Check Out Kerri OConnor’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kerri OConnor.

Hi Kerri, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story started on a cruise trip to Alaska. We would visit art galleries and the experience of buying a piece of artwork was so much more than just a sale. They told you about their tribes, their ancestors, how they grew into being the artists that they were. I had always been very artistic and creative but this opened up a whole new experience for me. I remember thinking, “This is what I want to do.” The story continues when I traveled with friends to a fiddlers convention (and yes I have a fiddle) in Virginia. We had stopped at a local garden market. I found a bowl full of ocean jasper stones. They were so beautiful. One of my friends said, “You could make a beautiful necklace out of those.” so I purchased them. During a second trip to Virginia as a retreat for myself. I found a local jewelry supply store and walked out with a very large shopping bag of beads, tools, and excitement. I made my first necklaces that same night.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I am not an extrovert. And I love participating in local markets. In order to realize that element of telling my story, engaging customers and connecting with them I had to step out of the personal self that was shy, didn’t know what to say, and was part of a very large community of jewelry makers. Yet I knew that I loved creating and that my creations were for my customers. I started introducing myself, asking about the customer, where were they from, did they have any questions about the stones or the techniques. As a result I have met people from all around Ohio, the United States and the world. And although I am still not an extrovert, I am always excited to greet visitors to my booth.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started out making assemblage jewelry but as I visualized new designs, I did not have the skills to make what I was seeing. My imagination was encouraging me to grow. Through local metalsmithing classes, I have expanded my skills to gradually mastering more complex techniques and designs. I also cut some of the stones used in my work. I now work primarily in sterling/fine silver, gold-filled with precious or semi-precious gemstones. Metalsmithing includes sawing, soldering, forming, texturizing, and polishing the design. Wire-wrapping is also used for some earrings and tree-of-life necklaces.

I am most proud of designs where I both cut and set the stones. It is as close to 100% made-by-hands I can get without owning my own silver mine!

Another essential element of my work is that I have been in a metaphysical group for over forty years now. I am an energy worker at heart. So it was important to me that the positive energy I put into each piece radiates out to the people who wear it. Jewelry creation is about expanding the reflection of light using lustrous metals and beautiful stones. With each bend, angle, texture, finish that expansion of light is magnified even more. This is symbolic of the light work that I perform each day. It is my passion to create captivating jewelry and cut stones that are alluring, vibrant, and an expression of that light – talismans or amulets to wear throughout the day. It is my intent that this will be passed on to the wearer. Why? If you are happy, you will naturally spread it like wildfire to everyone around you. And then they will feel good too!

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is building that connection with customers as well as their love of what they purchased or saw at my booth. I take care with my booth setup, the placing of each display and jewelry product to energize it so they have that same experience I had in Alaska. I’ve had customers say that they saw me/my booth from across a room and knew they had to come shop with me. I believe that is because I am always striving to radiate positive, loving energy and that energy draws them to my booth. The sales are a by-product of that experience. This is why local markets are so important to my business. It is much easier to make this connection in person versus through a website or social media.

Pricing:

• Jewelry prices range from $30 to $300 depending on the metals and gemstones used.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fleurdelifejewelry.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fleursjewelry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fleursjewelry/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/fleursjewelry