Tourmaline in Matrix Collar

tourmaline in matrix, sterling silver, 18k gold solder

stone is 2"x4"

Aimee Petkus designs with the inspiration of her background in geology, the science of crystallography, and her upbringing in the mountains of Colorado as the daughter of an art teacher and a sculptor. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Natural Resources with a concentration in geology from Colorado State University. She worked professionally as an environmental geologist in New York City and for the state of New Jersey managing wetland reclamation projects. After a healthy dose of bureaucracy she desired a change, quit her job and convinced her partner to as well. They went on a soul searching adventure that turned into a 2 year journey which involved a trip to the bottom of copper canyon in Mexico, months diving in the islands off Honduras, spending time in a historic mining cabin with real life old timey prospectors on the side of a 14,000ft mountain, to name a few. With all the storytelling that goes along with meeting new people constantly while you're traveling, she realized the things she really felt passionate about. Her deep love of understanding crystals from the molecular level, and the artistic and creative talents she inherited from her parents. Her next step was to learn everything she possibly could and as efficiently as possible about how to make objects from stones, crystals, and metals. So she enrolled at Savannah College of Art in their metalsmithing and jewelry program where she earned a BFA in 2013 and promptly launched her business from there.