to be comfortable and graceful, as well as strong and sculptural. Her jewelry reflects classical and primitive traditions while remaining distinctly contemporary.

ARTIST STATEMENT

When I was young I loved rummaging through my grandmother's bureau drawers, enchanted by her treasure trove of costume jewelry, which she kept in a jumble of tiny boxes, each with its own story. Growing up in rural Connecticut, my passions were creating and curating my collections of objects found and acquired, and, as my mother used to say, "working with my hands." I progressed from hand-loomed pot holders to making bowls out of natural clay from a local streambed, to oil painting.

While working on the Navajo Reservation midway through college, I fell in love with the wide-open landscape and moved West permanently. Soon I met my first silversmiths who made me want to get my hands on some silver and start making jewelry.

I finished my BFA at the University of Colorado, and after ten years of making jewelry in Boulder, I settled in Nebraska, first on a farm and then in Lincoln. I now work with three assistants and my husband, Craig Roper, who manages the business end of the studio.

Recently I have been working on a series of designs inspired by the subtle, repetitive forms of the flora and wild grasses of the prairie. In miniaturizing a vast open landscape by creating these pieces, I am able to focus on the details of my surroundings which might otherwise be easily overlooked.

Working with the materials is the most exciting part of the process for me. Simply put, I like making things. In my one-of-a kind pieces, I exercise my love of color by incorporating a wide range of colored stones in endless combinations. My other body of work focuses on oxidized sterling combined with 18k and 22k gold. It's important that my work be both sculptural and wearable. Many of my designs are abstract, leaving the wearer open to create a personal, intuitive relationship with the piece.